Our trip to Venice, although short, will be one of our fondest memories of Italy. We were met by Nicolo's girlfriend, Lisa. She was very welcoming and did a great job of getting us settled in the suite. Once we dropped off our bags she showed us where the nearby grocery store was and pointed out a restaurant just around the corner that ended up being one of our favourite places of our entire trip.

The apartment had ample space for the two of us. The bed was very comfortable and the kitchen had everything we needed for making breakfast, etc. Most importantly to us, though, was that it was in a fantastic neighbourhood. It is situated near the Jewish Ghetto and away from the really touristy areas of Venice, though definitely within walking distance (everything in Venice is within walking distance). The restaurants and bars in the area are populated mostly by local Venetians and we spent a memorable evening going from one restaurant to another sampling their cicheti (a form of tapas particular to Venice).

Venice is an incredible city with magical charm, but I think our experience was certainly enhanced by having such a great place to stay. By the way, in case you're wondering, the restaurant that we were recommended is called Al Timon. Definitely worth checking out.