Superb Seafood & Fantastic Fish at Santa Marina Salina

Taken right outside Pescheria A’Lampara.

I love fish…and I don’t mean just swimming with them. I love having them on my plate as well! Nothing beats a good tuna or salmon steak on the grill. Alternatively a whole fish like sea bass or a gilt-head bream would win my smiles! And I take all fish on my plate seriously…no leftovers. It’s my way of showing respect and appreciation for the life taken.

A great beach and a terrific cafe at Malfa, Salina, Italy

Three beaches on Salina. From left to right: Rinella with its sandy beach, Malfa and Capo Faro.

There are 7 towns on Salina, 6 of which have beaches.

Solitude

Picture of a Damselfish taken at Santa Marina, Salina, Italy.

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
– George Gordon Byron

Capers from Salina

The packets of salted capers we bought from Sapori Eoliani. Hopefully they will last for the next year!…though I very much doubt it… 😛

Capers from Salina are the best in the world….so I have been told. While I think that may be true, I can not say for certain because I have never tried capers from anywhere else.

A sting at Pollara, Salina, Bella Italia

The coastal town of Pollara.

On our rented scooter zooming across the island.

We have finally rented a scooter! Walking in this heat even if it is only down to the beach is a tiresome task! We rented the scooter from Rental Bongiorno which is only a 5 minute walk from the marina at Santa Marina.

Science of: Umbrella algae – 2cm of awesomeness

Macroshots of the Umbrella Algae (Acetabularia).

Many of the snorkelling locations we have been to around Salina have rocks covered with the small pale green umbrella algae called Acetabularia. While different species can be found all around the globe, the alga is usually green due to the plant pigment chlorophyll. Like the umbrellas on an overcrowded beach in summer, Acetabularia decorate rocks making them look very pretty underwater.

A full day of snorkelling

A school of small fishes in shallow water.

The breakfast lure. 2 cups of coffee and 2 cornetti filled with ricotta cheese.

I could barely stay awake. Hubby made a cup of coffee and brought out the croissants filled with ricotta cheese we had bought yesterday to lure me out of bed. That strategy worked for half an hour. Right after my stomach was filled, I headed straight back to bed under the security of the mosquito net to sleep some more.

Monte Fossa, the Fern Mountain

The view from the top of Monte Fossa. The town of Lingua seen in the foreground. The big ‘pond/lake’ looking thing is a saltern but is no longer in use. Lipari is the closest island to Salina, followed by Vulcano in the background on the right.

All the aeolian islands are unique from each other and one of the signature features of Salina is that it possess 2 mountain peaks (nearly 1000m high).

Welcome to Salina, Italy

Fresh Basil and Tomatoes as a gift from our neighbour, grown in his garden.

Arriving at the port of Santa Marina on Salina brought back really nice memories of the island. I’ve only been here twice before; once in winter and once in autumn. This is my first time being here during ‘peak season’ in summer and everything looks somewhat the same as I remember them, except with more people around. Sometimes it’s nice to return to a familiar place.

Traveling to the Aeolian islands through Sicily

The city of Milazzo, Sicily from the ferry to the Aeolian islands.

We’re headed to Italy!! More specifically, we’re going to Salina, one of the Aeolian island’s off the coast of Sicily. It’s been 5 years since I was last at Salina so I expect that things won’t be exactly the same as it was before.