That did change things. Now I get a different problem:

mike@mike-gateway-laptop:~$ sudo rsync -azvv -e ssh --exclude
'mike/.gvfs' /home mike@...:/mike_laptop_home
[sudo] password for mike:
opening connection using: ssh -l mike 192.168.1.101 rsync --server
-vvlogDtprze.iLsf . /mike_laptop_home
mike@...'s password:
sending incremental file list
[sender] hiding file home/mike/.gvfs because of pattern mike/.gvfs
rsync: mkdir "/mike_laptop_home" failed: Permission denied (13)
rsync error: error in file IO (code 11) at main.c(595) [Receiver=3.0.7]
rsync: connection unexpectedly closed (9 bytes received so far) [sender]
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at io.c(601)
[sender=3.0.7]older

The folder /mike_laptop_home exists in the default path specified for
rsync. Why does rsync try to create one?