I cannot praise Giovanni enough! He was an incredibly warm and welcoming host from the beginning, and is a genuinely lovely man. Before we had even arrived he had sent us a wide range of extremely helpful information - places to see, places to eat etc - and that did not stop once we had arrived, he was always on hand to answer any questions or queries we had. The apartment itself was very clean and modern, plenty of space and very well equipped. The garden really is an oasis of tranquility, with a stunning garden we enjoyed lunch in several times and a lovely pool that was very much appreciated in the heat! The area around the apartment has restaurants, shops, and with a short and beautiful walk you can reach more down by the harbour [again, thank you Giovanni for all your advice], as well as a beach directly opposite the apartment which was nice and quiet, just how we like it!
There was so much to see and do that we covered as much as we can, but we definitely want to come back to see what we couldn't fit in. Giovanni kindly introduced us to a driver to help us get around, and to and from the airport [all very reasonable fares] - a hilarious man and so eager for us to have a good time and see the sights in Palermo you could tell he was proud to show us.
Overall, we had an amazing time and were very, very sorry to leave... However I was happy to leave knowing I had made a great friend in Giovanni who I definitely intend to see again, and who undoubtedly made the time we spent in Palermo even more special.