Olimpia was a great host. She welcomed us very enthusiastically and allowed full use of the garden and even invited us to pick whatever fruit we could find. The garden, the pool and the view from the terrace are the main drawing points of this location. The view is very open and extends all the way down to the Mediterranean Sea.
The house itself is a bit on the old side: the furniture and the structure itself are not the newest. But at this place, you won't spend much time inside anyway (at least not in summer). The mattress in one of the two rooms could do with a replacement (you will feel every spring in it). The kitchen is rather small but has most basic things you need to cook a meal. Some regular cooking ingredients were available: salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, a few herbs, etc. Olimpia provided us with fresh spring water from the tap in the garden (you can refill them yourself), a carton of milk and a basket of cookies and crackers.
There is no airco in the house and it can warm up inside somewhat during the day, but the living room and one of the bedrooms has a ceiling fan and Olimpia provided us with a portable fan for the other one which was very nice. There are sufficient cupboards and wardrobes to store your clothes. There are also a few leaflets and brochures on things to do around Acireale, Catania, Syracusa and Mount Etna.
The surroundings are pretty quiet. The street the house is on isn't busy at all, although when cars pass by the kitchen window, they can sound pretty loud. But during the morning or evening, not many cars pass by (between 10 and 20). Sitting outside, the neighborhood is pretty quiet as well. Some traffic from the roundabout down the hill can be heard when sitting by the pool and when the wind is blowing from the sea. But otherwise it's just you and the birds in the garden (sparrows, serins, hoopoes, blackbirds, warblers and every evening swallows and swifts fly overhead).
Olimpia got us into contact with a friend of hers who arranged a boat trip on the sea and an evening walk on the Etna to see the ongoing eruption (from a safe distance, of course). This was very much appreciated. Olimpia was also very helpful with tips on where to go to the supermarket, she advised us on restaurants nearby and pointed out a few nice locations to walk in the area.