Upon our arrival, Bruna really took the time to explain to us which places would be good to visit both in Venice and in Marghera. All this took place in "Italian for beginners", as my partner and I both knew a little Italian, and it added to the sense of welcome we got. Bruna didn't seem to mind repeating things if we looked like we didn't understand something.

One of Bruna's suggestions was osteria Il Diplomatico in Marghera, where we had dinner on our first night. It was a pleasantly informal place - only one or two choices per menu course but good quality for a decent price. We would have gone back on Sunday if it had been open. We preferred it to any of the restaurants, bars or trattorias we came across in Venice.

On our third evening in the area we followed another one of Bruna's suggestions, and went to jazz club Al Vapore. It was packed with locals and we enjoyed good music and drinks at the bar, as we got there a bit too late to find a table.

What I had not expected was that the address was different from the one shown on the profile. It turned out to be a tastefully decorated modern apartment that we had all to ourselves, with a shower room ensuite, a kitchen and a sitting / dining room. Although the change worried me a bit when I first realised it, it was a very good deal.

I wish we had followed more of Bruna's suggestions now, because it proved difficult to find places by ourselves where you could sit down for a bite to eat without being charged almost double. But it just goes to show how much value a host with good local knowledge adds.

I am not sure if a location in Venice itself would have added to the general atmosphere of our trip. There are people who recommend staying in Venice as it makes the experience "completely different", and at 20 minutes from the main city, Marghera does not seem a particularly pretty area. But the expense of everything in Venice made me decide for Bruna's apartment and we found there was more sense of community in Marghera than in Venice - even if it did not show any of the beauty that Venice is famous for.