I simultaneously got an email from airbnb.com telling me about the cancellation and providing a full credit plus $50. So I went back to looking for a place.
As it turns out, before I booked with Julie and Nikolai, I had inquired about another location, but the host, Ivan, said he was unsure about the availability so far in advance. So this morning I contact Ivan again, and although he only had two of the three nights open on his calendar, he opened it for the third night so I could stay there.
In so many ways I think it's a better option. The apartment looks fabulous, the location is good, and Ivan is half of a gay couple in their 40s who are raising a 12-year-old son part-time.
So what started out as a bad bit of news this morning has turned out to be a great turn of events!