Oh, put a sock in it, Snobby. Or put it in a sock. Or however that saying goes.

Another mystifying comment from one of those people whose only purpose in life seems to be to put other people down.

Peter, we are thrilled to see you'll be back so soon!! I'll save that jar of the Armenians' jam for you. Cxx

<i><font color=#555555>"Another mystifying comment"</font></i>

I fail to see what is so mystifying about respect and consideration for others. Obviously, some people are incredibly self-absorbed and think that every detail about their life and their trips is far more important than the harm some of their words can do to others.

The defensive voices on this thread are no surprise to me.

<i><font color=#555555>"one of those people whose only purpose in life seems to be to put other people down"</font></i>

Really? Is that all you see? My, my, such narrow vision. Yet you fail to see how audacious and defensive your "put down" is, especially in light of the fact that you don't know me. Just goes to show that some people on the internet will say anything, however personal or destructive, without thinking.

Good news Peter, I am glad you got your apartment sorted out and that you are back in your favorite neighborhood.

Besides the butcher at Punto you like, there is a wonderful macelleria next to Carmini. They only opened about 3 years ago. We hold our breath every year, hoping that they are still open. It is so nice to be able to support these local businesses. I also am quite fond of the vino sfuso shop, between Punto Simply and Carmini.

I look forward to reading your posts.

NYCFS: so if I understand you right, you think the owners of these flats could be done irreparable harm by someone describing them as "not the most flash"? I stayed in them twice myself, before becoming a resident, and I'm sure the owners would be the first to agree that the flats are not flash - and that they are not aimed at a flash clientele.

OED: "flash, adj., ostentatiously stylish or expensive"

<i><font color=#555555>"so if I understand you right"</font></i>

There is absolutely no evidence that you are capable of understanding me. We live in two different worlds.

<i><font color=#555555>"you think the owners of these flats could be done irreparable harm by someone describing them as "not the most flash"</font></i>

Are you really that naive?

<i><font color=#555555>"I stayed in them twice myself"</font></i>

Yes, and you wrote ad nauseam about the experience, pointing out every single detail that went wrong, sharing what I would call very personal information. IMO, you owe that poor family an apology, but I'm afraid a simple apology won't fix the long-term damage your self-serving verbosity caused.

For the readers, let's get one thing straight: There are no perfect apartments in Venice, and certainly none that come at a bargain price. Almost every room in every Venice home has been built around ancient architecture. Plumbing in Venice is a modern innovation. Even the most expensive hotel rooms have cracks in the walls and water spots on the ceiling. This ancient small city floods numerous times each year. Let's be real.

Why is it that folks with no money, those always looking for a deal, are the most righteous in their criticism? Is nit-picking on the internet the only power they will ever have?

<i><font color=#555555>"I'm sure the owners would be the first to agree that the flats are not flash"</font></i>

I don't believe you have any right to put words in the owner's mouth, especially without their permission. Frankly, I find your stubborn righteousness an outrage.

I admit, I may know more than I'm supposed to know. The world is smaller now thanks to the internet. Venice is a very small town, and people talk. And I have a very dear friend who owns a fabulous home just off of Campo San Barnaba. We've swapped homes many times through the years.

I apologize to the readers of this forum because I won't say more about this particular situation. Much of what I know is what I would call private information. All I will say is not every vacation apartment in Venice is owned by a wealthy Brit, looking to enhance his or her real estate portfolio. And not every "owner" has complete control over his or her vacation property. IMO, the details matter. Not everyone cares about other people's details. Not everyone cares that their negative comments, however justified, can cause harm to innocent, caring, hard-working people.

Snob, you are way way off track and out of line.

“You always want to have the last word.”

“No, I don’t.”

I don’t get it. I asked for apartment recommendations in Venice. A bunch of people gave suggestions, the vast majority of which were helpful. One or two people commented on the fact that I’d probably scribble some sort of trip report, and that they would look forward to reading it.

NYCFoodSnob has taken it to mean that I am automatically critical of places where we stay. For the record, here’s my comment about the last apartment, in Santa Croce:

“We have really struck some luck with the apartment that we are renting. It’s huge, a spare bedroom, and amazingly light - big windows to every room, even the bathroom. A kitchen that's big enough to sit in, a terrace outside the kitchen large enough to eat on. Another terrace overlooking Calle Del Tentor. Lou has her easel set up in a corner with two windows, one of which gives a view of the campanile of San Marco. We're about 50 metres from Campo San Giacomo, which is alive with children when school finishes.”

I would not call that being exceptionally critical, and I recommended the apartment to several other people – the owner thanked us for that.

I’ve not made too many comments about the apartment in Dorsoduro, other than describing the kitchen as being small, and more recently as being “not the most flash of apartments”. I would think, though, that choosing to stay in the same apartment three times, for extended periods, could be taken as an endorsement of the place, as would recommending it to others. Yes, another poster had problems there, where one apartment was so water damaged when they arrived that it was not inhabitable. Not your usual slightly Venetian dampness, but full on, mould growing on the walls, not inhabitable.

“Why is it that folks with no money, those always looking for a deal, are the most righteous in their criticism?” Clearly, if one has no money, then Venice will be difficult, to say the least. I‘m struggling to find what NYCFoodSnob (whose user name speaks volumes), sees as righteous criticism.

<i><font color=#555555>"I don’t get it."</font></i>

It's called the internet. Not always something you can control or fully understand.

<i><font color=#555555>"NYCFoodSnob has taken it to mean that I am automatically critical of places where we stay."</font></i>

I have not taken it to mean that. Please don't put your words in my mouth, too.

<i><font color=#555555>"I would not call that being exceptionally critical"</font></i>

No one ever accused you of being "exceptionally" critical.

<i><font color=#555555>"I’ve not made too many comments about the apartment in Dorsoduro"</font></i>

It only takes a few negative words from a verbose blogger to ruin a vacation rental's reputation.

Mold in Venice is ubiquitous. How could it not be when every foundation is made of water? Unless an apartment owner is obviously trying to rob customers of their money, there is an appropriate way to handle the problems that occasionally arise in Venice.

Imagine you were the owner of a Venice apartment and, unbeknownst to you, there was a mold outbreak presented to a customer. You're in another country, and no one knew or told you about it. How would you like the customer to handle their complaint? Is there anyone on this board willing to step into someone else's shoes before they shoot off their mouth on the internet?

<i><font color=#555555>"I would think, though, that choosing to stay in the same apartment three times, for extended periods, could be taken as an endorsement of the place"</font></i>

That's assuming every reader has the patience and takes the time to read everything you wrote. I did. Most don't.

It is interesting that, after all is said and done, you are returning. I can tell you this: There is no home in Venice, with that much charm, a large garden, and outdoor terraces, that will be presented to you at that price. And that's a fact!

I admit that Scotland's words were far more harmful, but at one point the two of you were back and forth and, IMO, that discourse should have been kept private. I realize Fodor's doesn't offer Messaging, but, IMO, that's no excuse.

<i><font color=#555555>"NYCFoodSnob (whose user name speaks volumes)"</font></i>

Oh, please, Peter, spare me your discomfort with the snobs of the world. I love my username and I'm quite proud of my education and the enjoyment I receive from the finer things in life. I work hard, I earn them. Being a "food snob" does not mean I think I'm better than you or anyone else. It just means I may know more about food than you do. But obviously you enjoy making digs at me, so carry on (even though I think it makes you look like a petty, small man).

Mould in Venice. Yes, places do get mould, as water rises through the brickwork. But there is mould and mould. When a pipe fails in an upper floor building, and leaks for days, or possibly weeks into the apartment below, and the heating is on, then the mould that grows is more than one would expect from a bit of rising damp. And that’s what had happened when the other people arrived – likely a pipe burst following on from freezing weather. It’s not a comment about a ground floor place, which would always be damp when there is acqua alta.

NYCFS has commented on some sort of breach of confidentiality, as I’ve previously written where the apartment is located. The web site for the apartment gives the specific street address, so the owner is apparently happy for this information to be public.

I commented in a post above that we had stayed in this same apartment six years and four years ago – no need to read the trip reports to see that this will be our third stay at the same place.

With respect to the comment that “I can tell you this: There is no home in Venice, with that much charm, a large garden, and outdoor terraces, that will be presented to you at that price. And that's a fact!” Unless you have access to the email account for my wife, you have no way of knowing what “that price” will be.

Peter, you're giving Snobby much more band width than he deserves. This isn't the first time he's gotten himself into a tizzy over apartments in Venice (which, I suspect, he doesn't have nearly the experience with as he suggests in his rants). Let it go.

Ah, Holly, it's a bit of a slow day here. So I'm just practising my typing ...

Cheers

Peter

<i><font color=#555555>"The web site for the apartment gives the specific street address, so the owner is apparently happy for this information to be public."</font></i>

Just how happy, Peter? Have you ever asked the owner? Obviously not.

Look, if the owner publishes the address, and if they control the web site, then it is their decision to publish. Maybe they are NOT happy to publish the information, but that is their call.

I'm not entirely convinced that the owner is aware that the numbers are there. One would have to ask. You use the term "publish," as if the info is printed in BOLD and offered in the most obvious place. IMO, you've been assuming too much all along. Obviously, nothing I say is going to change your approach in the future.

I'm glad you found an apartment, and I hope you and your wife have a lovely trip. And thank goodness Venice does not have much crime. There's nothing like revealing too much info about long stays in vacation properties on the internet.

Peter

Glad you're getting back there to keep us entertained!

Ignore whatsisface - must be ratbag time in the zoo!

Peter, glad you found a place and look forward to another good story. Was it you who did the canoe thing?

Bilbo, yes it was Lou and I that paddled around Venice. Venicekayak.com finds them.