As you walk through the iron gates of a fig-tree-lined estate, your host, Elisabetta, welcomes you into her home outside Catania. In a maiolica-tiled sitting room, she offers you paste di mandorla (almond cookies) and coffee and begins to recount the story of the house that has been in her family — seen in portraits she shows you — for generations.
Many travelers, if given the option, might prefer a stay at Elisabetta’s (found in a neighborhood outside Catania through a local friend) over a hotel without a local connection, but they might not know how to find this type of experience. It can be a challenge to connect with small businesses in Italy if you don’t speak Italian or don’t have on-the-ground contacts.
