Simona was a wonderful host who met us when we were lost in Bari and directed us to her cozy apartment. She provided us with a map of Bari and the outlying areas and provided dozens of tips on hasty notes on what to see and do. Furthermore she phoned to see how we were doing and gave us more tips such as free parking on Sundays and free admission to the famous Norman Castle across the street. And most valuable, she told us how to use her Nespresso machine.
Her apartment was ideal for my wife and I, with its modern kitchen, roomy bathroom and shower (with lots of hot water) and bedroom with a comfy queen sized bed, and excellent wifi. The location is perfect, on the edge of the old town of Bari, minutes away from the waterfront, the medieval lanes filled with restaurants, shops, cathedrals, museums, and churches, and lots of piazzas, and also close to the "new" city with its shopping. Just a few doors away from Simona's place, you would see elderly women making and selling the local ear-shaped pasta, orecchiette out of their front doors. Two nights in a row, we attended the free concerts in the St. Nicholas church, which was a real thrill to hear the choir and the orchestra performing Mozart and Bach in such a beautiful and ancient cathedral!
Perhaps the best thing was living where the working class people lived, in dense apartments with all the colour, culture, excitement and vitality you expect from passionate Italians. If you want to experience the "real Italy", stay at Simona's apartment! It was one of the highlights in our three week odyssey of southern Italy.