Alghero known in Latin as Algarium, is on the West coast of Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. The name is derived from something, which might be off-putting, as it means "the place of algae"! However, I thought it was a lovely little town and enjoyed my brief stay there. Alghero, the tourism capital of northern Sardinia, is a fascinating town of immense historical interest, which also has excellent beaches. It can be lively, vibrant and cosmopolitan in the holiday season when there are open markets, bars and restaurants, which cater for most tastes. There are quality hotels and apartments, which complement the traditional tourist amenities, which are transforming Alghero into one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.

After breakfast one morning, we clambered over rocks and explored the area on the edge of Alghero. A cafe perched high on the edge of the cliffs and people had camped overnight in a car park, enjoying a fantastic view. We watched as a two ladies swam from the rocks right across the bay, enjoying a leisurely morning dip, so different from the cold water around our coast! The water was clear and beautifully clean, we could see small fish darting about, and were happy just sitting absorbing the peace. There was a very small private beach at our hotel, the sand was raked each morning and loungers and umbrellas put out, but most people preferred the cleaner, by that I mean sand free, environment of the pool as there was a notice saying you must rid yourself of sand before entering the hotel

In the evening people seemed to emerge from their homes to walk along the promenade, sit and enjoy a meal or drink and just chat. Groups of young people leaned on the railings, and talked, and laughed with each other. It seemed a relaxed happy atmosphere, or perhaps the sun, wine and good food gave me a rosy glow on things! In the restaurant we choose, parents arrived with young children even at 9.30pm to order a meal. The menus have a wide range of Anti-pasta, primo and Secondo and desserts, you do not have to choose something from each section, and some people had a course to share e.g. fried squid. The basket of bread including the local carta di musica which is thin and crispy is great to nibble on whilst you wait, and usually you are charged a cover charge so it is worth eating! The local wines are delicious and you can visit some of the vineyards in the area, one is near the airport - called Sella & Mosca, but our flight was too early, if only we had discovered it on our arrival, we would have visited it then! Prices differ depending on the type of establishment chosen, but I noticed many of the younger Sardinians had wine or beer and a pizza and it was only a few euros. Be prepared to speak Italian, in hotels english is understood but in smaller restaurants, garages you must at least try. "Il pieno, per favore" might have made the young man smile at my pronounciation but at least he filled the car with petrol (and I got a smile!).

Alghero is a great place for a base to visit the places north and south, I would have liked another couple of days, as we didn't have time to visit the wonderful lido beaches of Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto, or the bays of Porto Conte, perhaps on our next trip we will!