If I could give them ten stars, I'd do it. This was the first time I stayed with hosts on Airbnb, and it was the best call I could have made. From my arrival, Helena and Fred were always available to answer questions or spend an evening/afternoon with on their gorgeous balcony. Your room, shower, and WC are basically in a separate wing of the apartment, so if you need to hole up to do work, or are exhausted from traveling, it's as secluded as a shared apartment can get. Helena and Fred were kind enough to let me store some food and cook -- but make sure you ask them how their awesome energy efficient appliances work, if you do!!

My stay was three weeks long for work at the European institutions; the location was good for traveling back and forth. The street is quiet in the evenings, but during the day it is populated as there are several shops nearby. I generally walked back and forth to the institutions (a little over a mile) but there was a metro stop not too far away on rainy days.

By the end of my trip, I consider both Helena and Fred friends. I absolutely recommend staying with them, and hope they'll be kind enough to host me again in the future!