My three-night stay in Giulia’s flat was comfortable. I enjoyed the location in Cannaregio, a short walk from the tourist parts of Venice, with a bit of a local feel to it. I was traveling in November during a global pandemic, plus there was a lot of rain when I was in Venice, but this turned out to be a great time to be a tourist in what is typically one of the most crowded destinations in the world. No cruise ships, relatively empty stone paths, easy access to major attractions with no worrying about paying to skip any lines, and for a person traveling solo, no one gave a second thought to me asking for dinner to take away.
Giulia spent several hours helping me solve an internet connection problem on my first day, which turned out to be out of our control and a telecom company concern. This was solved by morning, and the wifi speed was fast and reliable after that. I’m pretty sure this was an unusual occurrence.
I was able to use my phone map to walk to Giulia’s flat from the train station, and this was easy enough and took about 15 minutes. Be cautious about how much luggage you bring to Venice…there are a lot of stairs involved in navigating the many bridges here. And when I headed back to the train station at 0700 on my last morning, I was embarrassed by the loud racket my wheelie bag made on the cobblestones. Looking at the local’s various carts, I realized larger wheels make a big difference. Venice would be a great place to carry a rucksack instead of a wheelie bag.
I purchased a waterbus pass while in Venice, which meant I could hop on and off all the boat buses. This was useful when I’d get tired of walking, and also for going to Murano.
Being from the US, I don’t have a Green Pass which is required to go to all sights and restaurants, but I just showed my vaccination card and passport every time it was requested, which was enough.
The apartment itself is up some ancient stairs, just one flight but you’ll want to use caution. I didn’t try to use the kitchen facilities or washer, because I was only there three nights, but they looked modern and well-equipped. The bathroom is small and the shower quite tiny, but the water heated up right away. I found the bed to be quite comfortable, and the occasional private boat chugging by outside the window offered comforting white noise. There is a rubbish bin by the nearby church, and you’ll spot a few at the bases of bridges in the touristed parts of town. I enjoyed being close to the coffee shop Torrefazione Canneregio, which opens early and offers oat, almond, and soy milk as well as dairy milk for morning coffee.
I went to Tourist Information and asked where to find a COVID test so I can satisfy the requirements to re-enter the USA. They sent me to the Italian Red Cross pop-up in the square at St.Mark’s, and I’m hoping it was the right test. I guess I’ll find out at airport check-in.

My stay was charming and convenient, and I’m grateful to Giulia for making such a comfortable perch over a Canneregio canal.