As an end of exam trip to Venice with our teenage children anticipation and excitement was running high. Until we arrived at Gatwick, London, when we were faced with the prospect of our flight being delayed or cancelled due to the French air traffic strikes. Our eventual arrival in Venice past midnight meant that we were too late for our connections with the water bus and spent a magical half hour crossing Venice by foot, in the shimmering silence of the night. Through our e mailed updates, Roberta and Roberto were very concerned by our predicament and Roberto came out to meet us at Rialto to assist us back to the flat. Both were very kind and generous in their assistance and were keen to assist in anyway they could, from understanding the flat to the daily Venetian routines, with the brief exchange of emails during the week to check everything was ok. To be frank, the charm of the flat was matched by the vibrancy of the location next to San Stefano square and the generosity of the hosts. The early disappointment of delays was soon transformed into a magical and warm arrival and a supremely memorable stay. The stress of exams immediately forgotten.