From the initial booking, through to actually arriving, Alessia (and her parents!) couldn’t have been more helpful. Meeting us at the airport she gave us a whistle stop tour of Mondello on the way back to the villa, pointing out the best bars, restaurants and, most importantly, where sells the best gelato!
When we arrived, Alessia’s mum greeted us with some fresh fruit and once we had settled into the villa, we were offered a lift to the supermarket with her father to get some essentials as he was going to get some bits and pieces which was a lovely touch.
The villa is exactly as described and if anything, the pictures don’t do it justice – the swimming pool really is a haven of tranquillity!
There are some local delicatessens about 7/8 minutes’ walk away with the beach perhaps 15 minutes by foot. We didn’t hire a car but found the bus service more than adequate for getting into Palermo. We can also recommend the Conca d’Or shopping mall – especially if you have a teenage daughter!
Maybe we’re spoilt living where we do but we found the beaches somewhat crowded unless you wanted to pay a small fortune to hire a sun bed in a private area. That said, with a pool area as beautiful as the one at the villa, that really was no issue whatsoever.
It was lovely to take a stroll to the beach at dusk and get a gelato and/or a cold beer overlooking the marina and watching the sunset. On a Friday and Saturday evening, the area by the beach is a hive of activity with street vendors lining the promenade and bars and restaurants full of life. Where the villa was situated was lovely and peaceful so perfect to go back to after an evening out.
To summarise, if you want to spend some time in the most beautiful setting with the loveliest family, I suggest you make a reservation with Alessia!