Staying at Simona’s place was a dream and I highly recommend it to anyone who is visiting Catania. It is very centrally located with some of the best arancini (Spinella), granita (NiceCream) and cannoli (Ficarra Luigi) in Catania within walking distance. There is a beautiful side street near the flat called Via Santa Filomena which lights up at night - both literally and in terms of atmosphere. Despite being so in the centre of things, you really can’t hear any of it when you are in the flat unless you are on the terrace.
The terrace was such a highlight of staying here. My partner and I would buy local produce and make light lunches in the well-equipped kitchen so we could snack and read under the sunshade, just soaking in the heat.
Simona was an attentive and helpful host. There was a problem with the lift for a couple of days during our stay, but Simona got it sorted out ASAP and even went out of her way to apologise and gave us a parcel of Sicilian sweets. She didn’t have to do that, but we really appreciated it.
Some things to do in Catania if you are spending time here which we recommend:
A guided tour of the monastery – not very expensive and very interesting
A Tour of Mount Etna – we did a sunset trip with a tasting session at a farm on route which was great
A sailing trip – there are some great options on Trip Advisor, just make sure they are available before you pay.
Thank you again Simona!
Posy & Tom