Hi Guys,
Mario is a very friendly, helpful and hospitable person. I spent a very relaxing week in his open plan studio (Sep 2012). The studio is very spacious with a double bed, toilet and shower room and a fully equipped kitchenette. There was a bike which I could use free of charge. He lives in a small village about 30 -40min bike ride from Bari. Please be aware this is not a beach resort and a place for partygoers. Mario's house is about 100m from the sea and there is a small campsite beach nearby but it was closed in the second half of September. The public pebble beach with a short sand stretch is in Bari, something 20min bike or 10min bus ride. There are 2 buses operating in the area between the village and Bari: "12" and "12/". The ticket costs 1 Euro (or 1.50 when buying on board ). They operate frequently and to get to the Bari bus station it takes 30min. If you want to travel to/from the airport you need to take a local bus 16, or a private company bus (4 Euro one way) from/to the bus station. In the village there is a restaurant/pizzeria, pub, bar, bakery and few fisheries along the coastal road. If you want to do some shopping you need to go to Bari or drive/ride to a nearby Auchan (a superstore like Tesco in the UK or Aldi in Germany). People in the village are very friendly though, if you don't speak Italian don't expect to have a chat with the locals.
Mario speaks English fluently and if there is any issue, it's gonna be sorted out immediately. To get there wasn't any problem as Mario offered me a lift from as well as to the airport.
If you are looking for a relaxing time in a quiet location this could be a good choice.