Even in Sardegna, you find Jess Walter

Two days ago, when we signed in at the Ryanair desk for our flight to Sardegna, the woman at the desk said, “Oh, Sardegna, e bellissima!” Or something similar. Which didn’t surprise me, considering she was working at the Pisa Airport, which has to serve one of the crappier towns in Italy.

Google the city and all you’ll see are pix of the Leaning Tower; there are good reasons for that. Really.

She was right about Sardegna , though. For the past two days we’ve driven up, down and through the northwestern coast in interior of this Mediterranean island region of Italy, and it truly is … bellissima. Our hotel in Alghero is across the street from the water, we’re a 15-minute walk from the centro storico, and for two nights straight we’ve had meals that would confound Anthony Bourdain. Even Mario Batali.

Yesterday we drove to Bosa , a little town about 40-odd kilometers south, and the trek was a little like the drive to Hana on Molokai. We traveled up from sea level to a thousand or so feet above the beach, all while hugging a coastal road that - while better than your average North Idaho highway - was still a bit intimidating. Especially when Italian drivers, who know only two speeds - fast and warp 11 - fight to pass you on blind curves.

Still, we survived, and found Bosa to be a sleepy, atmospheric little village, set off the island’s only navigable river. Later, after picking up our friends Karen and Allen at the Alghero airport, we drove out to Capo Caccia, where the famous Grotta di Nettuno sits at the base of a 650-feet staircase cut into the cliffside. We passed on the climb down (and back up), but we did enjoy the panoramic view from the top of the cape.

Today we headed inland, explored the towns of Ploaghe and Tempio Pausania, both of which were situated on bluffs overlooking green interior valleys that seemed a lot like central California. Though I don’t know of any spot in California that offers stone structures similar to the Majori Nuraghe , a fortified tower dating back to the Bronze Age that sits just outside Tepio Pausania. We checked it out, renting flashlights to peer into the darkness … and exited when we saw what must have been a couple dozen dozing bats.

Not one, I’m happy to say, looked anything like Robert Pattinson. But they were ugly enough.

Which, this being a blog called Movies & More, is my obligatory movie reference. But, feeling gracious, I’ll add this: Sitting next to my laptop is a paperback book that I bought for 5.50 euro at the Alghero Airport. Its title: “Io sono l’assessino.”

Sound familiar? I wouldn’t think so. That’s the Italian title of the novel “Land of the Blind,” which was written by my friend, former colleague and favorite Spokane author, Jess Walter. As you might suspect, the title translates out as “I am the murderer.” I couldn’t resist the purchase.

Tonight we enjoy our last night in Alghero. Tomorrow we’re going to try to check out the boat trip to the Grotta de Nettuno in the mid-morning before head back to the airport and our flight back to Pisa and then train back to Firenze.

Maybe I’ll try to do a little reading on the way. Perhaps something by that new popular giallo writer, name of Walter.