Maria was a very welcoming host and had stocked the fridge with a bottle of wine, bread, cheese and milk.
However, on settling in we were immediately drawn to the fact that the cottage was extremely cluttered with items that had no apparent use, and consequently the house had an unclean feeling.
The kitchen facilities were extremely basic - two gas rings and a microwave. Cooking was not very easy and made more difficult by such things as a plant stand directly in front of the gas rings! There was lots of kitchen equipment most of which would never be needed but no space for us to store food. The surfaces weren't clear enough to clean properly. There seemed to be cables everywhere.
There was an unpleasant smell coming from the sink drain and the shower drain which was a little disconcerting. Maria advised that we put the plug in the shower when not in use which helped.
The garden was small but adequate with plenty of places to sit.
We did not have a car and managed quite well with the buses which were fairly frequent and not expensive. We were able to visit the attractions in Sintra and to travel to the coastal villages. We also walked to Monserrate which was an enjoyable day trip - however google maps directed us to a closed back entrance and our 3.5 km walk became 7km! Future guests should plan the route better. We were able to get the bus back to Sintra and then home.
We were disappointed with the accommodation but believe that if Maria made some simple improvements, she could make it so much better.