Although we never got to meet Antonio in person, he was exceptionally friendly in our email correspondence and very responsive to our every question. He was also very accommodating of our need to park our luggage at the flat whilst it was being cleaned. (We met the cleaning crew, who were also very warm, accommodating, and flexible. To our surprise, they gave us the keys so that we didn't have to come back to check in after the flat had been cleaned, which freed up the afternoon for us to go off to Monreale.)

The flat itself was even more charming than the photos and description suggest. Nice clean rooms, nice clean bathrooms (x 2), small but well-equipped kitchen, a long hallway, a warm little living room, and best of all, a long wide terrace with a splendid view of a swath of the city and of the mountains behind it. (Even a large crane that partly obstructed the view didn't really detract from its splendour.) We had supper and breakfast on the terrace and loved those occasions so much that it was hard to leave the place, which almost instantly felt like a home to us.

The other great thing about the flat (which was very quiet both day and night) is its location: a minute's walk away from Via Maqueda and five minutes from Corso Vittorio Emanuele. One evening we walked from the flat up to the Teatro Massimo (ten minutes max) and then had supper in one of the charming little side-streets opposite the Teatro.

In sum, Antonio was a great host, his apartment was perfect for the five of us (me, my partner, her daughters [18 & 21], and my son [14], and we'd be delighted if we ever had the chance to stay there again!

P.s. The flat is on the top (fifth?) floor of a large apartment building. There was a small lift which we sometimes used but mostly we walked up the wide marble stairs for exercise. Also, although the side street the building is on and the building itself look a little run down, both felt very safe and both were very quiet. The apartment itself is in tip-top shape.