Although we arrived rather early in the morning, Sergio gave us a warm welcome. He took the time to explain us how to get easily into the city center, provided us with a good city map, and gave us lots of recommendations what to do, when you are in Lisbon for the first time. The flat is in a traditional house directly in Alfama. It is small but cosy and well maintained. The kitchen is perfectly equipped and Sergio leaves also space in the freezer if you want to store some water, drinks or food. We also got to know part of his family one afternoon when we came home after a long walking tour. They offered us the typical pastéis de nata. I never thought that I would like them so much! The apartment is only a two minutes walk away from the Cathedral (Sé). So, it is really easy to get to the city center. It just takes a walk of about 10 minutes. We enjoyed of having everything rather close. There were some bars and restaurants around, so that you do not need to go to the very touristic places where you pay a lot for low quality. The neighbourhood also provides some mini-markets where locals buy fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and other stuff they need.
Alfama belongs to the older parts of Lisbon. No worries, if some houses look a bit rundown or if some rubbish is around. We (two girls) never felt insecure.