Sandra's place was beautifully decorated and spacious. Sadly, we were informed just before arrival that the canal was not visible from the place due to scaffolding covering the view. There was really very little noise from the work being done outside. The place was very quiet at night. There are quite a few stair steps (40?) due the the very high ceilings typical of this age of building. The neighborhood was delightful - lots of shops, grocery stores, restaurants, etc very near by. The enormous open air market is only a few blocks away (we visited on both Friday and Saturday). The tourist sites are less than 10 minutes walk, as is the train station.