From Hemmingway to Garibaldi

There is no connection between these two men, except for me... visiting their remote island homes. To get to Garibaldi's home and museum here in Sardinia, involved traversing the island from Cagliari to Costa Smeralda, taking the ferry from Palau across to La Maddalena and then the sea bridge to the Caprera Island, to eventually finding his remote windswept island retreat where he lived his last 27 years after his years of battles across Europe. A soulful experience and a treat for Fred as he loves all forms of history.

Garibaldi planted this wonderful pine over 150 years ago on the birth of one of his daughters in the courtyard of the home....

Why Hemmingway? I felt the same way about the remoteness of getting to Key West to visit his home and also loved the intimacy of seeing all the personal trappings of a key figure.

More so was how I did not appreciate all the development along the way, to get to Key West was endless island hopping along an urban ribbon of motor dealers et al; here in Sardinia, mindless development of middle class holiday accomodation on the Costa Smeralda. Although La Maddalena has a more authentic feel, this is the view from the ferry approach.







We too are staying in the same type of accommodation that I decry! Timeshare can be and is random in what one gets, but it is a bed and we have some lovely day trips planned across Sardinia and over to Corsica. And when you get away from the centres the scenery here in Sardinia is wild and captivating.

Do we have a reincarnation here that the world has yet to discover? Brian was nicknamed Garibaldi as a youngster, stranger things have happened.