Maria`s little house is perfect - in a great, quiet location away from the crowds, warm ( the weather was very cold and snowy!) as we had control of the heating, great prompt check-in and the late check out was really fantastic.
The first morning we booked ourselves on a free guided walk with JM Walking tours, which we highly recommend as it starts in a square (campo) near to the house. Our passionate guide, Marc ( see facebook - Marc`s Tours!) took us off the beaten track and showed us things and places you wouldn`t normally appreciate as a tourist- right down to the cat bowls carved into the base of the public wells!
The vaparetto/alilaguna ( Guglie ) stops close by too - so not far to drag your suitcase! We also took the vaporetto (4.1) from just outside the house at Crea on a 40minute ride to the other end of Venice for 7.5euro and then walked back.
The local restaurants were great and we particularly enjoyed the Spaghetti with Vongole clams at Casa Bonita and the seafood platter for starters.
You`re also not far from Tintoretto`s house and place of worship - Chiesa Madonna Dell`Orto where you can see his magnificent work (3 euro to enter ). Also the pretty canal on fondamente Misericordia has lots of great bars and restaurants. We got provisions from the Spar supermarket in an old Theatre ( no photos allowed ! ) which has everything you need but there is a great fish stall and veg shop right near by on the other side of the canal for the chefs amongst you.
Above all I think we enjoyed the Venetian way of life on the waterways and the people themselves most of all.
Grazie Venice !