Sara’s home is really beautiful, it’s immaculately clean, in a quiet location that feels safe. Sara and Beppe are perfect hosts, extremely friendly and so cooperative. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble, and Sara was super responsive to any queries and requests we had, both before we arrived, and when we were there. The house is situated right by the sea, so offers amazing views, and beautiful sunrises. Santa Maria La Scala is a small and quiet village with a few restaurants and coffee bars, but no shops for basic provisions. The village is situated at the bottom of a really steep climb of about 2km into the nearest town of Acireale, which is really vibrant with lots of shops etc. If you are not mobile or active you would definitely need a car. There is a bus, but it’s not very regular. We walked up and down into Acireale nearly every day along the road which was quite dangerous as it’s narrow and windy, and Italians don’t drive slowly! Then we found a fabulous nature trail, the entrance from the village is a bit obscure, across the road from the church, but it’s a much nicer walk, and a lot safer. Trains and buses are really efficient from Acrieale, so it’s easy to visit the surrounding area, and Mount Etna is a must visit! We had a really lovely week staying in Sara’s pretty home, which was extremely well equipped and comfortable both inside, and in the lovely garden.