Sofia's location is perfect for someone who wants to be on a canal but not on THE Grand Canal. It has the serenity of the water right outside your windows, in a very hip and fun part of town, with scenery worth taking a thousand pictures. Lots of restaurants and coffee shops right there and walking distance to everything you want to see, without the busyness of being right in the heart of town. We much preferred retreating to our cute apartment overlooking a small canal, once we had spend a couple hours in the busier areas of town. It is also convenient that Sofia lives right next door, though we didn't need to call on her at all, because she provides everything you need! It was very clean and the perfect size for a couple to stay. We like to cook some of our own food while traveling, so the convenience of the kitchenette was also really nice. Also, air conditioning was a huge treat after trekking around Venice in the hot sun.