40.36N 8.17E

26^st September 2016

Arrived in Sardinia without mishap. The megarich ( Beckham, Jagger et al ) go to the NE corner but we are in the NW corner in a place called Fertilia which is much scruffier and close to Alghero which has an airport. We flew back with Ryanair which was surprisingly good.

The people at the marina are wonderful, they turn up on time, do the job, and don’t charge a lot – couldn’t be better.

So far we have got the Fischer Panda working, a chap climbed up the mast to replace some rigging, the water maker is nearly working, the autopilot is working and the horn is finally working.
C asked how much guardianage would cost and they said ‘nothing, it is part of our service’ Back now having spent 6 weeks in Blighty for opera and grandchildren ( no rugby this time )  we will just potter around. We had Innes with us for a few days which is just as well because she is a keen swimmer and for the first time in 12+ years I got the painter round the prop; didn’t take her long to free it.

Since then we’ve done almost nothing. The water maker is sort of working, the kitchen tap has been reamed out and otherwise all is well.
Weather is OK but remains windy and wet at times. Everything here more or less closes after the first week of September but a few remain open. Yesterday was hot and sunny and half the marina went out for what I imagine was their last trip of the year. We had to wait for a man to re-do the kitchen tap which poured water everywhere!

Italian food remains vast quantities but doubtful quality until yesterday when we went inland to a farm which produced the best I’ve had here. No menu, no price, turn up at 1.00 pm and get what you’re given (6 courses ending with suckling pig) – wonderful.

K&C