Maria Cristina's place is wonderful!! Valentina (co-host) met us at the door of the flat, and would have met us at the water taxi drop off location except that we were too efficient in finding the location! The flat is in a great location! Directly off the Grand Canale, in the Rialto district, and a VERY short walk to the Rialto Market. I don't think we could have chosen a better location. We were enough away from the touristy area of San Marco to be able to appreciate the local side of Venice, but close enough that it was only like a 20 minute walk to the San Marco area were the Doge's Palace and Basilica are located. Valentina provided us with WONDERFUL tips on how to get around with the local transportation, as well as recommendations for dining and activies. She recommended visiting the palace at night because it is less crowded, so we did, and we would highly recommend it as well! We basically had the palace to ourselves. The flat itself has a wonderful updated kitchen and bathroom, and the bedroom was very comfortable. The place is a nice mix of modern and antiques. Would LOVE to stay here again!!!