Palermo B&B - Best travel bargain ever
 

We found Ai Cartari B&B on the internet and couldn't believe our luck when we arrived. My wife and I had a large, beautiful suite of 2 rooms that would cost $350 to $500 in a hotel -- yet it cost us only 90 Euros. The bathroom was large and modern. The location was perfect, in the heart of the historical center off the lovely Piazza San Francesco, within walking distance to all the major sights. This home is 600 years old and lovingly renovated -- a sanctuary from the noise and bustle of the streets. The owners are Rosi Loria and her husband. Rosi is a very gracious woman who helped make our stay memorable. There are only two suites/rooms, which can be viewed at http://www.aicartari.com

Thanks for the find! I'll bookmark the site for my next trip to Sicily. It looks beautiful.

I agree. My husband and I enjoyed our seven day stay in March at the Passalacqua's and begged for more. Sounds like you stayed in the same suite we did, the one with the private entrance on to the court yard. I especially liked the variety of breakfast treats and wish I could have another piece of the bake cassata she offered one morning. I have pictures too, if you are interested.

Thanks for the info. I may go back to Sicily next year.

Based on these comments, my husband and I just booked three nights at Ai Cartari in early October. Does anyone have any photos? I would love to see them. The Web site is only ok. Please tell me that it's really clean and centrally located! It sounds too good to be true.

Also, we plan to spend 9 days in Sicily, going from Palermo to Taormina to Siracusa to Agrigento. In each place (exept Palermo) we're staying slightly outside of the city, since we live in a city year-round. Can anyone comment on things that should not be missed? Our goal is to see beautiful things and eat wonderful food. Thanks!

You're very smart (and lucky) to be going to Sicily in October. It will be much cooler than when we visited there in July. I do have one "must-see" and that is the cathedrale in Monreale. It's a short bus ride from Palermo. While you're in Monreale, have lunch on the terrace at Dietro L'Angolo, Via Chiasso Piave 5.

That is gorgeous!! And their holiday house also looks great. Wow....wish I was going there. Wow.

Bostontraveler:
I have some pictures posted on the interior of Ai Cartari on Ofoto. I am not sure as to how you would be able to look at them. May be somebody can direct me on how to do it. Perhaps if you would send me your email address that would be the simpliest solution. You are going love it. October is the best month to go there.

I'm leaving tomorrow and will not have access to my computer or email for a week. Hope to hear from before then.

Anyone familiar with accessing Ofoto? I'd love to see those pictures.

Sicula would have to post the link to her album and we would then have to register or sign in to the ofoto website.

Dear AP

How do I do that? I can't figure out what the link is to my album. Any sort of help would be appreciated.

Sicula, all you have to do is log into your online photo album. Once it's on your screen, look up above, in the ADDRESS window... Copy that web address, and then come to this travel forum and post that link.

That's all you have to do!

Thanks Brimham. It did occur to me that I should do that, but I didn't want to burden viewers with all the pictures and was too lazy to edit. I'm still too lazy, so you're going to get all 80 some pictures to look at. Let me know what you think and if you have any questions I might be happy to respond even if I don't know how to answer. ;)
Here goes:
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=0

Great photos! Thanks very much for sharing. My husband and I leave in 3 days. We're excited!

Please say hello to the Passalaqua's for us. We were there in March. They will remember us as the couple from Michigan who had relatives in Palermo. Have a great time. You will love it. Ai Cartari is clean, comfortable and convenient. Rosalia also offers some of the best breakfast fare around including a baked cassata to weep over. Do go the the Antica Focacceria on Via A. Paternostro for something to eat, it practically next door to Ai Cartari. Also try Il Brodo on Via V.Emanuele, and Il Maestro di Brodo in la Vucciria. Oh! Golly! I could go on and on. Buon Viaggio!

Sadly, the link is no longer working. I would have liked to have seen your photos!

Presocia - Sicula is still posting on Fodor's s recently as this afternoon so maybe will see your post and email the pictures to you or a new link.

Thanks very much for sharing that with us. It sounds great. We went to Palermo for a week in 2002 & loved it. On that occasion we stayed at the Grand Hotel Villa Igiea, but there might be more chance of managing to get back there sooner if we were to stay at Ai Catari !

I noticed the website reference to "the by now very famous "Focacceria San Francesco". When we were there we tried to find a convent which was supposed to sell very good spleen rolls & cannoli (I think), which we'd read about in a book, but we couldn't find it. Do you think this is it ? (We did have a spleen roll in one of the markets, though, & it was quite nice !)

The Focacceria San Francesco is immediately across the small piazza from the church of San Francesco. It is not a convent, but a very plain -- and old -- restaurant that specializes in two things: the spleen sandwiches ("milza," as I recall...) and arancini, the rice balls with two kinds of fillings. They may also have cannoli, but it would surprise me.

I had the (very good) arancini, but I have to admit that I chickened out on the milza.