Helen and her lovely son met us at the apartment and welcomed us to Bologna. The apartment is perfectly located - a few minutes walk from the Piazza Maggiore, but in an almost residential area, with lots of cafes, a supermarket and a great fruit and vegetable market within a walk of 2-3 minutes. The bus line to the Congress Centre stops just around the corner and it was only a 15 minute ride to my conference.
The apartment itself was much better than I expected - it is light, bright and airy, with a large terrace that runs along one entire side of the apartment. The main bedroom, study and living room all open directly onto this terrace. It was exceptionally clean and looked to have been recently renovated. The amenities in the kitchen were excellent - a fullsize stove and oven, large 2-door fridge and dishwasher. Helen had very thoughtfully provided sufficient dishwashing and clothes washing supplies, as well as an ample supply of all the crockery, cutlery, cookware and linen that we could need. There were several air conditioners in the apartment, all of which were very efficient, although we stayed there after the main heat of the summer. We enjoyed our stay very much and would not hesitate to stay here again or recommend it to friends.