10/10 Excellent
Jessica R.
26 August 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place for a large party to stay; just know what to expect
We spent 3.5 weeks here, we enjoyed it, and we'd go back! The weather is beautiful, the garden was lovely (we enjoyed a lot of limes from the lime tree! Wish we'd been there for fig season), the courtyard was a great place to hang out, the people were kind, and we enjoyed being within walking distance to the local markets and main square. A few things to know:
- The internet is spotty and slow, but there IS internet; if you can't get any connection, ask. We lived without it for a week before we said anything, and it turned out that the router had just died. Once it was replaced, it worked.
- There is one twin bed and 4 doubles (they might be queen-sized, but they felt small for that). One of them has a sort of coil mattress on a trundle underneath it, but we couldn't use it because there's no padding over the coils. One of the other beds has broken springs on one side, so only half of it is useable. So if you're looking for comfortable bed space, I would say you could fit 8 people on mattresses, if you don't mind being close to each other.
- The kitchen is a bit spare; it has a gas stove and no oven, a small collection of silverware (only 5 forks!), and no plastic plates or cups (we borrowed some from nearby family).
- You have to catch the water truck yourself to refill the water jugs, so you have to learn what they sound like. It's a little annoying, but also kind of amusing.
- There is no city noise ordinance. Summer time is just a string of saints' festivals, and we were woken at dawn nearly every morning by the sound of church bells and fireworks. Once, a firework mortar fell into the courtyard and my 3-year-old woke up crying, they were being set off so close. The evenings are mostly pretty quiet though, so it's easy to get to bed early.
- The water comes from tanks on the roof, which are filled via different systems. The water pressure is pretty low as a result, and it sometimes runs out, so you have to wait for the tanks to fill again. On the plus side, the water is heated with a tankless heater, so you don't really have to worry about running out of hot water once you understand how the system works!
- There are small stray cats that come to visit sometimes; we found one rifling through our kitchen trash a few times. It also ate some of a loaf of bread and a falafel sandwich that we had left wrapped and on the counter. Definitely make sure to put all food away!
- Communication with Paola is very easy. Text her any time!
Jessica R.
Stayed 24 nights in Jul 2021
