Calle De La Vida A San Giobbe

We followed the various instructions and called Laura on arrival. However we were told that the apartment was not available and should not have been made available by the website. Laura happened to have another apartment which she charged the same price for but which was smelly, not very clean and not up to the same standard as the advertised apartment. It was in a convenient location and Laura was helpful.

San Giobbe was a wonderful place to stay. My girl friend and I arrived late, Laura called to welcome us and give directions to a bridge she was waiting at with her dog. She even called a few times to make sure we were on the right track and not lost. It was so lovely that she personally walked us to the property and filled us in on things we could see and do on the way, especially seeing as it was getting dark and we just endured a series of disastrous events getting to Venice from London. The place was in the process of being renovated but we were still very impressed with the offering (2 bedrooms, kitchenette, bathroom), considering the very affordable price. We weren't expecting the glorious views of the water, bridges, boats, the beautiful architecture of our neighbours opposite (plus washing lines!) all set amidst the low murmur of daily business taking place below. It felt like an authentic experience that we wouldn't have had if we'd stayed at a hostel. We talked to local restaurateurs as we came and went every day (I even dropped an air cooler piece out the window and someone below was kind enough to bring it to us within a few seconds) and there was always a gelato/pizza/pasta shop within a short stroll (high on our priority list). The place was close enough to everything but tucked away just enough for some privacy and quiet. We met some friends and were able to use our place to entertain (not much of a nightlife scene so home was the place to party). The only strange thing was when it came to paying for the accommodation a girl who wasn't Laura came to collect the payment and since she couldn't speak English we were convinced she was some random con artist until we confirmed with Laura and, still a bit skeptical, made her sign our handmade contract saying she picked up the money!

We arrived, as we had told Laura, at about 4pm, no-one was there so we tried ringing her with no luck- the phone number seemed to be out of order. After repeated tries by both us and a helpful waiter in a nearby cafe using his own mobile, we gave up as it was now 6pm. Luckily we found an apartment let by a nearby hotel and also we hadn't paid any deposit to Laura. When we returned to England I rang her, on the same number as we had been using in Italy, and got a reply. She claimed she had been in and her phone had been working fine! So watch out and make sure your arrival arrangements are clearly understood and that she will meet you there at a specified time to let you in.