Castello Tetti e Mare surpassed our expectations. There are a dozen windows and doors all of which open towards the sea. The apartment was Lucia, Michele and their son Arthur's residence and so it was designed and furnished for hominess and comfort. We had the pleasure to meet Lucia only and found out she was a children's book illustrator, hence the delightful paintings displayed throughout and also the playfulness and unexpected features of the flat. It boasts state of the art entertainment systems for TV and music enjoyment. In spite of the fact the apartment's location on the top floor it is kept constantly cool by the sea breezes sweeping in from 3 sides. The neighborhood is quiet, though a few minutes' walk in different directions will deliver you to various local attractions (Castello Maniace, Aresthusa Fountain, Duomo Piazza, Marionette Theater). Nearby are also a plethora of eateries. We particularly enjoy the Moon Cafe for regular music performances and vegan cooking and the Pizzeria da Mario for their delicious pizzas. A normal-size Pizza Margarita pie will set you back a mere €3.50!
I will here commend on Lucia's kindness. She went out of her way to meet our needs. Our rental car was vandalized. (This doesn't seem to be a normal occurrence on Ortigia as we were the first guests to have this happened to.) She accompanied us to the police station, then spent an hour translating and working with the police officer doing up our report to make sure everything gets covered for the insurance. I can't imagine, with our nonexistent Italian, how we would have gotten through this bit without her invaluable help. Next time it would probably be better to leave the car in one of the official car parks. Actually, the island of Ortigia has so much to offer that we could have spent the entire time here sightseeing, swimming and eating. A half hour walk, if you start from the northern end of the island will get you to some amazing archeological finds, the largest Greek theater in the ancient world, Aeschlyus premiered his plays here and where Greek comedy was born; a picturesque Roman amphitheater; the St John catacombs, second only to the one at the Vatican and lots more. All in all, and despite the car incidence, we had one of the most unforgettable vacations in our life. The apartment and Lucia was the cherry on the top!