First of all, hosts don't get much better than Valentina and her partner Paolo. We drove to Siracusa in a rental car, which kept sputtering and required us to consult a mechanic, all of which consumed more than two hours and was nerve-racking. Then, there was pandemonium and a three-hour-long queue at the ferry to Sicily. Then the engine struggled again, and it was slow going. We kept calling Valentina and Paolo, and despite the fact that they were preparing to depart for their own vacation early the next morning, they promised to wait up for us. Paolo directed us to a parking lot and came in his car to collect us when we got there at 11:30 PM!! By time we were finished with the check-in, it was midnight. This was far beyond the call of duty. They were immediately in touch with us whenever we had a question. Check-out was also accommodating. The apartment could not be better located in the Ortigia neighborhood of Siracusa. It's in a extremely quiet side street and in the middle of everything. It's sparkling clean and most pleasant. In the heat of August, the air conditioners worked fantastically. I absolutely recommend Valentina's place.