She worked for Christie's and was always working, always flying. He booked the entire piano nobile for just the two of them. They arrived at the water door by boat taxi, ate dinner in our fabulous music room accompanied by a baroque quartet. We also do weddings, conferences, and seminars. Some of the top businesses in the world such as Oracle and Olivetti have held their meetings at our palazzo. Negotiations between two telecommunication companies were conducted right here."

Sharon Campbell, a former health care worker who loves to travel, chose to rent an apartment because she got more for her money. "After a lot of research, I found I could stay in Venice much longer than I would have been able to in a hotel," she said. "The apartment I rented through House Deal Consulting was in Campo San Lorenzo. The price for a one bedroom was less than 1,700 dollars for two weeks, and it accommodated upto four people using the sofa bed in the living room. The first week there were four of us; the second week just two, which made it much more comfortable. The biggest disadvantage was not having an elevator since it was on the top floor. My mother counted the steps: 99. The apartment was what I would call the attic, or garret, though it didn't feel like an attic when you were inside. In the living room there were steps up to a large window which led to our little altana - the main reason I selected this particular apartment. I'm not one for heights but that view was amazing."

Altane are wooden terraces that pepper the rooftops of Venice. As far back as the 15th century, Venetian noblewomen donned white dresses and large hats without crowns, through which they pulled their hair; then armed with a bottle of lemon juice, they climbed up to the altana to lighten their tresses. Ms. Campbell discovered an alternative function for her altana. "We would spend our cocktail hour up there, soaking in the view, drinking wine and eating cheese. It was glorious, especially in the evening at sunset. We could see Piazza San Marco and the twilight playing on the domes of the Basilica, the Campanile, and the top of the Palazzo Ducale. Renting an apartment gave us an entirely different view of Venice."