In this guest post Paolo of Charming Sardinia highlights the attractions of Villasimius in the south east of Sardinia.

The Italian island Sardinia has been the favourite destination of the international jet set for quite some time. Especially the Costa Smeralda, on the north side of the island, is known as the ‘holiday home for the rich and famous’. However, Sardinia is also a great destination for people without unlimited bank accounts.

Villasimius Beach

A great example is Villasimius, a small municipality at about 50 km of the capital city of the island, Cagliari. Villasimius only has around 3,000 inhabitants in the winter, but this grows to a stunning 50,000 during the summer. Those who rather avoid crowded, touristic places, are probably better off visiting this region in the south-east from March to May, or from September until November. During these months, you can enjoy the beauty of Villasimius in relative peace and quiet.

A variety of choices

Enthusiastic cooks of traditional restaurants, such as ‘Serra Paolo’ and ‘Nuova Giulietta’, make sure that you’ll never be hungry. An ancient fortress, challenging hiking trails, churches and museums make sure that you’ll never get bored in this part of the island. But that’s only the start…

The Fortress at Villasimius, Sardinia

The geographic area in which Villasimius is located is called Sarrabus, in which the main economic activities are sheep breeding and agriculture. Almonds, lemons, peaches and oranges are cultivated mainly in this area and then exported to Central Europe; wine production is also a main activity. Visiting orchards should therefore definitely be on your agenda, as this (literally) lets you taste the local culture.

Villasimius covers an area of 58 square km and includes the part of the coastline from Porto Sa Ruxi to Punta Molentis. This coastline happens to be one of the most amazing ones in the Mediterranean Sea, with amazing beaches, cliffs and gulfs, which means that Villasimius also is a great place for beach lovers and diving fanatics. Sardinian beaches have been listed in several European ìBeach top 10 listsî, and when you see the sun slowly sizzling into the Sardinian sea, you’ll definitely understand why.

The dark, thundering sky offered no hope of a reprieve. I was on my second cup of coffee, when a friend suggested a trip to the Museum of Communism.  It sounded like a tourist trap, but I had nothing better to do, so I agreed.

Within no time I was eating my own words. Right from its location, situated next to a crowded McDonald’s, to the displays and films, the museum was an eye opener, a history lesson, and a glimpse at a time I hope never comes back.

The exhibit is based on a theme – Communism: the Dream, the Reality, and the Nightmare. It incorporates historical facts, accurate mock ups, uses posters and films and even a freedom wall, to chronicle the country’s totalitarian past, from the rise of the regime in February 1948 to its downfall in November 1989.

Walking past the stark mock ups of Communist era shops with bare shelves and limited supplies; a reconstructed classroom, complete with propaganda filled text books and gas masks for gas drills; anti-American and anti-capitalist posters blaming the west for failed crops; a stark interrogation room, with a sinister telephone that rings every few minutes, one experiences the chills and the limits that were exerted on the local population. You’re also left amazed at the amount of hard work regular people put in for the greater good of the country, and in return for limited rewards.

All the artefacts and installations are original and have been painstakingly sourced and collected over the years. In the projection room, you can watch footage of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, an event that took place very close to where the museum is situated.

Walking out of the museum and onto Prague’s main shopping street, you really understand the difference between what once was and the new reality.

Athens, Greece’s capital since 1834, is located in the Attica prefecture, and extends all the way to the peninsula that reaches up to Central Greece. Geographically diverse, it is surrounded by the Ymmytos, Pendeli and Parnitha mountain ranges to the north and east, and the Saronic Gulf to the south and west. Athens tends to be very mild in the winter and extremely hot in the summer when we were there. The city is home to over 4.5 million inhabitants.

Few destinations ignite in me the same combination of childlike wonder and intellectual curiosity as Athens, Greece.  From my first glances of the new part of the city as our Jeep taxi drove us to our hotel, I knew this would be an adventure I would never forget. By adventure, I mean that each day on Athens was so amazing- the “ordinary” was so extraordinary to my tourist eyes- that by the time I left, I felt like I had traveled back in time and communed with the likes of Plato and Aristotle while simultaneously enjoying breathtaking modern art and design.

Athens’ Neighborhoods

Athens is a very diverse city. Simply walking around the old Plaka, Thission, and Psyri neighborhoods is like attending a history or sociology class as you stroll by ruins, statues, tavernas mansions, and apartments from different eras. The Psyri is full of interesting shops, charming restaurants, and traditional churches. If you come here at night, you are sure to enjoy the thriving local music scene, especially at establishments such as The House of Art and Pinakothiki.

The nearby Thissio neighborhood is named after the Thission temple. To visit the Thission, you must purchase a ticket to the Roman Agora site and adjacent museum. However, once you get inside, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the variety of activities, tavernas, and reasonably priced souvenir shops.

The Monastiraki area is known for its flea market. However, even on non-market days, bargain hunters will still find a variety of independent, inexpensive shops to browse.

The tourist-friendly Syntagma Square area offers classy hotels, stylish eateries, and world-class museums such as the Benaki Museum (which houses Greek historical artifacts from the Byzantine period through 1922) or the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art (ancient Greek art).

One area tourists may want to avoid is Omonia square, an area that tends to attract drug dealers and prostitutes.

Piraeus, about 40 minutes from downtown Athens, is a beautiful area (technically its own city) with winding streets and natural harbors. This is also where you will find some of the best seafood restaurants and nightlife in  greater Athens.

Now getting to all of these areas is even easier, thanks to Athens’ efficient and pristine Attiko Metro system (that has been in construction since 1991 and continues to expand throughout the city). The city planners and architects in charge of this project did a fantastic job of combining ancient archeological finds with modern transportation technology; the central Syntagma Square station is perhaps the best example of this artful aesthetic.

Like much of Greece and nearby Turkey, Rhodes has played a significant role in the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.  Many ruins remain from the multi-layered imperial occupations. Some of the most notable architectural remnants are the structures built by the Knights Hospitallers. Despite its lengthy history, many visitors are drawn to the island only because of its sun-drenched beaches. To avoid throngs of sunburned tourists, visit Rhodes during the cooler months. Typically the island is fairly deserted in January, so visitors can experience a more authentic tour of the isle without high numbers of outsiders. However, be aware that staying on the island in January and February can mean that many of the historic sites and museums are closed to the public. April and May are good months if you are seeking sun-dependent activities. Its tourist status does bring it benefits, as much of the island speaks English and lodging during the high season can be found at relatively low prices.An island best known as the once home of a Seventh Wonder of the World (The Colossus), Rhodes is popular both for its rich history and its warm weather. Greek ruins and remnants of the Knights Hospitallers fortifications dot the island, while rocky beaches attract numerous tourists seeking sun-related activities like diving and surfing. The island can be accessed by plane or by a short, but choppy ferry ride from several Mediterranean cities.

Many small towns comprise the island of Rhodes. The largest is Rhodes City, which serves as the seat of government. Rhodes City is most known as the site of the Colossus, thought to have once towered over the harbor of the city and now marked by two deer statues in the harbor. The old town section of Rhodes City is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the whole of Europe. Visitors can wander along the cobblestone streets for picturesque sightseeing. The Rhodes Archaeological Museum is worth a visit and offers tours of the city walls. The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is an impressive structure with an accompanying museum displaying artifacts from the former occupants.

Visit the tiny village of Lindos for a change of pace from the larger Rhodes City. The most prominent feature of the village is the Acropolis. The village is comprised mainly of beautiful whitewashed buildings. Meandering amidst the traditional Greek architecture is a great way to spend a day in Lindos. Many shops are filled with traditional crafts, such as linens and embroidered goods. The town is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island though, so visit early in the day to avoid the crowds embarking from tour buses.

Many activities in Rhodes revolve around warm weather, such as diving, snorkeling, surfing and sunbathing. Lindos, Kalithea, and Faliraki are also popular beach options. The latter is one of the most frequented sites on the island. Numerous bars, dance clubs, and music venues are centered here.

Daily ferry rides are available to such places as Bodrum and Marmaris in Turkey. Both are beautiful coastal towns, popular with tourists and locals alike. A day trip to either is worth the cost of the ferry ride.

Whilst outdoor theatre is a common phenomenon in the UK during the summer (made all the more unforgettable by the somewhat unpredictable weather), what sets the Exeter Shakespeare in the Gardens performances apart is the fact that they occur for several weeks at a time, rather than one-off dates.

The professional event (this year, Romeo and Juliet) is put on by Exeter’s Northcott Theatre, and this year is in conjunction with Ludlow Festival Society. And they really go to town in making the event memorable.

A group of four of us have been regularly attending Shakespeare in the Gardens each year for a while now (we are beginning to lose track, but it must be eight or nine years), some travelling a considerable distance and making the most of a city break for the weekend. In fact, it’s become quite a tradition to have an ‘annual Shakespeare weekend’ in July or August each year and wouldn’t seem quite the same without it.

Stage and Seating

In the past, the Northcott Theatre has built elaborate tiered seating, much of it undercover, so it’s meant that we’ve not had to worry too much about what the unpredictable weather would do.

This year, in light of the recession, they’ve had a change of tack and re-organised things. Rather than being high above the stage on tiered seating (as you would in an auditorium), the majority of seats are on one level, with a few rows towards the back raised up. More importantly, there’s no shelter and everyone is out in the hands of the elements.

It’s probably a love it or hate it situation, but I personally think it worked out fine (the others were not so convinced). The seating is more intimate, curving around the elongated areas of the stage, and it brings parts of the action out into the crowd. The downside is, of course, that if it rains you’re well and truly exposed to it. On the day we were there, we were blessed with sunshine and heavy showers – lovely and hot when the sun was out, but drenching when it rained.

However, if you don’t mind the prospect of getting wet, or are happy to huddle under a plastic cape for a few hours, it’s well worth going to see. The acting was as good as ever and the garden setting, with the wind rustling through the trees and the occasional blackbird hopping over the stage, all added to the atmosphere of the play.

Over the years, it has undergone various décor transformations, with the latest being a rather dark colour scheme in the bar and restaurant, and in the last year they’ve replaced the large floral display in the entrance lobby with a stunning turquoise triangular seat.

In the past, parking has always been free, but this has now changed to a pay lot – not great, and it could add up if you’re there for long – but it is a convenient city centre parking place.

If you’re looking to stay at The Southgate, then it’s well worth shopping around for a good price, as there are usually good offers to be found, especially if you book in advance.

Where to Stay

There are plenty of hotels on offer in Exeter to suit a multitude of budgets. Over the years, we’ve tried several out, but our firm favourite is the Mercure Southgate Hotel. It’s in a good location – central, but not too central to be overly noisy – and a short walk away from Exeter Cathedral, the High Street and Rougemont Gardens. The four star hotel has 154 en suite rooms, a swimming pool and fitness centre, and can be guaranteed to serve an excellent breakfast.