We absolutely loved La Mandarola and hope to return. It is a wonderful home, beautifully laid out, spacious and welcoming, and with a delightful variety of well-designed spaces inside and out. We spent a great deal of time sitting at the dining table in the courtyard or up in the shaded area by the pool. Its location makes it generally peaceful and you really do feel you are in an oasis, away from everyone and everything.
The wildlife around the property is wonderful – we have never before shared a swimming pool with goldfinches, swallows and a sparrowhawk! We were very happy to see so many lizards, geckos and beautiful butterflies. The gardens around the house are an ongoing project - as gardens always are - and the drive and area around the house are already beautiful. We would love to see how the garden changes with the seasons and matures over coming years.
It was wonderful to have the vegetable garden! The aubergines, peppers and tomatoes were flourishing and it was fantastic to be able to cook them fresh from the garden. So, too, the lemons – we’ve never before been able to pop out and pick a lemon from the tree for the evening gin and tonic!
The pool is fabulous – it is an excellent size for swimming and the quality of water is wonderful!
And Sicily is fabulous. The people are so friendly and welcoming. We made use of our host's kind suggestions for meals out and thoroughly enjoyed it. The landscapes and towns are stunning and there is great food and wine to be enjoyed. We did a fair amount of exploring but were always happy to return home to recharge our batteries at La Mandarola. It is in a great location for exploring the south-east of Sicily – though you do, of course, need a car. (Make sure you visit Modica and eat at Accursio Ristorante if you can - the staff are fabulous and the food is amazing and a joy!)
We had to drive from the UK to Sicily and our host gave us invaluable advice on planning our journey down (it made a huge difference for us), and he was on the end of the phone if we had any problems. We were greeted on our arrival by Enzo, who gave us a warm and friendly welcome and was always ready to pop in if needed - it is always reassuring to know you have someone around just in case!
We are very grateful to our host for sharing his lovely home in Sicily with us! Thank you!