Thursday 08 June Portoscuso to San Pietro island

Having spent most of yesterday on the bikes today we are hardly on them at all. We leave our bags with the friendly manager of the Hotel Panorama and walk off to the nearby beach, buying provisions on the way. We manage an Ichnusa after midday. This local Sardinian beer features on its front label the national flag; the Quattro Mori, the four Moors. They were originally blindfolded and faced towards Spain, the old colonial power, but now they face towards Italy, liberated and enlightened, and no longer blindfolded....but why are Moors depicted on the national flag?... We manage the odd swim, for some reason the water seems  chilly here. We plan to get the 4:45 boat to the island of San Pietro which leaves from the industrial port, next to a large cargo ship unloading its cargo of coal. The huge dilapidated aluminium refining works is just nearby. Whether this was originally the work of Mussolini I'm not sure, but apparently he did much for the island, draining malarial swamps, improving agricultural land , and he even built Arborea, that we cycled through the other day, an attractive town, built in typically fascist regimented architectural style. The ferry takes about 40 minutes, and unlike Brittany Ferries, we are allowed to cycle them onboard, no health and safety issues here! Curiously there is a large National Trust poster on board advertising the delights of the Isle of Wight. Carloforte, the main town, looks very elegant. We find the Hotel Hieracon easily. Aperol and beer with impressive plate of nibbles on the main road along the harbour. Pizza in a back street from a bewilderingly large range later.