HERMIT FACES EVICTION FROM ISLAND PARADISE

A hermit who has lived on an island off Sardinia for nearly 30 years has promised to fight attempts to have him evicted. Mauro Morandi, 79, a former teacher, has lived on the island of Budelli on the Costa Smeralda, which is renowned for its pink sand beaches, since 1989. He was on a catamaran bound for the South Pacific when it broke down near the islet, which he liked so much that he never left. He has since carved out a life as a beachcomber, earning the nickname “the Italian Robinson Crusoe.” For years, his presence was tolerated and he was allowed to work as an unofficial custodian of the island. But Budelli has been incorporated into a national park and the authorities want him to leave, saying his presence is incompatible with its status as a wildlife refuge.