The photos don't do this place justice. It's like something from a movie... It's beautiful, breezy, quiet and very romantic. It has windows facing all four directions, all of which have views of red tile and church steeples. Amazing.
The things we loved about it could be the things you don't, so here goes:
1. It's quirky and odd. The hostess warned me that I might find it small, but in fact it's huge. The ceilings in the living room must be 10 feet high, and it's a bit of a walk from the bedroom to the kitchen. But I had to stoop in the shower and also the bedroom. It's a little bit like living on a boat, in those rooms. We found it romantic.
2. It's far away from the tourist areas in Venice. It's in the middle of a true residential neighborhood. The occasional tourist wanders by, but this seems to be where actual Venetians live. The neighborhood is accessed by a single bridge (well two, but one doesn't lead anywhere useful), so every trip out starts with the same 5 minute walk to arrive in the same place- basically the south-eastern tip of the city. But you walk past real stores where the locals shop, a produce boat where the locals buy vegetables.
3. It's not high tech. The kitchen is tiny, but look at that view! I made espresso most mornings (there's an espresso maker) looking out over those rooftops and down onto locals chatting in the alley. Unless you're planning to really cook, the kitchen is spectacular. Same with the washer. It's basic, and you dry your clothes like a Venetian... on a clothes line over the street. We loved that. This neighborhood is filled with clotheslines. Hanging out our wash, listening the conversations drift up from the apartments around us, looking out over the roofs, our widows wide open in every direction and a salty breeze blowing through, Bach playing on apartment stereo, while sipping wine and making plans for our dinner.... We want to move into this place!
The hosts sent someone to meet our boat on arrival, which was above and beyond.