Saturday, August 15, 2026
Ferrogosta (Assumption Day), a National Holiday in Italy.
Had another crammed day—but quickly ticking items off my Oristano To-Do List is proving to be great fun!
Woke up at 5.30 am (still on Bombay time), to begin blogging and getting unpacked. The joy of having my own baggage back and climbing into my own PJs last night knows no bounds. It gets light here very early in the morning but the streets are absolutely deserted—this is such a small town and seems completely devoid of people. Blogging done, I went in for a shower and shampoo, dried my hair and by 7.00 am, I was down in the restaurant, ready to have breakfast.
When you are staying in the same hotel for a week, you have the chance to taste a different kind of breakfast daily. Yes, I made myself a takeout sandwich again with smoked ham and provolone cheese and then headed for the muesli with apricot yogurt, ate a small apricot croissant and a small pain au chocolat and then tasted a number of unusual stone fruit that I do not get easily in India (a beautiful ripe peach, yellow plums and a perfect fresh apricot) all washed down with a hot chocolate. Yes, the breakfasts here are abundant and delicious.
Then, because it is the feast day of Assumption (a day of Obligation for Catholics), I decided to take a walk in Old Town, Oristano, with the idea of finding the door to the Cathedral. I felt certain it would be open for Mass on this morning as the day is a huge national holiday in Italy—Ferrogosto! The streets were all the more deserted (they are empty to begin with—indeed, this seems like Ghost Town) and the supermarket SPAR, although open, was empty.
Early Morning Walk in Old Town, Oristano:
I crossed the main road (Via Cagliari) and arrived at the remnants of the old medieval town of Oristano that are well-preserved behind a metal net. I took some pictures and then followed the road. Suddenly, I found myself in a most charming part of the city—walls were thick and older and orche in color, flowers (bougainvillea and morning glory) spilled over them, tiny churches with bell towers and turrets appeared and shops, although closed, promised exciting wares in the shape of paintings and artisanal products. I found steps leading into a church which turned out to be the Church of Saint Francis (San Francesco) and since Mass was already on (it was a little after the sermon), I took a seat and stayed on till the end, getting the Offertory and even receiving Communion. There were about 20 people in the church.
After Mass, I wandered around Old Town, taking photos of the unique architecture of the area which is old and evocative. Sadly, the Cathedral was closed and although I encircled it, I could not find any way to get inside. Soon, after going through a small lane, I found myself outside the Delada Instituto and had my bearings. I passed alongside it and then returned to my hotel, to pick up my bag and get back for our 10.00 am session.
Emma Sweeney’s Session on Creative Courage:
Emma’s session began at 10.00 am. It was different but very interesting. We were invited to think about creativity (in various forms—not just Writing) and consider those aspects that prevent it in our present lives. It was indeed a workshop session with her posing various questions that we were invited to think about and jot down—by hand, she insisted, not on our PCs (good thing too as I had not carried my laptop). At the end, after she had posed very provocative questions, she invited us to partner up with a friend and vent—grumble, groan, mourn--about those elements that are hampering creativity and find out what steps one can take to eliminate them in one’s life. I thought it was a truly amazing session and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Then, everyone had the afternoon free (as it was a feast day) and I headed to my room in the hotel to pack up a beach bag as I decided to join a few friends at the beach.
Afternoon at Alturas Beach:
Ravi arranged for Andrea, the taxi driver, to take us to Alturas Beach (40 Euros, one way for the four of us) and we (Ravi, Ava Goldfarb, Anastasia Holmes and myself) decided to head out with him at 1.00 pm. The drive there took about 20 minutes past open countryside that was largely bare and deserted. There is hardly anyone on this island—although vast. it is thinly populated. We passed by the peculiar squat tower-like structures that hark back to pre-historic times. Had we more time, we could have explored sites such as Sinis (a squat tower stands) and Tharros (where they have found stone human figures larger than life-size), but, we have almost no time for this.
Once at the beach, luckily for us, Andrea gave us two beach umbrellas—seriously, they saved our afternoon as we would never have been able to stay on for 3 hours there without them. The sun was merciless, the sand was hot (thick sand but pure white in color) and we quickly set them up after finding a spot that appealed, directly overlooking the jade waves and then spent the rest of the afternoon there. I used the time to read up on the four student sample writing that has been submitted (Jane, Lisa, Mara and Hal). In-between, the four of us went right into the water. It was not cold, but not as warm as a bathtub either. I was glad we went—despite the hot glare of the afternoon sun as I do not think I will get another opportunity for beach time or the company to get there. The rest of my group actually had a swim (I merely waded for a while in sand that was loose and seemed to pull you down—quite disconcertingly) but for the most part, we sunbathed or read.
Ravi stepped out, after a bit, to buy us food for a late lunch (it was almost 3.00 pm) and returned with a tomato and mozzarella sandwich, and two tubs: one with a couscous salad and the other with a hearty potato salad. They were both quite delicious. After a call with Andrea produced the information that he could only come and pick us up at 8.00 pm, we thought that would be much too late, of course, and decided to find our own way back. It was a truly lovely time at Alturas Beach and I know I will always associate Sardinia with jam-packed beaches on a holiday, the sand completely carpeted with people of all ages, loads of colorful plastic beach toys and floatation devices in the water and a general air of family festivity everywhere.Our Quest to Get Back Home:
Having discovered that there was a public bus running back to Oristano, we used the rest rooms at the pavilion and then made our way to the bus stop, after asking for directions on where to stand. Of course, we had absolutely no idea how frequently the bus would run (especially on a holiday) or what its timings were—but we knew we would figure it out.
Imagine our absolute delight when a bus pulled up just as we reached the bus stop! I mean talk about fantastic luck! We asked the driver how much the ticket was and it turned out to be just 3.50 euros per head to return on a 40-minute ride back to Oristano. One of us paid and with that, we began the long ride back. En route, we passed by Sinis, the plateau on which one of the pre-historic structures consisting of single, squat stone towers still stands. The fields are either fallow or productive at this time but the general color of the landscape is brown. In about 40 minutes, we were on the outskirts of Oristano and jumping out at the bus depot which was next door to the Delada Instituto.
Exploring Old Town in Oristno Again and Paying a Vist at the Duomo:
I continued along Old Town again, this time with Ravi for company, and arrived at the steps of the Cathedral. To my great good luck. I found a door open (it was about 6.30 pm) and inside I went. What a gorgeous interior it had! It is the Cathedral of Sancta Maria Assumpta (Our Lady of the Assumption) and quite appropriately so, on the Feast of the Assumption, there were a few people praying inside. The entire structure is in high Italian Baroque style with marble everywhere—in barley-twist pillars, on the altar, walls and floors in variegated colors. Lots of statues in marble of prominent saints in individual chapels, each more ornate than the next. And there is a beautiful painted ceiling that was in bright turquoise blue under the great dome with other paintings of Biblical scenes that just begged to be photographed. I was so glad that, after paying a visit and making my three wishes, I was able to tick off another item from my To-Do List.
Then, I walked along the streets of Old Town to my hotel where I realized how tired I was. The sun truly saps one’s energy and coupled with the high temperature, it is truly scorching. I unpacked my beach bag, and being quite hungry, decided to finish my leftover dinner from yesterday (delicious thin crust pizza) for dinner tonight. My colleagues were going out to dinner, but I declined and told them I would meet them at a restaurant of their choice, later on, as the plan was to go on for the festive fireworks to Torre Grande Beach.
Accordingly, after getting about an hour’s rest and staying in phone communication with Ifeona and Tim, I ate part of my sandwich, most of my leftover pizza and took my medication as the cold is still present in the background. I then changed, got dressed again and made my way to Lidris restaurant in Old Town, at Piazza Eleanora, where I found them in a most delightful place, a garden-like space where they were seated (about eight of them) having just enjoyed a drink and nibbles. They then went on to order mains (I tasted the Tagliatelle with truffles which was exceptionally flavorful) and with them finishing what looked like a very nice dinner, we took a long walk, past festive Old Town towards our hotel (Tim, Emma, Ifeona and me). Yes, finally, Oristano seemed to have come into its own. There was a hearty energy on this evening with many folks walking around or seated at outdoor café tables and eating very late dinners. We found a bank with an ATM machine but because my bank card was still in my beach bag, I did not have it with me—bummer! But at least I now know where it is and can go back and pick up some euros tomorrow.
And with that long walk past winding streets, evocatively lit with soft lighting, we reached Tim’s hotel. They said their goodbyes to Emma but she and I walked on to our hotel where I said my goodbye and thanked to her for lending me her clothing.
And on that happy note (Emma is leaving early tomorrow morning and returning to her home in North Wales), I returned to my room to brush my teeth and crash.
Until tomorrow, ciao…
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