I don’t want to bury the lead and the biggest news of the day – S won best translation tonight. That alon made the trip worth it. She’s elated tonight….

But on to the rest of the say. This morning I met up with M to have breakfast on the Piazza d’Italia — lazy cappuccini and chocolate croissants. We decided to wander over to the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Sassari — the Sassari National Picture Gallery. There was just a small sample in four galleries focusing on portraits of African immigrants from circa 1935. The images were striking, novel (to me), and beautiful.

There were signs listing additional paintings around the corner at the ducal palace housing the mayor’s office. Visiting the palace we were greeted by a sleepy security guard and his cheery little dog, both waiving us in to wander and search for paintings.

Staying in the neighborhood, we visited the Cattedrale di San Nicola. The limestone duomo was surrounded by blooming jacaranda trees. The sanctuary lighting was much brighter and inviting than I had expected from the high thick walls. The treasury displayed supernaturally shiny silver jewelry and other artifacts.

We paused for sorbetto and espresso to catch up on family happenings before chatting with S on break from her conference and going to Museo Sanno, an archeological museum featuring artifacts ranging from Paleolithic to Medieval periods of Northern Sardinia.

We met up with S and had gelato in the park before walking her to Saint Peters Gardens for her conference gala. It was nice to see the living city. Lots of residents were enjoying post-work aperitivi in the cafes. There was live music.

With S at her conference event, M and I had a fantastic dinner at Ristorante L’Ora down the street from where S and I were staying. L’Ora is a hidden gem. It’s on a tiny side street, so it’s easy to miss, but that also means there’s hardly any traffic passing. The service was cheerful and careful. The food was astounding. M and I split the mussels and the branzino catch of the day and a bottle of vermentino. The mussels were uniformly and ideal, each medium-sized, with rich color, and meaty texture. Served whole with potatoes and cherry tomatoes, it was easily the best fish I’ve had in a year. The seasoning was subtle, with the chef trusting the quality of the fish (and olive oil and butter) to bring out the flavor.

It was so good, we decided to bring S back for the following night.