We were the first people to make a reservation at this heavenly abode overlooking the valley where Castelbuono is nestled--I just went on a hunch, and WOW, was that a good hunch! First, Maria met us exactly where she told us to arrive ( entrance to the town), and let us follow her in our rental car to the dream house which was just a few kilometers away, up in the hills outside Castelbuono. Then she presented us with ... a heart shaped CAKE! (made from her home made apricot marmalade--DELISH). The house has a huge veranda overlooking the hills and valleys, all the nearby villages, the olive trees, goats, other lovely houses--and of course the setting sun over a nearby peak (over which the moon soon appeared). It is getting hot in Sicily--but there was always a cool sea breeze blowing by our house! Maria explained everything: how to turn on the gas for the stove, light fixtures, wifi, hot water, etc. Kitchen well equipped with coffee and espresso pots, tea, sugar, salt, juice, fruit, milk--everything we needed to begin. Beds were SOOO comfy--and I loved hearing the birds outside, even a quiet "cuckoo" the second morning. When one member of our party got lost late the first night (didn't come back from a walk), Litterio listened to our description of where she must have gone, surmised exactly where to find her, and went to bring her back in his car!! This is how wonderfully kind, warm, and caring these hosts are--we felt we had made new friends by the end of our stay. We speak little Italian, they little English, but we all understood each other (and used google translation when we wanted to express longer sentences). The only thing we regretted was that we had not planned to stay in this place for longer than two nights (we then went on to do a scheduled bike tour). This is a perfect perch in the beautiful Madonie mountains: for day trips to all the various villages, Cefalu and other beach towns, hikes to gorgeous views (we saw Etna from the peak we climbed to on day 2), and of course the fabulous town of Castelbuono, where you MUST see the castle with its incredible chapel full of fantastical putti and creatures made from gold and white marble stucco. Book yourself for a week or more--you will NOT regret it! This place is perfect for couples, friends traveling together (we were 4 women), or families--amenities for all.