This was our first time to Venice! Even weeks prior to our visit Chiara was in touch to help us plan our travel and ensure a safe and easy arrival to the apartment. On the day of arrival, her son, Giovanni, greeted us personally at the boat dock in San Marco. He walked us to the apartment, even helping the kids along the way as we bustled through the busy alleys. He knew we were American and brought along a "long-drip" Western style coffee maker to ensure we felt "at-home" - super thoughtful! In reality, my husband fell in love with the percolator available in the apartment :)
Giovanni spent at least 10 minutes sharing specific points of interest...like the grocery store, restaurants to visit, general directions to San Marco, etc! Additionally, Chiara and Giovanni checked in daily with us - offering support for the apartment or for general site seeing! They were very attentive.
The location of the apartment could not have been more perfect. A 5 min walk to the Rialto Bridge, with stunning waterway views from the bedroom, it really made us feel like locals! The apartment was super clean, had plenty of towels and extra linens, cupboards were well stocked with typical pantry items and the kitchen was well appointed.