THE ITALIAN JOB

PART 2 LAP OF THE GODS

After five hours on the same course through the Strait of Bonifacio, we arrive at Marina di Stintino at the northwesternmost tip of Sardinia. The harbour master does not answer my VHF radio message but is quickly on hand to help us with our mooring. Soon we are lying snugly in the well-protected harbour with a wonderful view from the flybridge out over the pier to the sea. There is an air of calm efficiency to the marina. It’s also refreshingly affordable with an all-inclusive price of €70 per day, they even offer to help with reservations at our next port of call. To top it all, there’s a free courtesy car for us to use if we don’t fancy the long walk into town and it’s not some rickety old Fiat 500 but a well-equipped Audi. All they need is a copy of my driver’s licence and we’re off. We are completely stunned. Never in over 20 years of boating have we experienced service like this.

Stintino was once a major tuna fishing port but as the catches decreased, the fish factory closed. Today tourism is the main source of revenue but Stintino has somehow retained the charm