Day 1 of 8: Saturday 25th June 2011

Our holiday flight to Sardinia went smoothly. The taxi picked us up from home at 0615 to take us to East Midland Airport to catch our 0900 flight. We were able to print off automatic boarding passes, our bags were checked in without a hitch, and we went straight through security without any problems.

After some searching I managed to find a copy of The Guardian in one of the branches of WH Smith and we ate an underwhelming breakfast while waiting for BMI Baby to open our gate.We were on the plane at 0900 and took off at 0915, landing in the sunshine and warmth of Alghero airport at 1225 local time having remembered to put my watch forward during the flight.

There was a rush of people to get their hire cars, while others dashed to get a taxi. We knew that a taxi would cost at least €20, but that you could get a local bus into town for €1. We found the small ticket machine on the wall of the arrivals lounge, bought our tickets and then went to wait in the sunshine for the 1300 bus to take us on our 20 minute bus ride into Alghero.

The prior research on Googlemaps street view meant that I knew roughly where to get off the bus and how to get to the small side street, Via Ambrogio Machin, where we would find our hotel.

Getting off the bus and walking up the small street to the right of Torre di Porta Terra, we then turned right down the down the cobbled street and found the entrance to Hotel San Francesco where we were made very welcome by the receptionist. By 1345 we were in our room and unpacked, ready to explore.

After all the travelling we decided to start with a drink outside a small cafe/bar on the corner of Via Sassari and Via Vittorio Emanuele, near a park, the bus stop and tourist information office (where we got a town street map to help us get our bearings). We took in the sights and sounds, chatting with Rebecca from Minnesota who told us of her adventures as a single woman travelling in europe. We left Rebecca and headed off for a walk round the back streets to get our bearings before heading back to the hotel for a short siesta at 1615.

Eventually woke up at 1745 for a shower and then out for dinner. We walked along the Bastioni (sea walls) checking out the restaurant menus before settling down for a meal at one on the Bastioni Pigafetta. Our first chance for Sonia to test out her phrase of the holiday "sonno alergica formaggio" (I am alergic to cheese) and my follow up "sensa formaggio" (without cheese). The waiters coped well with out faltering Italian, and teased Sonia when they delivered her spaghetti bolognese, asking if she was OK with the cheese they had added! My swordfish steak (with chips) was very tasty.

Due to the heat, most local shops in the old town close between 1300 and 1800 which meant that we could go shopping at at 2030 at night. During the walk round the old town in the afternoon I soon realised that I needed another pair of light weight shorts and a "man bag" so that my pockets were not full. We found the Timberland shop which meant that trouser sizes were printed in inches so I had a chance to pick some to try on without having to do mental arithmatic after a couple of glasses of wine...

We finished off the evening by stopping back at the cafe for a Havana Club and coke before wandering back to the hotel at 2120 via a bar to pick up a couple of bottles of water. We turned the air conditioning on low and drifted off to sleep.