What is there to do on Serdegna and when should I go? I am planning to go to visit my friends on La Maddalena island off the North end of Serdegna. They will be there until the end of 2003. I will also see more of Italy, but I am trying to figure out how long to spend with my friends and when. Thank you all!

Spent ten wonderful days in Sardegna this summer. La Maddalena was our favorite place -- you are lucky. Spend plenty of time there. From there you can easily visit the famous Costa Smerelda -- which left us cold. We felt we could have been home in Florida -- lots of big, new overly built resorts and showy yachts, although the natural scenery is indeed breathtaking.

Thank you Patrick! What made LaMaddalena you favorite? What did you do while you where there?

We arrived driving and of course, by the ferry (about a ten minute ride from the mainland). We got there about noon. The entire town was deserted; we took one look and thought "what are we going to do here for 3 days?". We found our hotel and then went out to find lunch -- at a great and highly recommended spot called La Grotto. It was great, but there were only about 5 of us in the entire restaurant. The entire town was still deserted. After lunch we did something new for us -- we took naps (we were exhausted after our last stay in Corsica and catching the early ferry to Sardinia). At about 4:00 we got up and went back downtown. What a place! Where did all those people come from. The entire town every evening filled up with locals, shopping, having drinks at the cafes, late dinner, and generally socializing. It was one of the least touristy towns I've ever seen. We joined them each night, and each night there was something special going on -- a concert on the main square, one night a choral group on the steps of the church, one night a sort of carnival along the waterfront. It was just a lively and relaxing place.<BR><BR>I'm sure your friends will have many suggestions, but it is a pretty island for driving around (but small) and the adjoining island of Caprera (you get to it across the tiny causeway) is equally pretty with lots of little secluded beaches and coves. Garibaldi's house and gardens are interesting.

Patrick, tell us about the excursion to Garibaldi's House: how far from the main square of La Maddalena, your experiences, etc. I can't wait to read your report on Cagliari and Lipari!

Garibaldi's house is on Caprera, a good 10 to 15 miles from the town of La Maddalena. Unfortunately you can only go by guided tour which was only in Italian, so we didn't get much out of it, except what I had read before going. But it is a wonderful little retreat in a magical setting. Mostly there are a lot of medical exhibits and things about missing legs and handicaps -- a problem Garibaldi was too familiar with.<BR><BR>I'll will try to get organized and get going on the Sardinia and Lipari reports.<BR><BR>

I just returned from Maddalena and had a wonderful time. I stayed at the Hotel Garibaldi, and in my opion this is the best hotel with in walking distance to town. The staff was very polite and could converse in English, the rooms were clean and had a stocked mini-bar fridge, and the bathrooms were supplied with hair dryer and ample toiletries. They also have a lovely terrace for having morning breakfast or an afternoon cocktail.

We are going to Sardinia in two weeks. Would love to hear more about your trip. Did you spend any time on the rest of the island? Any favorite spots?