We woke to find that we had arrived in Sardinia with Sea Cloud alongside a pier in the port of Cagliari. After an early breakfast, we disembarked quickly to join our guides and coaches for the journey inland to Barumini. As we neared the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Su Nuraxi, the landscape became quite beautiful with rolling hills, small towns and fields of ripening wheat and vegetables. From a distance, the archaeological site appeared as a great mound of cyclopean boulders, but as we walked closer, we found the excavations of a bronze age townsite around what was once a fortress-like set of connected towers from the Nuragic culture. We climbed up to enjoy the fantastic panorama from the top, and then we entered a narrow tunnel in the rock pile that brought us down into the center of the tower complex with its open courtyard, beehive–type chambers, and hidden passages. There was a lot more to these ruins than we had at first anticipated!
After successfully extricating ourselves from the Nuragi, we boarded our coaches and returned to Sea Cloud for a wonderful Mediterranean buffet lunch. With our energy restored, we transferred up to the highest district of the old town. We first visited the National Archaeological Museum to view some of the artifacts of the Nuragic culture. Our guides then took us on a gentle walking tour of the old town. After visiting the city’s main cathedral with its memorable crypt, we made our way through narrow streets, across a wide white plaza, along the ramparts to arrive to the lower town for our return to the ship.
Sea Cloud sailed as soon as all were aboard, and we set out for the southwest cape of Sardinia. It was a beautiful evening of sailing, with a clear and colorful sunset as we enjoyed Sea Cloud’s BBQ buffet dinner on the lido deck, featuring a fresh whole yellowfin tuna and local Sardinian delicacies.
