Paolo's apartment was excellent. It is well located for visiting Taormina and about a 15 minute walk from the bus station. The coffee machine was a nice touch with provided coffee. The apartment was a good size and I could have stayed there much longer if time had permitted. Paolo was a fantastic host, he picked us up from the train station when we arrived and gave us a brief history of the town as well as many local suggestions. It is a difficult town to find authentic dining in as it appears most of the restaurants are about 30% more money for 70% of the quality we found in bigger cities with larger local populations. Given That the streets are lined with what feels like a hundred different options to eat, we were grateful for a local's opinion.
That said, Taormina is a beautiful tourist town, even in early November we could swim during the day and walk comfortably at night without a coat. We walked up the 300 steps to Chiesa Madonna della Rocca and the Castello which overlooks the town offering clear views down the coast and of Etna. It takes about 25 minutes to walk there and it offers great views of the sunrise and sunset.
Great host, great town, great apartment. Thanks Paolo!