Pino's house in Acireale was truly wonderful. From the initial communication with him before arrival, it was clear that he had great pride in his home and cared for his guests staying there. All our questions were answered and he went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable with our choice.
Upon arrival, his wonderful sister Viviana warmly greeted us at Villa Etnamar. She was not only very friendly, but she took the time to explain all the wonderful things that the home had to offer - both inside and outside. The grounds are impeccable, from the pool (closed for winter), to the outside space with both a bbq and a pizza oven (wow!), the newly-built bocce court and the great garden with fruit, olive trees and vines where they make their own olive oil and wine.
Inside, the house is even better that what we expected. We were greeted by a wonderful welcome basket with fruit, wine from the garden (really good!), olive oil and other items to make our first afternoon there more comfortable. A couple of us are celiac and it was a really wonderful and caring touch from Pino and Viviana to include some gluten-free items in that basket.
Downstairs, the huge table was great for our party of 8 to enjoy breakfast and other meals ant the house. The kitchen is open and very practical for anything you may need, fully equipped with all kinds of utensils and items. The bedroom downstairs is very large, with its own bathroom and leads to the nice patio outside directly.
Upstairs is definitely the best place in the house, with huge windows where you can enjoy the views of the Mediterranean. On a clear day you can see mainland Italy (Calabria) and Mount Etna is practically in your backyard. The living room is large, with 2 comfortable sofas, a perfect fireplace (it was winter, so we used it often!) and a vintage piano. There are 3 more rooms upstairs with 2 bathrooms, making this house perfect for our group.
Through the kind suggestion of Pino and Viviana, we booked a chef one night for a pasta-making class. What a great idea! We had lots of fun learning how to make different types of pasta (even gluten-free) and enjoyed the chef's wonderful alla norma sauce (typically Sicilian), artichoke frittata, pumpkin lasagna and several other great dishes... all washed down with Pino's exceptional Nerello wine!
As for the location, the enclave is perfect and I can only imagine how it must be in spring or summer/fall. We would have probably never left the house! The location is great for visiting Taormina, driving up to Mount Etna, spending an afternoon in the nearby cities of Catania and Acireale and even driving to Ortigia in Siracusa (highly recommended) and Noto which are a bit further south.
Both Viviana and Pino were always available to answer any questions about the house or about the area. Impeccable and truly personal service!
Thanks again to Pino and Viviana who made our New Year's trip a wonderful experience with family and friends. We hope to come back soon and fully recommend this home and these wonderful hosts to anyone thinking of visiting this part of Sicily. Grazie Pino e Viviana!