We were welcomed to Gloria's apartment by her sister, Greta, who met us at the taxi drop off near the apartment. Greta was very personable and showed us around the apartment and made us feel right at home. Gloria had even left a welcoming bottle of wine.
Gloria's apartment is in a residential area of Venice and was exactly what we were wanting. It was spacious and clean - very homely. It was quiet as it was away from the busy tourist areas. I enjoyed going out in the morning for a walk and watching the mums and dads walking their children to school, past the entrance to our apartment block - that's living like a local. Even though the apartment wasn't in the tourist area, it didn't take long to get anywhere.
The only negative about the apartment is the shower, but we were aware of that before we booked and so were prepared. The key is to take the time and run a bath instead.
Gloria was excellent with communication. She was in touch with us a week before our arrival and she even booked our taxi for our return trip to the airport, which was very much appreciated by us. Gloria had left a map with recommendations for restaurants which was very helpful.
We highly recommend Gloria's apartment and would love to come again and knowing how homely it is, next time we will try to stay longer.