Dammuso Dell'Amarena

We spent four nights in Pantelleria with our group of women and men, aged 27 and 28. The house itself is beautiful, and the rooms and building are well kept. The classic Pantelleria roof was a nice place to spend time together at sunset and in the evening. The location is convenient, with grocery stores, tobacconists, and restaurants just steps away. Mr. Andrea was consistently kind and helpful. He even drove to pick up a friend arriving by plane because that friend couldn't travel with us on the hydrofoil. The end of the stay was upsetting, especially after Mr. Andrea had always treated us politely and helpfully. In my 28 years, I'd never had an argument with a host. Yesterday, the lady first confronted my friends, then me and the rest of the group. We had paid for the house immediately, but she accused us of intending to leave without paying, as though we were thieves. We hadn't paid right away for the cars she supplied because we lacked the cash and time, and didn't know that “this is how it works in Pantelleria.” The cars were a Punto cabrio, whose roof would open on its own at 50 km/h if closed, and whose seatbelts would also come undone, plus a Twingo whose trunk couldn't be used. She threatened to take our belongings and throw them out of the house. She also said the cars couldn't be used the following day, although we'd agreed the rental would end when we returned to the port to catch the hydrofoil. A shame the holiday had to end this way.