We stayed in Serena's lovely flat for 4 nights while we visited Catania, Taormina and Etna volcano. The property is about a 20 minute downhill drive from Catania Centro (not recommended, see below), just a bit more to the Refugio at Etna, and less than an hour to Taormina (or Syracuse for that matter).
The property is gated with the large flat on the second floor; the family lives in the floor below and the ground floor is devoted to the 2nd generation family restaurant, Villa del cedro which provides lunch and dinners (even breakfast for residents).
The apartment is spacious, inviting, and well equipped, with all kitchen necessities, 2+bedrooms, 2 baths a large TV and Wi-Fi. VIews of Etna from the master bedroom and the sea from the sitting room are spectacular.
We ate in the restaurant twice; a lunch and a dinner and very much enjoyed Pasquale's splendid Neapolitan cuisine, the local house wine is a plus.
The grandfather still goes to the celebrated fish market in town, every morning to guarantee the freshest seafood available and it is spectacular.
Pasquale's son, Agadio (sp?) speaks excellent English helped us getting our luggage up and down the stairs, making sense of the menu, and perhaps most importantly had a solution to the problem of getting your car close to town, and parking it without hassle or extravagant parking fees....How about free!
The Metro (new) has a stop near the University with free parking...Repeat: free parking! You then hop on the train (1E for 90 minutes) and you're wisked to town.
And there is a swimming pool...lovely, but a little early in the season for us...but come late June into the summer....
This is a terrific find, reasonably priced, attentive service, and a fine restaurant to boot.