The coast is clear

The man at Alghero tourist information office is a blur of animated gestures, oversized maps and sightseeing solutions.

“Your first stop should be Maria Pia. The beach is OK but it’s not spagerdelplozza.”

My knowledge of Italian is limited to six words and two of those are “mamma mia”. I nod and ask for directions in English. The stretch of municipal sand turns out to be choked in seaweed and lined with expensive sunbeds. Three out of 10.

Alghero gets far higher marks. The medieval town, in northwestern Sardinia, spent four centuries as a Catalan colony and retains a distinctly Spanish air. Best appreciated on foot, the piazzas, churches, sturdy sea walls and squat defensive towers are architecturally more Iberian than Italian.

A flurry of morning activity subsides as the ancient alleyways empty for lunch. That most Spanish of traditions, the siesta, is observed in Alghero but Sardinians prefer to use their afternoon break more constructively.

“We don’t sleep like they do in Spain,” a customer in a crowded trattoria explains. “People stay awake and keep eating.”