Giulio is an excellent and hospitable host who provided precise advice on how to get from San Marco Airport to either I Giardini or Giardini Biennale vaporetto stops (just yards from each other) and kindly met us at the latter, off a number 2. Giulio walked us to the apartment via the Via Garibaldi entrance to our calle to introduce us to the area, whilst also explaining how to get to the vaporetto stops via the lagoon end of the calle (a 5 minute walk at most). Check-in was straight forward and we were soon left to settle in. Check out was even simpler.
Next to London, Venice is my favourite city and my wife and I visit once a year or more. On this occasion, my brother and I had come to view the Biennale, for which Giulio's apartment is perfectly placed, being more or less equidistant between the Giardini and the Arsenale, the two main Biennale sites. We found the apartment exactly as we expected and we quickly felt very much at home and comfortable there, and enjoyed two evenings eating, drinking and talking on the cosy terrace as sun descended behind the rooftops.
The apartment, being just off Via Garibaldi, is in a residential area were Venetians seem to outnumber tourists and, for this reason, is one of our 'must visit' locales whenever we come to Venice. Via Garibaldi is bustling with activity throughout the day and is delightful in the early evening during the passeggiata. If you want to experience an authentic Venice, this is one of the places to come to.
We were out and about most of the time, but can recommend the pasticerria at the corner of the Sotoportego De Le Ancore and Via Garibaldi for breakfast (if you are happy to stand like everyone else) and the Trattoria alla Ramea del Piave, which is only open at lunch, always full, and offers very reasonably priced, tasty, home-style cooking. The service and atmosphere are great we enjoyed two lazy lunches there.
Each evening, when we returned to Giulio's apartment we felt we were returning home and I'm quite certain that this won't be the first and last time we stay there. All is a matter of personal taste; our taste is for the authentic Venice, and that's what we think we found at 1049 Calle De Le Ancora and its environs.