Marina is a very warm, welcoming and cultured host who provided us with a beautiful and authentic stay in her lovely apartment. The location is superb - not far from the Rialto bridge and yet lovely and quiet. There is even a sweet view of a section of the canal from the sitting room window. We weren't bothered by the heat as we had quiet airconditioning. Marina explained everything we needed to make our first trip to Venice special - there are plenty of guide maps, books and she left toiletries and a bread basket gift with botted water and juice in the fridge. The apartment is perfect for a couple and we enjoyed the cool terrazzo floors and comfortable bed and roomy kitchen. It is a lot larger than we expected and has a very nice "feel" to it. We will definitely be staying here on our next visit!