I stayed at Irene's apartment for a month during July and it was absolutely wonderful! It's located in a really central part of Bologna, but is quietly tucked away in an apartment block with a lovely private garden. There are 4 excellent restaurants on the same street, and one of Bologna's favourite ice-cream shops just round the corner (Gelatauro!). It takes approximately 10 minutes to walk to the fabulous Due Torri, which are right in the centre of the city, and everything is in very close reach. So location-wise, this place is perfect!

The apartment is very spacious, and exactly as shown in the pictures; it's beautifully kept, with everything functioning perfectly. When I arrived, Irene had prepared a bowl of fruit for me (which lasted me a week!) and had a large selection of brochures and information leaflets about the city ready for me. Everything you need is in the flat, from a surplus of plates, bowls etc, to ironing boards, fans (there are two of them in the apartment, and they're a must in the summer!!), hairdryers, detergents for washing clothes, very fast wifi and pretty much anything else you might need. Of particular importance to me (and notably missing in many other apartments I looked at) was a 4-burner gas stove, a big fridge and an excellent fan-assisted oven. There's also a little outside table just outside the kitchen if you want to enjoy your breakfast in the sun :)

It's worth knowing that there are two single beds in the bedroom, rather than a double bed. However, myself and my partner stayed here, and we both really liked it because the beds are right next to each other, so you can actually get a good, comfortable night's sleep with a bit of space, or cuddle up - either works :)

The other point to note is that because the apartment is on the ground floor, the lounge, in particular, is very dark. Irene has done an excellent job of countering this with numerous lights all over the place, but do be aware that this room can only receive limited light. That said, I am particularly sensitive to light levels (I need lots of light!), and I didn't find this too problematic because of the clever arrangement of lights. It's worth thinking about, though.

Irene herself was great, as was Mario, her husband. I received regular texts checking in to make sure I was ok, and Irene went out of her way to do things like phone taxi companies on my behalf, seeing as I couldn't speak the language (I didn't even ask - she asked me if this would be useful!). When my partner arrived in my last week, Irene was out of the city, but Mario turned up as soon as he possibly could to deliver a second set of keys.

So, all in all, a great experience - thank-you so much, Irene!!