Ceri George

Review of soloSicily

We were absolutely delighted with our holiday. In ...

We were absolutely delighted with our holiday. In advance, we were very grateful to Stefania and the team for their help in making the right choice and then making sure that we had all the information that we needed before the holiday. They always responded very promptly and helpfully to any queries. We were impressed by the professionalism of the organisation.

Fiore d'Arancio more than met our expectations. This was a special holiday to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary and we wanted to enjoy our time there with our three adult children and their partners (8 adults in all). The whole family agreed that it was the best villa that we had ever stayed in. The setting of villa and garden was all beautifully laid out. The pool was a perfect size and was very well-maintained. It was really easy to get into and was a wonderful central feature of the villa. There were a variety of outside sitting spaces which suited everyone. We particularly liked the outside dining room and kitchen area - including the fresh herbs growing just outside - and made full use of this!

What made the holiday so special though was the wonderfully warm and generous welcome that we received from the family - Donatella, Stefano and Davide. We were overwhelmed by the beautiful food and gifts that were waiting for us on arrival - the fresh fruit and vegetables, the bottles of olive oil and wine, and particularly for the absolutely delicious pizza slices, pasta salad made with home-made pesto, arancini and panelle, and beautiful orange tart, all made by Donatella. And this generosity was just one demonstration of their complete generosity of character. They were so attentive and concerned that we had a good time. We were particularly grateful to Stefano as well for sorting out a misunderstanding that we had had with a parking ticket in Sciacca! Everything was done with such great grace and warmth. It really made us feel that we were in a place where we were known and welcomed, rather than just renting an anonymous space for the fortnight. We loved it and we loved them!

Davide told us that there is a Sicilian saying that visitors cry three times: first when they arrive and see the beauty of the place, second when they have to leave that beauty, and the third time when they get on the weighing scales when they get home! That was certainly true for us. We are so grateful to Solo Sicily and to the Lupo family for a wonderful holiday full of very special memories - thank you!