Simone's place was fantastic - she provided us with a few tasty snacks on arrival, and even bought us breakfast on a few mornings. She was great to communicate with, despite our poor Italian. There is not a lot to do within walking distance, but Simone's place is a really good place to stay if you want to be just outside Taranto, and have a car to explore the local area. Taranto is really interesting - especially the Old City and the Museum of Archeology ("Marta").