I have been communicating with Carmela before the trip and she is so prompt and patient to answer all my questions! Nino welcomed us upon arrival with his incredible Sicilian hospitality and a big smile and a load of contagious passion for his beautiful Sicilian homeland. We spent 5 nights in their home as a base to visit all destinations in east Sicily. Each single day Nino will list all the great local tips about parking and food and scenic and fun spots for visit - like we have a Sicilian relative to rely on! The restaurant cross street they recommend serves so delicious dishes and costs not so much. In the morning we walked to the café nearby for the best typical Sicilian breakfast - warm brioche and granita, with all locals around and no tourists. One of the best parts of this Sicily trip was the freshest seafood and produce I bought in the nearby fish market, which costs unbelievably so little. I swear the seafood dinner I made in their kitchen one day was the best ever - I made grilled fish with Mediterranean sauce, lemon fish, fish and chip with roasted almond pieces (best local almond given to us to try by mama Carmela), and garlic basil couscous, and fresh squeezed lemonade. The freshest ingredients make everything taste absolutely amazing! Mt Etna excursion with local guide Paola whom Nino/Carmela recommended was a very pleasant and educational experience. Paola speaks excellent English and answers my too many curious questions about Sicily! The luncheon after hike was also a delight that you will enjoy. At the end of our stay Nino and Papa Vito explained a lot about their architecture features and history about their home which amazed every single one of us. Unforgettable experience and will recommend this family and home to everyone!
来前在安排行程上有好多问题，一家几个亲戚来自美国/英国/香港，不同年龄不同期待，妈妈Carmela都回答得特别及时和耐心，来回留言无数，最后Carmela说的很打动了我：按他们的安排将看到一个西西里人眼中“真实的美丽的”西西里，而且他们家的地理位置也是特别居中，就决定东岸五个晚上都住在Nino家，作为据点。Nino很热情地接待了我们，他对自己家乡浓浓的爱特别有感染力，他很热切地为客人安排每天的行程，把好看的好玩的好吃的都统统介绍给你，跟着他的建议走绝对不会有错！去Etna火山我们就是跟着Nino推荐的地陪Paolo去了一天，走了看了很多，学到很多知识，费用包括了很有当地特色的午餐，很赞！他家对门就是一家单亲妈妈们开的餐馆，出乎意料的好环境，菜做的很不错但价钱一点不贵，我们去吃了好几次！市中心的网红Gelato店千万要去试试！还有一定要试试巷子口café的当地特色早餐-热面包和granita! 整个意大利行程我最得意的其中一件事就是在他家巷子不远的鱼菜市场买了一堆新鲜海鲜，便宜得不可思议，做了两顿海鲜饭：午餐用虾/墨鱼/几种贝壳做了海鲜意面，晚餐做了地中海式煎鱼/柠檬鱼/炸小鱼和炸薯条加烤杏仁粒（妈妈Carmela送了些她说世界上最好的杏仁，我留了些来放在这道菜中提点增色）因为食材太新鲜，出品就很精彩，大家吃得太香了！！最后临走Nino和他爸爸跟我们介绍了他家建筑和历史，也是让我们所有人都觉得受益匪浅！Nino特别提到过去几年来的中国客人很少，可是他很爱中国文化和中国人，希望多些接待中国人，来吧，真的很推荐这家人！！