Sardinia Day 8 - Catalans and Corals

Fueled by breakfast, which everyone ate individually in the bungalows, we headed to the town of Alghero at 11 o'clock by bus. The city impresses with picturesque streets, pastel-colored facades of closely packed houses, and a wonderful view of the sparkling blue sea.

On site, we met Clara, who gave us an interesting and partially interactive tour of the old town with a lot of enthusiasm, where we learned a lot about the history and architecture.

Alghero is famous for its coral reefs. Jewelers still process the red marine plants into special and expensive jewelry. In the 13th century, a city wall was built to protect the valuable coral trade, which is still preserved today. In the 14th century, the city was taken over by Spanish conquerors, whose influences can still be seen today: the Catalan Gothic can be found in many buildings and the older residents still speak the Algherese dialect, which is Catalan.

In the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Immacolata, we had a short rehearsal, and then we had lunch individually. Many opted for the typical Italian pizza.

With the best weather, we had enough time in the afternoon to explore the city, eat ice cream, and buy souvenirs for our loved ones at home. Due to the traditional jewelry craftsmanship, we encountered a jewelry store every few meters, which invited us to shop. However, it is rather doubtful whether the prices are for real coral ;)

At 4 pm, we returned to the campsite and had time to rest or rehearse pieces for the evening. Our fourth concert started at 8:30 pm, opened by the Coro Polifonico Algherese. After our performance, a joint "Locus Iste" concluded the evening.

As is fitting for a successful concert evening, we went for pizza together with the other choir. For those who eat gluten-free, there was a very special delicacy: horse meat steak. To end the evening, we sang "Bohemian Rhapsody," which was rewarded with enthusiastic applause, not least because of the choreography.

Then we went back to the bungalows, where we fell tired into bed and looked forward to our day off tomorrow.