I'll be in Siracusa mid May and I'm having a hard time finding hotels. I'm looking for double for $100 or less. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

In the fall of 1996 we stayed at the Domus Mariae. It is a hotel run by nuns. It had just opened then. I think the rates might be more than $100 but it is a wonderful hotel. They do have a website -- www.sistemia.it/domusmariae

Monica, <BR> <BR>Have the perfect place for you. We were in Siracusa in October and stayed just 5 km outside the city at a quiet and charming lemon farm b&b called Limoneto. Found it in Karen Brown's guide, but it is also featured in Lynn Rosetto Kasper's new cookbook, Italian Country Cooking. The rooms are simple, but fresh and spotless with modern bathrooms. The hosts are just wonderful, but speak only a little English. Alceste and Adelina Norcia are lovely people and she is a fine cook. Breakfast and dinner, served either in the beautiful diningroom or on the large terrace out back, are both ample and delicious, and we loved the experience of meeting all the other travelers at the family style tables. The price, if it hasn't changed, was 70,000 lire per night and 65,000 lire per person if you want the meals. We loved our stay here. You can fax Adelina in English and she will answer in English. The # is 011 39 0931 717352. May is a lovely time to be in Sicily -- the wildflowers are spectacular. Siracusa and Ortygia turned out to be one of our all-time favorite destinations in Sicily. Don't miss the outdoor market along the waterfront on Ortygia. It's quite an experience. Buon Viaggio.

Thank you all VERY VERY much for your insightful comments. I'll let you know what I ultimately end up doing. I'm continuing to do a lot of comparative shopping. There are so many websites out there to look through.

I'm SO glad there are boards like this where a newbie world traveler like myself can get this kind of input!

Thank you again. Truly appreciated your comments. Julia : )

I'll be interested in what you decide and then VERY interested in how it turns out. I am 45+ and would probably like the kind of thing you are looking for, or a variant of it.

I don't think this is what you want but will mention anyhow: there are good companies who run walking tours, and museums all over America offer spectacularly well-led tours in Europe, though in both instances I believe there is more concentration in one place than you would want.

You COULD make your life more complicated with 2 weeks of all-over-Europe touring plus a week of another tour, like a walking tour in the French coutnryside. My impression or guess is you meet especially nice people on walking tours.