I stayed at Sergio’s apartment for 4 weeks- basically, the. month of March. It is a large, comfortable and gracious space— high ceilings, plenty of light, 19th century Sicilian elegance. It is within walking distance of everything I wished to see. The kitchen is the one room that is small- it was fine for one person, but would be cramped with more than one. It is great for easy things, like making coffee and boiling water for pasta, but it’s not equipped for serious cooking. The neighborhood is urban- there’s a lot of street noise- I was prepared for this and accepted it as part of the experience I had signed on for- so it didn’t aggravate me even though I’m usually very noise-sensitive. Sergio and his wife Stefania are genuinely hospitable- I knew that they cared about my welfare and that I could call upon them at any time; e.g., I couldn’t work the washing machine at first and they came right over and figured out that I had inadvertently put it into child-protective mode. Knowing that they were available was reassuring. I would absolutely want to stay here again should I return to Palermo.