Enjoy Living Abroad
  • Start Here
  • My Blog
  • My Travel Books
    • LOOK INSIDE NEW BOOK
    • ENJOY MOVING ABROAD
    • MOVING TO SEVILLE
    • EASTERN EUROPE
    • PACKING GUIDE
    • 101 EXPAT TIPS
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing
    • The Expat Lifestyle
    • Enjoy the Best of Seville
  • World Food
  • Dive Bars
  • About
  • Contact

Join us on the journey

Lovely, Tourist-Free Italian Cities; Yes, They Still Exist!

4/21/2016

12 Comments

 
Texting in Tourist-Free Sardinia, Italy | EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
Rich and I seemed to be the only tourists in Sassari, Sardinia.

​“If we don’t find something open soon,” I said to Rich, “I’m not going to have much to write about on my blog.”

We were standing in front of the massive locked doors of the cathedral in Cagliari, Sardinia, which an online search had assured us was open continuously from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm. It was nearly lunchtime, and it didn’t look like we had a prayer of seeing the interior any time in the foreseeable future. The 13th-century Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Cecilia was one of a long series of closed churches, palaces, and museums we’d visited under the auspices of our online self-guided walking tour. Don’t get me wrong; we were having a perfectly lovely time meandering around the narrow streets, pausing to admire the gorgeous old buildings and spectacular harbor views, fortifying ourselves from time to time with cappuccino or freshly squeezed orange juice. But my plans to write about Cagliari’s charming points of interest were fading fast.

“What’s with this town?” I added. “You’d think they didn’t care about tourists.”
​
“Why should they?” asked Rich. “There aren’t any.” 


Old Italian woman on back street | Tourist-Free Sardinia, Italy | EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
A woman on the street near our Cagliari apartment

He was so right. We’d been on the island of Sardinia for four days, visiting its two largest cities, Sassari and Cagliari, and the total number of tourists we’d spotted was somewhere south of twenty. Maybe south of ten. True, this was the offseason; no doubt there were plenty in the summer months to fill all those great hotels, B&Bs, and trattorias dotting the landscape. Everyone we’d met had been incredibly warm and friendly but without the slightly forced charm of those who cater to foreigners for a living. Now, looking around the serene, sun-drenched plaza, I realized why the cathedral wasn’t surrounded with Starbucks and souvenir stands: this was a place of worship, not an attraction.

“There’s your story,” Rich pointed out. “We’ve actually managed to find a place in Italy that is totally and completely off the beaten path. People here arrange things to suit themselves, not the whims and habits of tourists.”

Obviously I had been feeling for the pulse of this city in all the wrong places. Sure, Cagliari is an ancient city whose roots go back 5000 years to the Neolithic era. And its strategic location in the middle of the Mediterranean attracted occupying forces from just about every seafaring nation in the Old World, creating a rich landscape of gorgeous buildings, some dating back to pre-Roman times. But Cagliari is no museum, no theme park paying homage to its own past. It’s a vibrant city with plenty to say about living in modern times. 
​
Rock guitar graffiti | Tourist-Free Sardinia, Italy | EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
Wall art, donated by a local graffiti artist in Cagliari

​As a travel writer and photographer, I’m always trying to get a bit further out there on the road less traveled so I can develop a fresh perspective on the world. I find it enormously disconcerting to take that unique, once-in-a-lifetime photo — only to turn around and discover that six other visitors are standing behind me snapping precisely the same image. And I have learned the hard way that crowds of sightseers in shorts and sneakers milling about in front of monuments rarely do anything to improve the romantic atmosphere I’m trying to capture. (To be fair, I’m sure many of them have cursed me for inadvertently ruining their photos, too.) So as you can imagine, my camera and I are having a field day here in Sardinia. Take a look. Can you find a single tourist in any of these shots?

Tomorrow, Rich and I are taking a long walk to the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria (Fair Winds), built to house the statue of the Blessed Virgin that washed up on shore in 1370 under mysterious, possibly miraculous circumstances. Considered the jewel in the crown of Cagliari’s many ancient religious structures, the complex includes a basilica, a sanctuary, and a monastery for the Mercedarian friars who have watched over the site since the 14th century. I want to light a candle to the Virgin in hopes she’ll arrange for us to have fair winds and a smooth passage when we take the night ferry from Cagliari to Palermo on Friday.

​The website assured me that the shrine is open mornings and afternoons to welcome visitors and celebrate mass. But of course, I am fully prepared to arrive and find the doors closed and locked, the candles out of reach, and all the friars away on vacation. No matter. I can still say a prayer to Our Lady of Bonaria, asking her blessings on our journey and on the good people of Sardinia, whose island remains one of the most warmly welcoming and delightfully tourist-free places in modern Italy.

​YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY
THE SIX-HEADED SAINT OF GENOA
A DARK & STORMY NIGHT ON THE FERRY
MY ROMANCE WITH SPAGHETTI
12 Comments
    Picture
    Karen McCann

    I'm an American writer living in Seville, Spain and traveling the world with my husband, Rich. I make frequent trips to the USA,  especially my native California, because America is something you have to stay in practice for, and I don't want to lose my touch.

    OUR CURRENT LOCATION:
    San Anslemo, CA
    NEW RELEASE 
    Picture
    See all my books
    See my videos
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    BLOG ARCHIVES 

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    CATEGORIES

    All
    32 Years Together
    7 Best Travel Tips
    Acupuncture
    Address To A Haggis
    Adriatic Sea
    AirBnB
    Air Travel
    Air Travel Myths
    Alicia Bay Laurel
    Amazon
    American Resistance France
    American Taboos
    A Month Of Italy
    Amsterdam
    Anthony Hopkins
    Anxious Traveler
    Apps
    Arizona
    Armadillos
    Artichokes
    Artwalk
    Atomic Bunker Museum
    Attention Test
    Austria
    Authentic Travel
    Automation = Apocalypse?
    A Year Of Travel
    Bagpipe Music
    Baltasar
    Banana Bread
    Bari
    Barletta
    Barrio Abierto
    Bathroom
    Beastly Spasm
    Becherovka
    Bed Bugs
    Beer
    Belgrade
    Best Apps 2016
    Best Foodie City
    Best & Worst
    Bet
    Better Homes And Gardens Cook Book
    Betty Soskin
    Bhutan
    Bigfoot Museum
    Big Rail Trip 2016
    Biohazard Bag
    Biosphere 2
    Bird
    Black Angels
    Blogs & Websites
    Book Club
    Book Cover
    Books
    Bookstores
    Botiza
    Brain-enhanced Chimps
    Brains Of The Pig
    Breakfast In Seville
    Bucharest
    Budapest
    Budget
    Bulgaria
    Bulgarian Festivals
    Bulgarian Folklore
    Bull's Head
    Burns Supper
    Buzzworthy Words
    CA
    Cabalgata
    CA Cheese Trail
    Ca ‘de Anime
    Caganer
    Cagliari
    Calvin Trillin
    Camels
    Carbon-Conscious Rail Travel
    Castle Houska
    České Budějovice
    České Budějovice
    Chained Wallet
    Chakra Stone
    Chickens
    Chocolate Nativity Scene
    Chocolatour
    Chris Brady
    Christmas
    Christmas In Seville
    Christmas Traditions
    Chulalongkorn University
    Clara Bensen
    Climate Change
    Coca-Cola
    Coffee
    Comfort Food
    Communism Museum
    Costa Women
    Cows Come Home
    Croatia
    Cruz De Mayo In Seville
    Cuba: 10 Tips
    Cuba: Legendary Snafu
    Czech Please
    Czech Republic
    Dan Brown's Inspiration
    Dance
    Dancing In The Fountain
    Dancing In The Foutnain
    Dancing On Bars
    Debunking Travel Myths
    Detours & Delays
    Devil's Museum
    Diners
    Disappointing Destinations
    Disaster Survival Tips
    Dive Bars
    Dive Bars Of Italy
    Dive Bars Of Seville
    Dogs
    Doing It
    Donna Red Wing
    Dragon
    Drink-Ease
    Driverless Cars
    Duck Plaza
    Duquesa De Alba
    Earthquakes
    EatWith
    Emergency Measures
    Emergency Preparedness
    Enjoy Moving Abroad
    Entrails Soup
    Epiphany
    E-readers
    Erratic Boulder
    Estonia
    Eurail
    European Dinner Plate
    European Food
    Evernote
    Exercise On The Road
    Expat In Dark Times
    Expats In America2.0
    Expect Delays
    Eye-popping Landmarks
    Fake Wallet
    Family
    Farruquito
    Fellini
    Finland
    First Aid Kit
    Five Meals A Day
    Flea Market
    Flophouses
    Folklore
    Fondu
    Food Tours
    Foreign
    Foreigners
    Fork In The Road
    Fountain
    Free Wi-Fi Finder
    French Women Don't Get Fat
    Fried Flies
    Full Catastrophe Living
    Galileo Offline
    Gates Of Hell
    Gazpacho Recipe
    Genoa
    Genova
    George Takei
    Georgia
    Georgian Grey Bear
    Germany
    Ghost
    Gin Joints
    Glass Wall Of Tourism
    Going Spiral
    Google-glass
    Google Translate
    Gps
    Grandma Cooper
    Granola Recipe
    Grapes
    Greek Coffee
    Greek Wines
    Group Tours
    Guest Blog
    Guest Etiquette
    Guests
    Haggis
    Halloween
    Handyman's Guide
    Hannibal Lecter
    Helsinki
    Herzeg Novi
    Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy291cb11256
    Holiday Lights
    Holidays In Seville
    Holiday Survival Guide
    Holy Grail
    Home For The Holidays
    Horse
    Hospitals
    Houseguest
    House Hunting
    House Of The Spirits
    Houska Castle
    How To Meet People
    Hrad Houska
    Hungary
    Hydration
    Iberian Lynx
    Ibrik
    Icloud
    Immigrants
    India
    Indiana Jones
    In Search Of America Tour
    Ipad
    IPhone Photos
    Irail
    Italy
    Jacket
    Jan The Beachcomber
    Japan
    Jet Lag
    Jet Lag Apps
    John The Baptist
    Joseph Campbell
    Joya Shoes
    July 4th In USA
    Katka Lapelosa
    Kavarma
    Kgb
    Kgb Muzeum
    Kindle
    King Wenceslas
    Kotor
    Koyono Jacket
    Krakow
    Krakow's Dragon
    Ladies Room
    Lady And The Tramp
    La Font De La Figuera
    Laptop Ban
    Larissa Olenicoff
    Latvia
    Laughter Project
    Lederhosen
    Legal
    Legend
    LGBT Rights
    Library
    Lindsay Lake
    Lithuania
    Little White Lie
    Little Women
    Live To 100
    Longevity
    Lord Peter Wimsey
    Low-Tech Travel Tips
    Lübeck
    Lucky Grapes
    Lucky Red Underwear
    Luggage
    Luggage-free Travel
    Luggage-Free Travel? Try It
    Lviv
    Lynne And Tim Martin
    Maps
    Marijuana
    Mars One
    Matrimony
    Mbt Shoes
    Meal Schedules
    Meal Sharing
    Meaning Of Home
    Mediterranean Dive Bars
    Menlo Park Library
    Mentally Unpack Your Bags
    Mermaids
    Metropol Parasol Building
    Miracle Tile Of Vilnius
    Mobilize America
    Money
    Money Handling
    Monster Of Milpitas
    Montenegro
    Most Dangerous Woman In America
    Museum Of Communism
    Mystery Spot
    Naples
    Napoli
    National Lampoon's European Vacation
    Nativity Scene
    Nepal
    New
    Newark Of Italy
    New Orleans
    New Year's Eve
    New Year's Eve Abroad
    New Year's In Seville
    New York Times
    No-Jet-Lag
    Nomad Eating
    Obatzda
    Olive Oil
    Optimism & Survival
    Orichiette Pasta
    Outhouse
    Packing
    Packing Demonstration
    Packing Tips
    Paella
    Painting
    Palacio De Las Dueñas
    Palermo
    Parlor Games On The Road
    Passport Issue
    Pasta
    Pasta Recipe
    Patriotism. US
    Peaceful Resistance
    Pécs
    Peruvian Pavilion
    Pesto Sauce
    Photography
    Picking Tapas Bars
    PIzza
    Platter Of Salome
    Plaza De España
    Plaza De Pato
    Plumbing Nightmare
    Podgorica
    Poltergeist
    Pop-culture Museum
    Pope Benedict
    Pop-up Restaurants
    Prague
    Predictions
    Print On Demand
    Propaganda Museum
    Pub Culture
    Public Library
    Purgatory
    Pussyhats
    Quirky Travel Pix
    Ramona Langley
    Reading Group
    Ready To Move Abroad?
    Recipe
    Recombobulation
    Recycling
    Red Underwear
    Rennes-le-Chateau
    Republic Of Užupis
    Resistance School
    Resistance Summer 2017
    Retire Abroad
    Reyes Magos In Seville
    RFID-blocking Rogue Money Clip
    Rich On Packing
    Riga
    Risotto
    Roadrunner
    Roadside Attractions
    Robert Mugabe
    Rocket Scientists
    Rolling Stones
    Romania
    Romería Del Rocío In Seville
    Romesco Sauce Recipe
    Rosie The Riveter
    Ross Williams
    Rural Romania
    Ruse
    Russian Mafia
    Sacramento
    San Anselmo Flooding
    San Ildefonso Church
    Sardinia
    Sassari
    Science Museum
    Scottevest
    Scottevest 8-pocket Pants
    Secret Supper Clubs
    Security On The Road
    Seinfeld Episode
    Semana Santa
    Senior Gypsies
    Serbia
    Setas
    Seville
    Seville Holidays
    Seville In Winter
    Seville's Tapas Bars
    Sex Shops
    Shackleton Ad A Myth
    Shared Dining
    Shoe Bomb
    Shoes
    Shoestring Travel
    Shopska Salad
    Šiauliai
    Sicilian Grandmothers
    Silicon Valley
    Skype Wifi7994daf88f
    Slovakia
    Snack Foods
    Snail
    Snail Museum
    Snail On The Rails
    Snail Slime Skin Cream
    Snakes
    Snowed In
    Sofia
    Sophia Loren
    SOS File
    Spaghetti
    Spain
    Spain Savvy
    Spicy Shrimp In Mango Salsa Recipe
    Spiritual Path To Resistance
    Spiritual Weightlifter
    Springtime For Hitler
    Stanford Prison Experiment
    Staycation
    Stephen King
    Still Expecting Delays
    Stockholm Disaster
    Stone Lifter
    Strange
    Strawberries
    Suitcase
    Switzerland
    Symbolic Thinking
    Tapas
    Tapenade Recipe
    Tapeo
    Taxi
    Tblisi
    Temple
    The Balkans
    The Blonde Gypsy
    The Exorcist
    The Joy Of Eating
    The Mothership
    The Next Big Thing
    The Other Turkey
    The Power Of Myth
    The Producers
    The Wave
    Three Kings
    Time Travel
    Track My Tour
    Train Lag
    Train Travel
    Transylvania
    Travel
    Travel As Political Act
    Travel Clothes
    Travel Companions
    Travel Destinations
    Travel Experiments
    Travel Fashion
    Travel Photography Tricks
    Travel Photos
    Travel Vest
    Travel With
    Triposo
    True Cross
    Tsa
    Twelve Days Of Christmas
    Tyrolian Alps
    Uber
    Uc Berkeley
    Ukraine
    Ultra-Light Luggage
    Upotonek
    Vampires
    Veliko Tarnovo
    Verona
    Vest
    Victoria Twead
    Vilnius
    Virtual Tax March
    Visitors
    Vodka
    Vodka & Pickles
    Wall Street Journal
    Wandering Earl
    Warsaw
    Washington
    Water
    Watermelon Gazpacho
    Weasel Coffee
    Weird Gifts
    Wenceslas Square
    Whiskey Every Day
    Winchester Mystery House
    Winner
    Winter In Seville
    Wireless Generation
    Wolf's Lair
    World Chocolate
    Worst
    Worst Travel Moment
    Wow Finish To Long Trip
    Writing
    Xe Currency
    Yodeling
    Yoga For Travelers
    Zagreb
    Zigzag Fountain953a67c066
    Zimbabwe
    Zurich

  • Start Here
  • My Blog
  • My Travel Books
    • LOOK INSIDE NEW BOOK
    • ENJOY MOVING ABROAD
    • MOVING TO SEVILLE
    • EASTERN EUROPE
    • PACKING GUIDE
    • 101 EXPAT TIPS
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing
    • The Expat Lifestyle
    • Enjoy the Best of Seville
  • World Food
  • Dive Bars
  • About
  • Contact