Although having traveled to Italy numerous times, I've (quite frankly) avoided Venice, as I've found its level of tourism off-putting. Nonetheless, I finally bit the bullet and spent a few days here during my honeymoon. If you share my "touristy" concerns but still wish someday to experience this marvelous, ancient city, then staying at Neil's apartment on Giudecca is absolutely the way to go. In brief, the apartment was large, clean, comfortable, quiet, and securely situated in a gated compound. Yet what really makes this place a winner is the location away from the Venetian main-island madness, but still very accessible due to the vaporetti (water taxis) that run continuously around the islands. It also helped tremendously that Neil's gracious manager, Caterina, not only met us upon arrival, but also provided an insider's knowledge on the best ways to enjoy Venice without getting caught up in the excessive tourism. Grazie, Neil and Caterina!