Calamosca Beach and Mans Hallqvist

Mans Hallqvist: Theres so much history in Cagliari, but nobody ever writes about the city, says my tour guide, Mans Hallqvist, a Swedish-born immigrant who left behind the dark winters of Stockholm about 20 years ago and moved to this city of spectacular light and lively piazzas. Hallqvist is an old friend, according to The Star. A walk down the hill to Calamosca Beach reveals deep blue water and pure white sailboats zipping across it. A mountain-bike rider zips past us as we make our way down the hill to the beach, where our climbing efforts are rewarded with a glorious swim and I m standing on a glorious stretch of headland above a fantastic beach. The hills around me have been baked by centuries of sun and etched by millions of years of wind, baking sun and occasional rain. Humanity has left its mark. You ll find a Phoenician temple on the hill and also the remains of a Catholic church. Theres a Roman amphitheatre in town and there are relics there from dozens of other civilizations who ve come and gone in this part of Sardinia. He points out wild asparagus plants on the top of the hill that overlooks the citys marina. Up here, you ll find a crumbling Pisan tower and an equally endangered rocky outcropping called The Devils Saddle. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.