Palazzetto Polara, Modica, Italy
This apartment has been restored with great care and attention to detail and could not be in a more privileged location. The main thoroughfare, the Corso Umberto, is a five-minute walk away as is Modica Alta where you’ll get a real feel for authentic local life. Climb up steps to the side of the church and into a vine-covered walled courtyard; downstairs is the large foyer and the eat-in kitchen, and an exquisite staircase leads upstairs to the two bedrooms, a grand living space, a terrace and a balcony with views over the lower part of the city. Modica centre is full of small restaurants and trattorias. You’re in one of the UNESCO towns of southern Sicily, with other cities notable for their Sicilian Baroque architecture such as Scicli, Noto and Ragusa within 45 minutes’ drive. Trains in Sicily are not the most regular but a direct service from Siracusa takes just under two hours.
Casa La Muralla, Cadiz, Spain
Your little house is at the highest point of Medina Sedonia and has two terraces with views that reach as far as the Bay of Cadiz. Kirsty runs the hotel across the road, and you can use the swimming pool there if you like. Step off the cobbled street and into a small patio – you can bring a table and chairs and sit out here – with glass doors that cleverly let in light. Inside is modern and you’ll find a welcome hamper filled with local treats: fruit, Serrano ham, manchego cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, Jerez sherry vinegar, pastries from the nunnery and a bottle of good red. Sit back on a lounging cushion on the rooftop terrace and watch the sun go down over the town’s rooftops – or stroll down into town, about five minutes on foot, for plenty of bars and restaurants.
Casa Sabir, Ortiga, Italy
You’re in the heart of Ortigia’s bustling fish and vegetable market but double glazing keeps things quieter (and air-conditioning cooler.) Your hosts live in Rome but Pierpaolo the manager is on hand if you need anything.Find a welcome pack that includes traditional almond biscuits, fresh fruit and kitchen basics, and there’s a wine cellar next to the kitchen with Sicilian wines – pour a glass and watch the comings and goings of the market from the balcony. You can pop downstairs for the freshest fish, spices and produce and rustle up simple dinners, or find plenty of street food stalls and restaurants on your doorstep. Walk to museums and churches – and the ancient Temple of Apollo. Take a cooking class or an archaeological tour, join the locals and swim off the cliffs in summer. Make a day of it by the sea with a picnic.
Gambetta Top Floor, Paris, France
The luxury of so much space and light in Paris is worth every one of the four flights to this top-floor flat. The generous luminous hill-top place has sky to the front, sky to the back: early birds can watch the sun rise in the east, birds of all sorts will glory in the evening light-and-cloud show in the west. Inside, antiques are blended harmoniously with modern features. Spread yourselves in the big front bedroom – there’s masses of cupboard space – or the more intimate back room, kick off your shoes and waltz round the living room. The newly-modernised kitchen has a contrasting rustic table and a window onto the sitting room so the cook can join the conversation. Explore the cafés of lively Gambetta, visit celebrities in the Père Lachaise cemetery, hop on a bus or a metro – it’s 15 minutes to the centre.
Casa 109, Seville, Spain
This typical Andalucian townhouse – high ceilings, wrought-iron window grilles, wooden shutters – is in the trendy Alameda district with all the best parts of the city right on the doorstep. The style is simple, spare but homely. Bedrooms with sturdy wooden furniture, pretty bedcovers and tall, shuttered windows have balconies overlooking the street or the inner courtyard. Opening off the perfectly adequate dining-kitchen, it’s a shady spot for breakfast or reading a book when the terrace gets too hot. You’ll find Moroccan cushions, scented jasmine and lemon, a dining table, sun canopy, even a BBQ – perfect for cooking the fresh fish you can buy in the nearby market.
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