arkitektur

A beautiful night close to being in company with Bruce Willis and Mick Jagger

41° 8′ 6.072” N 9° 31′ 39.144” E

July 4th to July 5th

Phew! Now we tried that too. We are heading away from the Sardinian port of Porto Cervo after a day in the paradise of the thruly rich – where Bruce Willis and Mick Jagger are said to hang out with the royal and the top of the international jet set. And where the rest of us, are paying the world’s highest harbour fee – even without any certainty, that Bruce Willis and Mick Jagger are or have been nearby.

Porto Cervo is Costa Smeralda’s navel. The jewel of Sardinia’s emerald coast.

Actually, it is a fantastic story, which began in 1962, when the Arab prince and multi-millionaire Aga Khan bought 55 kilometers of coastline in northeastern Sardinia. He collected a group of other investors, and together they started developing the coast. Their demands to the architects were sky high. All buildings should subordinate to nature, they should – if possible – add to, but never subtract from nature’s own overwhelming, clean beauty.

And that is remarkable.

All buildings are held in an almost demonstrative, adventure-like mediterranean style with rounded arches and colors held in tones, that do not exaggerate nature. Throughout it is exclusive. No bumpy high-rise buildings. No individual extensions. No worn out aftermaths from the past.

It is a large area, and the city center is the most discrete city center, we have ever experienced. Here are lots of shops and restaurants, but they appear discreetly, one after the other, on multi-level alleys without significant signage. You never really notice, that you are in a shopping mall.

If you are looking for a baker, a butcher or a grocery store, then forget it. Here we deal in Gucchi bags, Rolex watches, jewelry and branded clothing.
A single supermarket is all, that is meant for those of us with elementary, primitive needs.

It has been a great vision. Beautifully executed. Sustainable respect for nature. Whauu, that’s excellent. Nevertheless we leave Porto Cervo with the feeling, that it is all artificial and made scenic. Especially we leave Porto Cervo with a disapointment not having met with Bruce Willis, Mich Jagger, Boris Becker and the other celebrities. Maybe they only appear in the area’s sales brochures?

Bonusinfo: Several sailing blogs claim, that the price for one nights stay in Porto Cervo in July is more than 200 € for a boat of 10 meters. That is not correct. We paid 152.50 €, equivalent to 1135 kroner for one night in Porto Cervo. It is more than we have ever paid elsewhere in the world. And we sailors are – as you know – very much concerned about prices in the harbours. Our collegues only travelling by land ocassionaly pay thousands of kroner for a double room in a hotel. But we sailors like it the best, when we can have it for 30-euro-like. Less will be OK.
Phew! Now we tryed that too.