We only stayed for one night at Christina’s place and 1.5 days in Venice as part of a 3 week trip to Switzerland, Italy and Paris. We loved it so much, we wished we had spent a lot more time there!
Christina’s place is what I felt was the perfect Venice, close to everything but not crowded with tourists, peaceful and calm. The UNESCO office is right across the canal and you can see the flag from the apartment. We loved how it was tastefully decorated, Christina had some wonderful books on travel, she made a great list of places to see and eat in Venice and had stocked up on some basic groceries, a snack and welcome drink in the kitchen!
The apartment was on the top floor so expect steps, but we had only one bag so it was not a problem at all for us (the ground level in most buildings in Venice is not used for living given the rising sea levels). The bed and sofa bed were both comfortable and the air conditioning worked well which is a blessing since it was quite humid in Venice when we visited in early June. Gondoliers sing in the morning as they pass by the canal outside the building, you can see them from the window.
Venice had the best food we had during our trip (try Trattoria al Gazzettino, the food is out of this world), quaint shops with interesting collectibles, gourmet food stores (try La Bottega del Tartufo for truffles), amazing architecture, the setting on the water, the view of the canals, the little bridges to cross, it somehow seemed so perfect, something to really cherish before it’s gone. We will be back soon!