Monopoli is an attractive coastal town and Leo’s apartment is in a great location between the train station and the beautiful old town, with both accessible on foot within a few minutes.
The accommodation occupies two floors, with the main living quarters on one level and an outstanding rooftop terrace above. A small kitchen - with a two-ring hob, microwave, coffee machine + fridge - adjoins a room with a dining table + chairs, plus settee and there are two bedrooms and a shower / toilet room. There is a clothes rack to dry washing and there is space for this to go on the balcony outside the bedroom to speed the drying process.
The bedroom we used is a decent size with some natural light from the street which it overlooks. It has wardrobe space, various power points, a TV and - as Leo described it - ‘a bed in a boat’. The bed really is a striking feature but - more importantly - it was comfortable. The bedroom has its own very efficient air conditioning unit, as does the dining area room.
The shower is excellent with a great output and three options i.e. water flowing from overhead, horizontally from three ‘jet massage’ streams or via a hand-held shower.
The fittings throughout the property appear to be new and of high quality. The wi-fi also worked very well, with a strong signal and no ‘cutting out’. The property was also impeccably clean.
There is a small recessed area beneath the stairs which houses a [brand new?] washing machine, plus iron + ironing board. It feels as if a great deal of thought has been put into designing + fitting out the property and I can’t think of any essentials that were missing.
While the main living quarters are impressive, the terrace transforms the experience of staying here. It is spacious, bright and airy, with lots of seating [settees + various chairs], sun loungers, a hammock, a shower plus a separate small building with a toilet, a sink + plates / crockery. Overhead shading tempers the impact of the sun but there is also plenty of space to sit or lay out in the sun, should you wish. The terrace is magnificent.
I should mention that - if you have trouble navigating stairs - this apartment might be a challenge. It’s a couple of flights to the apartment and a further flight to the terrace. We had no problems and Leo cheerfully helped us with our luggage.
In fact, Leo does everything cheerfully and it was an absolute pleasure to communicate with him before our stay and to meet him in Monopoli. He responded quickly and helpfully to my contact, providing advice about restaurants and answering my questions. In real life, he is warm, witty, great company and generous. He insisted on taking us [and paying] for coffee and croissants when we checked out, then drove us to the train station. Even though it’s a relatively short walk, we appreciated his thoughtfulness in ensuring that we didn’t miss our train.
Throughout our time in Puglia [in Lecce, Monopoli + Bari] we have been struck by the friendliness and hospitality of the people and Leo embodies these qualities. We absolutely recommend this region, Monopoli as a town, Leo’s apartment and Leo as a wonderful host.