Memmingen is a small town in Germany. It is not exactly renowned for its tourist attractions but I did however, stayed there for a night at a local homestay. The reason was because it is home to a regional airport from where I was to fly to Alghero, Italy early the next morning. To reach the airport that early from where I was previously at Munich would be impractical and that was the reason for spending the night at Memmingen.

Together with my travel companions, we arrived in Memmingen in the evening and strolling around the almost empty streets in the town centre, we realised that the only shops opened were the restaurants. The restaurant that we chose to dine in was packed with people. The waiter was very friendly and he was quite surprised to see foreign visitors in this small German town. Dinner consists of traditional Bavarian-styled dishes and some beer. The dining experience and food was excellent but we eventually got back to our homestay and realised that apart from providing lodging to tourist, it is also a popular gathering place for the locals to eat and drink. The owner of the house seemed to be enjoying his role as the host and chef.

The next morning, the trip to the airport was uneventful which was in stark contrast to my experiences at the airport. I had printed my Ryanair tickets on double-sided pages and was surprised that the gate personnel tore off their portion of the ticket without realising that my return ticket was on the opposite side. Prior to the trip, I had printed double copies of all my travel documents to prepare for unforseen circumstances but unfortunately, the spare copy was in my main luggage which was stored safely back at the homestay. Luckily though, when the problem was pointed out to the staff, she promptly printed out a new return ticket for me.

The flight to Alghero took about 2 hours from Memmingen. As we flew into Alghero and descended to the airport, the view opened up to a rather undulating terrain, painting every shades of brown and dirt due to the coastal location. The humidity and temperature of Alghero during our visit were similar to Singapore, which was the reason why our main luggages containing all the bulky winter clothings were stored in Memmingen. In Italy, the language barrier was more striking which probably explained why people seemed slightly less friendly here. A public bus took us from the airport outwards towards the coastal town of Alghero where we would be based for the next few days.

What is Alghero about anyway? Wikitravel, the open-source travel guide, says that it is a beautiful destination in Sardinia, Italy, best known for its beautiful beaches, very good food at reasonable prices, and its catalan origin. In the past, it was known as little Barcelona. During daytime in summer, the sweltering heat meant that it was not exactly comfortable to explore the town. In fact, the glaring rays of the sun made it hard to even open our eyes. Luckily though, coming from the tropical island of Singapore, we could acclimatise easily. I presumed most tourists could not, and thus providing an explanation of why most shops were closed and the streets were empty during this time.

Nevertheless, mid-day presents an excellent opportunity to visit the marina, where luxurious yachts gleamed in the sun, seemingly oblivious that it appeared inconsistent against the backdrop of the historic catalan influence that is still well-preserved today. For example, the ancient stone structures that protect the town against any seaward threats still stand proudly today, and the old town is served by the same tight network of streets as in the past.

Perhaps evenings are the best time to explore Alghero, for it is when shops begin to operate, and the narrow streets start to fill with people, making the entire place a far more vibrant place. During evenings, the rays of the setting sun bathes the town in a soft hue of orange, providing a resplending sight for tourists and locals alike. Such beauty is ephemeral and to fully enjoy the moment, we dined alfresco-style along the coastline, feasting on lobster, spaghetti and paella, as well as the delicate sights of the lining beach, marina and open sea during the period of sunset. Even as we enthralled, the glorious light began to fade, from orange slowly to ash, and then the views eventually vanished into the night. We finished our meal bathed in the artificial glow of the street lamps. It was our most luxurious meal but we wouldn't have missed the experience. We finished the day fully satisfied.

The next day, we visited Neptune Grotto at Capo Caccia. For the first time in Europe, we wore t-shirts, shorts and slippers outdoors as finally permitted by the weather. The bus ride was scenic as it roughly follows the coastline of the island. Upon alighting from the bus, the scenery was breathtaking as from a vantage point, the vast openness of the sea came into full view. The Capo Caccia cliff extends vertically from the seabed towards the sky. Flocks of bird were circling the area as one would expect from such a natural habitat where the cliffs must have provided valuable shelter from the weather elements.

From the alighting point at the carpark, one has to descend a seemingly endless flights of stairs and meandering walkways carved alongside the cliff to reach the entrance of Neptune Grotto. It is a sea cave formed via endless weathering by the waves through millions of years. The entrance to the cave is only about a metre or two above sea level and as boats can dock directly, it allows visitors an alternative and more straightforward way of visiting Neptune Grotto from the main town of Alghero.

The guided tour will take tourists through the accessible regions of the cave in a single file. Explanations of the natural formation and its history were done first in italian, then in english. The cave was dimly but sufficiently lit in an orange glow, which further enhances the classic viewing experience of a cave where the walls are naturally rough and imperfect. Sometimes, beauty lies in imperfection and such intepretation surely applies to natural rocky formation such as caves, where amidst the roughness of the walls, certain recurring patterns can also be seen on the cave structures. It was an interesting place to visit but it was a disappointment that we cannot explore the cave freely at our own pace.

After the tour ended, we overcame gravity to return to the carpark to catch our bus back to the main town. Once there, we went in search for a beach to indulge in a favorite pastime, a session of suntanning. Brought up in the traditional and conservative asian culture, we were looking for a comfortable spot away from the crowd so that we can suntan away from the holidaying crowd. Unfortunately, unlike other beachgoers who are obviously much more experienced and prepared than us, we did not have a big umbrella, mats or chairs and that meant we could not go far enough. Eventually, we paid for the use of a private beach where beach equipment were provided.

The beach was not exactly pristine, and I have been to better ones in places like Gold Coast, Australia. Still, it is better than any of the beaches in Singapore as the water was as clear as the beach was clean. Not able to enjoy sunshine all year round meant that europeans generally adore the sun and try to enjoy it whenever summer arrives. In contrast, coming from a country where there is plenty of sunshine all year round, we quickly got bored of suntanning.

In fact, this marks the end of our tour of Alghero and within the short but sufficient period of time, we have visited almost all the tourist destinations. As the town is relatively small, one can comfortably explore the whole coastal area within a day. While the town is small, the shop's products are marketed towards tourists and there is plenty of opportunities to pick up souvenirs that are native to the area. Next, the Neptune Grotto is a recommended place to visit, especially if one has not been to a natural cave before. Finally, the scenery of the entire place during sunset is spellbounding, and it is defintely one experience that makes the trip all worthwhile.

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