Andrea has a renovated apt of grand proportions in a crumbling Sicilian palazzo from which one can still discern what 19th C grandeur it must have possessed. The palazzo is located in what has become an immigrant, but not, it appared, unsafe, area of Palermo which is useful for understanding what refugee problems Italy faces today. The palazzo is pretty well located from a tourism perspective; one can walk to most of the major sights, including the Norman Royal Apartments and Cappella. The better restaurants are mostly not in the immediate area but there is a big grocery store about an eight min walk away with several smaller shops nearby. The apt bedrooms look out over the well-known Ballaro market, the noise from which dies down mostly by 8 pm. The apt itself is very large, with two BR facing out, and one smaller inner bedroom. The beds were comfortable. There is one curious shower that works, nonetheless, quite well (excellent water pressure), and one bathtub with European hand-held shower device. The apt was very clean and Andrea and Alessia left us a large fruit basket and hand-baked muffins as well as several large bottles of water. Andrea was very good about communicating and he and Alessia met us at the apt even though he had a broken foot in a cast. How he got up the many steps to the apt (most of which are on a chipped but beautiful red marble staircase) I do not know. It was atypically hot in Sicily. (35C/95F) for mid Sept and while the palazzo's thick walls kept the apt at a warmer temp rather than hot during the day come 6pm the temps rose and did not cool down much until about 1 am. There are big fans by each bed that pump a lot of air out and those help a lot. In cooler weather, of course, this concern would not be a problem. So if you are looking for a bit of adventure and don't mind the scruffy neighborhood, Andrea and Alessia will go out of their way to help ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible.