Page 232 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

(€12), rabbit stewed in a typical Sicilian sweet-sour sauce. Wines from €12. Daily
lunch & dinner.

La Locanda del Postino Via Picone 10 Pollara 090 984 3958,
lalocandadelpostino.it. A great choice if you want to turn your back on the world and
collect sunsets. The best rooms are no. 7 and no. 10, with large, private terraces
(terraces of other rooms are divided by potted planes and are pleasant but lack
privacy). Discounts for longer stays. Dinner is €35 per person à la carte with water

and house wine included. Specialities include linguine with local wild fennel,
anchovies, pine nuts, raisins and toasted breadcrumbs; and fresh fish, with set dishes
costing around €14 and whole fish priced at €40 per kilo. You could also come for an
aperitivo with snacks – timed to coincide with sunset. Restaurant daily lunch &

dinner; closed Nov–Easter. €200
L’Oasi Piazza Sant’Onofrio (no phone). Set in an immobile caravan, Pollara’s only

bar offers home-made lemon and watermelon granitas, along with wine, beer, soft
drinks, ice cream and sandwiches (€3–4.50), plus salads making good use of local
capers and tomatoes. It is also a nice place to come and watch the sunset over an
aperitivo (€5 for a drink and finger food). There is a shady terrace – position yourself
at the back, and you can keep an eye on the hairpin road for the arrival of the bus – it

takes at least 5min for the bus to make its way down to the village: plenty of time to
finish your drink. Daily 9.30am–9.30pm; closed winter.

Valdichiesa and Leni

In the saddle between Salina’s two mountains, sprinkled between malvasia vineyards
and smallholdings of fruit trees and vegetables, Valdichiesa is lush, cool and green all

year. Dominated by the twin-towered church of Santa Maria del Terzito, this sparse
scattering of whitewashed houses is also the starting point for the easiest ascent of
Monte Fossa, the trailhead kicking off from directly behind the church. There is also a
paved track below the church running down to the port and beach of Rinella, via the
village of Leni. There are no shops or bars, making it the most peaceful place to stay
on the island – even in high summer. The silence is shattered just once a year, on July

21–22, when the festival of Madonna del Terzito is celebrated with the usual music,
market, fireworks and dancing.

The village of Leni, a couple of kilometres beyond, spills along a ridge above
Rinella. Though not quite as away-from-it-all as Valdichiesa, it has an appealingly
sleepy feel, and fantastic views over to Lipari and Vulcano.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING: VALDICHIESA

Vacanza a Salina Via Piano Croce 331 575 2677, vacanzeasalina.it. Simple,