Sardinia & Sienna 27/08 to 31/08 2008 "There's only one pub in Cagliari"
Wednesday 27/08/08
Left Barnsley on the 0627 then change at Sheffield, Leicester & Luton finally arriving at Luton Airport Parkway 0953. The First bus to the airport is free on Priv passes but wasn't gripped anyway.
Flew right time with Easyjet at 1125, arrived 10 mins early at Cagliari.
As I only had a small rucksack as hand luggage I made the shuttle bus (2 euro) although none of my fellow travelers did. There is a bus ticket machine in the arrivals hall but I had no change, the bar refused to give me any change,but the bus driver wrote me out a ticket no probs. (While festering for my flight out later in the week I found a change machine tucked behind a pillar directly left of the bus ticket machine but not signed or exactly obvious.)
Quick bus journey into Cagliari which terminates in the ARST bus station just across the main square from the FS train station. I'd booked 2 nights in the Hotel Quattro Mori on Via Anjioy which is again off the main station square, 5 mins walk from the FS station.I checked in and found I had been given a twin room with large bathroom & good air conditioning unit (ideal as the weather was scorchio) at the single room price of 60 euro a night. A quick shower & changed into shorts & sandals then over to the station to cover the 1647 to Macomer, the only direct hauled service to Macomer each day.
D445 1049# Cagliari - Marrubiu-Terralba-A 1647 Cagliari - Macomer
D445 1131# Marrubiu-Terralba-A - Cagliari 1625 Macomer - Cagliari
I had originally intended to go through to Macomer for the track and return on a unit at 2033 which would have got me back to Cagliari at 2233 but the long day & heat saw me leaping at Marrubiu where the
station bar looked inviting (& cool) for the return hauled service arriving back at a more sociable 1958.
As most restaurants & bars only open from 2030 onwards another shower was caned in (my room had two bath towels) before changing back into trousers etc for the evening.
I intended to try out beers brewed by the local Adis Scopel brewery, so a 15 minute strenuous and mainly uphill walk to 174 Via San Giovanni for the Mastrobirraio pub which reportedly sells all 4 beers on hand
pump. Closed until September! It is down a very dark and dubious side street so a hasty retreat was beaten!
I returned to the Via Sardegna area near the port but only found countless restaurants , no bars. Another place listed selling Adis Scopel beers is La Terra di Mezzo a veggie restaurant near to my hotel. Closed until 28th August ie tomorrow!
Quick bus journey into Cagliari which terminates in the ARST bus station just across the main square from the FS train station. I'd booked 2 nights in the Hotel Quattro Mori on Via Anjioy which is again off the main station square, 5 mins walk from the FS station.I checked in and found I had been given a twin room with large bathroom & good air conditioning unit (ideal as the weather was scorchio) at the single room price of 60 euro a night. A quick shower & changed into shorts & sandals then over to the station to cover the 1647 to Macomer, the only direct hauled service to Macomer each day.
D445 1049# Cagliari - Marrubiu-Terralba-A 1647 Cagliari - Macomer
D445 1131# Marrubiu-Terralba-A - Cagliari 1625 Macomer - Cagliari
I had originally intended to go through to Macomer for the track and return on a unit at 2033 which would have got me back to Cagliari at 2233 but the long day & heat saw me leaping at Marrubiu where the
station bar looked inviting (& cool) for the return hauled service arriving back at a more sociable 1958.
As most restaurants & bars only open from 2030 onwards another shower was caned in (my room had two bath towels) before changing back into trousers etc for the evening.
I intended to try out beers brewed by the local Adis Scopel brewery, so a 15 minute strenuous and mainly uphill walk to 174 Via San Giovanni for the Mastrobirraio pub which reportedly sells all 4 beers on hand
pump. Closed until September! It is down a very dark and dubious side street so a hasty retreat was beaten!
I returned to the Via Sardegna area near the port but only found countless restaurants , no bars. Another place listed selling Adis Scopel beers is La Terra di Mezzo a veggie restaurant near to my hotel. Closed until 28th August ie tomorrow!
An hour & a quarter of walking at 27 centigrade with not a drop to drink ! In despair I wandered down a couple of streets and on Via Trieste I saw lit up signs which reminded me of a Munich BierKeller - on closer inspection it was a German Bierkeller ! Konig Ludwig of Kaltenberg to be exact. Three Half litres of Weissbier Hell & a plate of Beef Goulash improved the evening no end.
Thursday 28/08/08
An early start to cover the Iglesias turns.
D445 1120# Cagliari - Villamassargia-Domu 0543 Cagliari - Iglesias
MD 46 Villamassargia-Domu - Villaspeciosa-Uta 0630 Iglesias - Cagliari
D445 1050# Villaspeciosa-Uta - Siliqua 0620 Cagliari - Iglesias
D445 1117# Siliqua - Decimomannu 0730 Iglesias - Cagliari
D445 1054# Decimomannu - Cagliari 0834 San Gavino - Cagliari
The planned moves were blown up by the Minueto DMU on the 0630 ex Iglesias on train 12951 (shown hauled on E656) as I was going through to Iglesias on 12956 the 0750 Cagliari - Iglesias but the unit stuck
to the diagram. So I covered the 0834 San Gavino - Cagliari and did this back in. There are no booked loco hauled departures ex Cagliari between 0800 & 1200 so covering the early moves is a must. Back to the Hotel for a couple of hours then Mcdonalds outside the station to keep me going til later on.
D445 1078# Cagliari - San Gavino 1200 Cagliari - Oristano
668 311 San Gavino - Decimomannu 0924 Porto Torres - Cagliari
D445 1131 Decimomannu - Iglesias 1340 Cagliari - Iglesias
D445 1131 Iglesias - Cagliari 1458 Iglesias - Cagliari
Another bowl out by a Minueto DMU, I should have leapt off the 1458 ex Iglesias at Villamassargia-Domu onto the 1420 Cagliari - Carbonia Stato the only hauled train of the day to Carbonia but it was a DMU!
Suitably bowled I got back into Cagliari to find my next move, the 1647 out was dud so I decided to head back to the hotel for a cold shower followed by a rest then a hot shower! Again the weather was
scorchio,about 34 degrees C.
Back to the station to cover the 1848 - only to find D445 1131 on 3958 the 1830 Cagliari - Olbia ! Not booked in the diagrams & a 4½ hour run to the other end of Sardinia. Cheers. All my gear was in the hotel & check out was 1100 Fri. I didn't know if I could go to Olbia & get back Friday in time so I flagged it for a winner on the 1848.
D445 1119# Cagliari - Serramanna-Nuraminis 1848 Cagliari - Oristano
D445 1078 Serramanna-Nuraminis - Cagliari 1625 Macomer - Cagliari
During the summer school holidays several services do not run & I think this frees up the Minuetos to cover more turns. The 1830 Olbia might well run during the same period vice unit & of course this takes a loco & set out of the area every day. I did not see D445 1131 Friday, but I think it might have returned as 3959 the
0720 Golfo Aranci - Cagliari which means even more track available.
All other services up and down the island are booked units. Obviously if I'd known about these workings in advance I'd have flown in or out of Olbia to cover. Not wanting to chew over sour grapes I retired to the Veggie restaurant to partake of the food & Adis Scopel beers - STILL SHUT & now "opens Friday" ie after I've left Cagliari! Mutter, moan etc but dropped on a "proper" bar where 8 draft beers (Erdinger etc) were available to cool me down. Then back to the tried and tested Bierkeller for food & more wheat beer.
Friday 29/08/08
D445 1117 Cagliari - Siliqua 0643 Cagliari - Iglesias
D445 1049 Siliqua - Decimomannu 0700 Iglesias - Cagliari
D445 1038# Decimomannu - San Gavino 0730 Cagliari - San Gavino
D445 1050 San Gavino - Cagliari 0655 Macomer - Cagliari
After checking out of the hotel I viewed the station to find the 1200 was dud but according to platform info the 1400 was going to be a winner. So I decided to go to the FDS narrow gauge station on Piazza
Reppublica. Trolley buses 30 or 31 from outside the FS station go past Reppublica although you wouldn't know it just by looking at their destinations! FDS now have a Metro (Tram) from Via Reppublica to Gottardo.
Thursday 28/08/08
An early start to cover the Iglesias turns.
D445 1120# Cagliari - Villamassargia-Domu 0543 Cagliari - Iglesias
MD 46 Villamassargia-Domu - Villaspeciosa-Uta 0630 Iglesias - Cagliari
D445 1050# Villaspeciosa-Uta - Siliqua 0620 Cagliari - Iglesias
D445 1117# Siliqua - Decimomannu 0730 Iglesias - Cagliari
D445 1054# Decimomannu - Cagliari 0834 San Gavino - Cagliari
The planned moves were blown up by the Minueto DMU on the 0630 ex Iglesias on train 12951 (shown hauled on E656) as I was going through to Iglesias on 12956 the 0750 Cagliari - Iglesias but the unit stuck
to the diagram. So I covered the 0834 San Gavino - Cagliari and did this back in. There are no booked loco hauled departures ex Cagliari between 0800 & 1200 so covering the early moves is a must. Back to the Hotel for a couple of hours then Mcdonalds outside the station to keep me going til later on.
D445 1078# Cagliari - San Gavino 1200 Cagliari - Oristano
668 311 San Gavino - Decimomannu 0924 Porto Torres - Cagliari
D445 1131 Decimomannu - Iglesias 1340 Cagliari - Iglesias
D445 1131 Iglesias - Cagliari 1458 Iglesias - Cagliari
Another bowl out by a Minueto DMU, I should have leapt off the 1458 ex Iglesias at Villamassargia-Domu onto the 1420 Cagliari - Carbonia Stato the only hauled train of the day to Carbonia but it was a DMU!
Suitably bowled I got back into Cagliari to find my next move, the 1647 out was dud so I decided to head back to the hotel for a cold shower followed by a rest then a hot shower! Again the weather was
scorchio,about 34 degrees C.
Back to the station to cover the 1848 - only to find D445 1131 on 3958 the 1830 Cagliari - Olbia ! Not booked in the diagrams & a 4½ hour run to the other end of Sardinia. Cheers. All my gear was in the hotel & check out was 1100 Fri. I didn't know if I could go to Olbia & get back Friday in time so I flagged it for a winner on the 1848.
D445 1119# Cagliari - Serramanna-Nuraminis 1848 Cagliari - Oristano
D445 1078 Serramanna-Nuraminis - Cagliari 1625 Macomer - Cagliari
During the summer school holidays several services do not run & I think this frees up the Minuetos to cover more turns. The 1830 Olbia might well run during the same period vice unit & of course this takes a loco & set out of the area every day. I did not see D445 1131 Friday, but I think it might have returned as 3959 the
0720 Golfo Aranci - Cagliari which means even more track available.
All other services up and down the island are booked units. Obviously if I'd known about these workings in advance I'd have flown in or out of Olbia to cover. Not wanting to chew over sour grapes I retired to the Veggie restaurant to partake of the food & Adis Scopel beers - STILL SHUT & now "opens Friday" ie after I've left Cagliari! Mutter, moan etc but dropped on a "proper" bar where 8 draft beers (Erdinger etc) were available to cool me down. Then back to the tried and tested Bierkeller for food & more wheat beer.
Friday 29/08/08
D445 1117 Cagliari - Siliqua 0643 Cagliari - Iglesias
D445 1049 Siliqua - Decimomannu 0700 Iglesias - Cagliari
D445 1038# Decimomannu - San Gavino 0730 Cagliari - San Gavino
D445 1050 San Gavino - Cagliari 0655 Macomer - Cagliari
After checking out of the hotel I viewed the station to find the 1200 was dud but according to platform info the 1400 was going to be a winner. So I decided to go to the FDS narrow gauge station on Piazza
Reppublica. Trolley buses 30 or 31 from outside the FS station go past Reppublica although you wouldn't know it just by looking at their destinations! FDS now have a Metro (Tram) from Via Reppublica to Gottardo.
Very confusing as Gottardo is just a new station where tram meets train, it's actually 200 metres from the previous station of Monserrato. There are no timetables, facilities or ticket office at Gottardo, however Monserrato station has a big Bar area, Timetables etc BUT NO TRAINS STOP THERE NOW!
Anyway the 1056 arrival was a newish unit & the 1101 departure was a very old unit which I got a photo of during a couple of cool beers in the bar at Monserrato. Then a tram for a trolley bus back round to Cagliari FS.
D445 1121# Cagliari - Decimommanu 1400 Cagliari - Oristano
D445 1049 Decimomannu - Cagliari 1347 Iglesias - Cagliari
Bus Cagliari ARST - Cagliari Airport 1500 C Arst - C Airport
Plane Cagliari - Pisa 1725 Cag - Pisa
The Ryanair flight was an 1½ hours late ex Cagliari, the only departure delayed in any way. Didn't really affect my plans as I was only doing a fill in E646 move at Pisa to kill a bit of time before going for some beers.
Unit Pisa Airport - Pisa Centrale 2030 Pisa A - Pisa C
Straight ahead outside the station and across the 1st roundabout is Brasserie La Logia (Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 11) with 70 bottled beers, a nice Belgian wheat beer from Namur sampled. Then down the main pedestrianised street, across the river and straight ahead along the next pedestrianised section, off to the left with pints of beer painted on the outside of the pub is Orzo Bruno, official tap of Birrificio Artigno brewery.(Via Case Dipinte 6/8.)
Anyway the 1056 arrival was a newish unit & the 1101 departure was a very old unit which I got a photo of during a couple of cool beers in the bar at Monserrato. Then a tram for a trolley bus back round to Cagliari FS.
D445 1121# Cagliari - Decimommanu 1400 Cagliari - Oristano
D445 1049 Decimomannu - Cagliari 1347 Iglesias - Cagliari
Bus Cagliari ARST - Cagliari Airport 1500 C Arst - C Airport
Plane Cagliari - Pisa 1725 Cag - Pisa
The Ryanair flight was an 1½ hours late ex Cagliari, the only departure delayed in any way. Didn't really affect my plans as I was only doing a fill in E646 move at Pisa to kill a bit of time before going for some beers.
Unit Pisa Airport - Pisa Centrale 2030 Pisa A - Pisa C
Straight ahead outside the station and across the 1st roundabout is Brasserie La Logia (Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 11) with 70 bottled beers, a nice Belgian wheat beer from Namur sampled. Then down the main pedestrianised street, across the river and straight ahead along the next pedestrianised section, off to the left with pints of beer painted on the outside of the pub is Orzo Bruno, official tap of Birrificio Artigno brewery.(Via Case Dipinte 6/8.)
An excellent pub with 6 real on tap all from Birrificio Artigno. Most beers were 7 or 8 percent gravity so as I was doing a short overnight with little prospect of sleep I stuck with Martesana at 5 percent, a German Helles type beer , unfiltered & very tasty.
5 half litres (4 euros each) & 2 ½ hours later I wandered back down the street at 23:55 - to find more people wandering about than you'd find on an English high street at midday! Literally thousands of people!
Saturday 30/08/08
E402 015# Pisa Centrale - Grosetto 2050 Torino P.N - Reggio d. Calabria
Arrived at 0230, Grosetto sees a steady stream of overnights and the toilets & waiting rooms are open round the clock but luckily I managed to get onto the stock for the 0500 to Florence, my next move, and catch a bit of sleep.
D445 1012# Grosetto - Siena 0500 Grosetto - Firenze SMN
D445 1147# Siena - Poggibonsi-S.Gimig 0639 Siena - Firenze SMN
D445 1116# Poggibonsi-S.Gimig - Certaldo 0702 Siena - Firenze SMN
D445 1073# Certaldo - Poggibonsi-S.Gimig 0726 Empoli - Siena
D445 1068# Poggibonsi-S.Gimig -Firenze SMN 0818 Siena - Firenze SMN
Poggibonsi had worked out best for the leaps & as it turned out it was ideal with a top café / deli open just outside and a fruit & veg stall for a couple of apples for later.
E464 205# Firenze SMN - Firenze Campo d.Marte 1035 Firenze SMN - Arrezo
D445 1089# Firenze Campo di Marte - Borgo S.Lorenzo 1052 F. SMN - Borgo
668 1938) Borgo - Faenza 1140 Firenze SMN - Faenza
Saturday 30/08/08
E402 015# Pisa Centrale - Grosetto 2050 Torino P.N - Reggio d. Calabria
Arrived at 0230, Grosetto sees a steady stream of overnights and the toilets & waiting rooms are open round the clock but luckily I managed to get onto the stock for the 0500 to Florence, my next move, and catch a bit of sleep.
D445 1012# Grosetto - Siena 0500 Grosetto - Firenze SMN
D445 1147# Siena - Poggibonsi-S.Gimig 0639 Siena - Firenze SMN
D445 1116# Poggibonsi-S.Gimig - Certaldo 0702 Siena - Firenze SMN
D445 1073# Certaldo - Poggibonsi-S.Gimig 0726 Empoli - Siena
D445 1068# Poggibonsi-S.Gimig -Firenze SMN 0818 Siena - Firenze SMN
Poggibonsi had worked out best for the leaps & as it turned out it was ideal with a top café / deli open just outside and a fruit & veg stall for a couple of apples for later.
E464 205# Firenze SMN - Firenze Campo d.Marte 1035 Firenze SMN - Arrezo
D445 1089# Firenze Campo di Marte - Borgo S.Lorenzo 1052 F. SMN - Borgo
668 1938) Borgo - Faenza 1140 Firenze SMN - Faenza
668 1910)
Nice run down to Borgo and then did the 1222 to Faenza - probably the loudest unit run I've ever had on a route with more tunnels than I've ever known. Plan was to do IC560 to Voghera for the D445 hauled 1720 to Piacenza but from initially being shown on time, IC560 became 50mins late, blowing the move out. Then chaos ensued as every train was down the pan & full and standing! Went down to Forli to try to get on something.
E444 117# Faenza - Forli 0931 Bolzano - Lecce
IC562 Forli - Bologna Centrale 1310 Ancona - Milan
E632 038# Bologna Centrale - Fidenza 1247 Ancona - Piacenza
No bible on me and with all trains running late I made the wrong move at Fidenza, I was heading to Bergamo for my flight on Sunday so jumped on a unit to Cremona hoping for a connecting train to Bergamo. No such luck so had to go all the way into Milan to come back out again, ended up on the same train to Bergamo I'd originally planned but without the D445 move on the way!
Unit Fidenza - Cremona 1738 Fidenza - Cremona
xxxxxx Cremona - Milan Lambrate 1737 Mantova - Milan C.
I had a 45 mins wait so got a piece of pizza and wandered round looking for a bar. Milan seems to have the largest concentration of brewpubs in Italy - and by luck I found the appropriately named Birrificio Lambrate down a little side street 4 mins walk from the station. The place was buzzing so with little time I just had a pint of whatever the barman was already pouring - again a Helles style beer but about ten other beers marked up on the board!
E632 005# Milan Lambrate - Bergamo 2024 Milan Greco Pirelli - Bergamo
Booked into the hotel San Giorgio near to the station (65 euro single with bath) and crashed straight out after a shower before an uneventful flight home Sunday and journey back from Luton which included a nice rail-replacement coach down the M1 in the pouring rain between Derby & Sheffield!
Conclusion:
There's only one pub in Cagliari - or so it turned out - and the hauled moves didn't work out anywhere near as good as planned. If I'd known about the hauled turn to Olbia I could have planned the trip much better, or if I'd gone when school term had restarted I think I would have done better around Cagliari.
Sienna area was good and very scenic, definitely worth another visit. Italy as a whole has a vast number of hauled services & ever increasing number of Breweries / brewpubs - in many ways the new Germany!
Nice run down to Borgo and then did the 1222 to Faenza - probably the loudest unit run I've ever had on a route with more tunnels than I've ever known. Plan was to do IC560 to Voghera for the D445 hauled 1720 to Piacenza but from initially being shown on time, IC560 became 50mins late, blowing the move out. Then chaos ensued as every train was down the pan & full and standing! Went down to Forli to try to get on something.
E444 117# Faenza - Forli 0931 Bolzano - Lecce
IC562 Forli - Bologna Centrale 1310 Ancona - Milan
E632 038# Bologna Centrale - Fidenza 1247 Ancona - Piacenza
No bible on me and with all trains running late I made the wrong move at Fidenza, I was heading to Bergamo for my flight on Sunday so jumped on a unit to Cremona hoping for a connecting train to Bergamo. No such luck so had to go all the way into Milan to come back out again, ended up on the same train to Bergamo I'd originally planned but without the D445 move on the way!
Unit Fidenza - Cremona 1738 Fidenza - Cremona
xxxxxx Cremona - Milan Lambrate 1737 Mantova - Milan C.
I had a 45 mins wait so got a piece of pizza and wandered round looking for a bar. Milan seems to have the largest concentration of brewpubs in Italy - and by luck I found the appropriately named Birrificio Lambrate down a little side street 4 mins walk from the station. The place was buzzing so with little time I just had a pint of whatever the barman was already pouring - again a Helles style beer but about ten other beers marked up on the board!
E632 005# Milan Lambrate - Bergamo 2024 Milan Greco Pirelli - Bergamo
Booked into the hotel San Giorgio near to the station (65 euro single with bath) and crashed straight out after a shower before an uneventful flight home Sunday and journey back from Luton which included a nice rail-replacement coach down the M1 in the pouring rain between Derby & Sheffield!
Conclusion:
There's only one pub in Cagliari - or so it turned out - and the hauled moves didn't work out anywhere near as good as planned. If I'd known about the hauled turn to Olbia I could have planned the trip much better, or if I'd gone when school term had restarted I think I would have done better around Cagliari.
Sienna area was good and very scenic, definitely worth another visit. Italy as a whole has a vast number of hauled services & ever increasing number of Breweries / brewpubs - in many ways the new Germany!
PS: all my Digital photo's around this period were lost when the Fotopic site closed down the same week that my own Computer crashed!
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