excitement turned into disappointment, then into excitement again
love of ikea
Let’s just admit it, I’m Scandinavian and I love IKEA. From furniture and bedlinen to candles to gingerbread, they have everything you could possibly ‘need’ and want. I have been going to IKEA for as long as I can remember for all the cool and inexpensive household items.
Staying in a small town in Sardinia, some of these items were on my wish-list. And on more than one occasion I missed being able to pop into IKEA to get it. So it was with great joy and delight that I spotted road signs saying ‘IKEA’ and ‘opening now’ on my first trip to Cagliari (the capital of Sardinia).
It was with excitement on my part that we set off on the one hour drive to Cagliari. Armed with a dose of anticipation and a long list of all the familiar little things I wanted, like clothes-hangers, colourful napkins and a kitchen knife.
Ikea corner shop
When we arrived at the apparent address there was no IKEA to be seen – only a sign saying ‘parking for IKEA’ on a short narrow little road. I thought: ‘hmmmm, what is this’, the IKEAs I know from Scandinavia are huge and have a large car park in front. We parked and started looking, and right enough, across a very busy road was the familiar blue and yellow sign saynig ‘IKEA’. It was just that it was on a rather small building. Walking inside I realised that this was just a tiny little showroom, more like a little IKEA corner-shop. Just a few things were available – everything else was mail-order.
cappuccino time
Being in Italy of course they had a little cafe at the back. As it was cappuccino time for Sardinian man and I needed a tea to deal with my slight disappointment of this tiny IKEA I sat down by the windows facing the lagoon at the back of the building.
flamingoes at Ikea
This lagoon is a part of the Mediterranean and a part of the Parco Naturale so it’s protected. I looked out of the window and saw pink flamingoes as far as the eye can see. Thousands of them!!! I was stopped dead in my tracks (i.e. in my disappointment thinking). A sea of beautiful pink birds, just outside the cafe window at IKEA!
I forgot all about the items on my lists I did not get, totally mesmerised of having seen REAL pink flamingoes!!! and in IKEA too! We certainly do not have that in Scandinavia!
I came back with clothes-hangers, colourful napkins and a clear glass jar for my collection of sea-glass – not at all bad. And of course the standard blue and yellow IKEA carrier bag Sardinian man liked. This bag is now always with us on kayaking trips, absolutely perfect for damp towels and kayak clothing. Every time I spot that bag I think of pink flamingoes.
the moral
So the moral of the story, even when things are not what you expect and a tad disappointment creeps up, there could literally be pink flamingoes waiting for you. Just stay open and look a little closer.
Unfortunately I did not bring a camera to IKEA so I did not get a photo of these beautiful birds, but next time for sure!
lots of love,
Bee
Link to the Sardinia tourism site about the lagoon
Here’s a link to other activities in Cagliari – Cittadella dei Musei