• PROS
– Lovely open space with lots of character and clean design.
– Good location – (when you can get to it and find it: GPS CoOrdinates: N +37.060211, E +15.295940)
– Beautiful little street – very quiet: possibly the nicest in Ortigia
– Well-situated to Piazza di Duomo – 3 mins by foot
– Reasonably priced and good restaurant 30 m away
– Lots of hot water
– Good security on house entrance
– Hospitable reception by Host’s Father – Paolo
– Reasonable value
– Kitchen is functional, suitably supplied, easy to maintain.
– The whole space is stylishly simplistic and delightfully cosy.
– In Summer, the thick walls undouvtedly provide some insulation from the outside heat.

• CONS
– Don’t expect too much help in either getting-to, or finding this apartment from the Owners: my experience was that I was "on my own". (Use the above GPS CoOridnates to find it)
– Winter-time: the Reverse Cycle AC unit – when used for heating – simply didn’t. A supplied LPG-based heater can only be left on for 3 > 4 hours at a time and is pretty useless as a space-heater because of the apartment's volume.
– WC and Shower stall doors are somewhat indiscreet – especially at night when the internal lighting silhouettes the user’s every movement. (Though some might say this has a certain “charm”…)
– The only natural daylight & fresh air is provided by the entrance doors – situated on the front of the apartment.
– Intermittent Internet access - bombed twice in 72 hrs.
– A not justified and spurious “Cleaning Fee” that supposedly covers “many additional extras”.

• OTHER…
– Make sure to allow minimum 45 mins warning of arrival to Owners as they take that long to get to the apartment and greet.
– If you don’t speak any Italian, communication could be difficult – as Valentina’s English is minimalist. Communicate with her by mail and ask for Paolo’s – her Father – cell #: between him and his companion, the communication is a LOT more fluent.
– If coming by car and you can find a parking space situated within white-lined areas, grab it…! Its free. However, otherwise there are Paid Parking garages on the North side of the Island. TALETE is the name of one of them.

• ABOUT SYRACUSE
– ORTIGIA – the “island” and Old City – is a perfect size to be able to walk around. There is also a small bus that circuits the Island. There’s lots to see whilst visiting the small streets and many churches etc.
Plenty of cafés, Gelaterias and restaurants – especially along the Northern sea-front.
Architecturally – Baroque-centric and very well restored. Beautifully-rich in detail.
The city has civic pride – no rubbish, very little graffiti...
Worth a two day visit. Any more and there should be another reason for being here.
The sea is absolutely sparklingly-clean and transparently beautiful.