A majestic villa awaited us in historic Sintra, Portugal. Our diverse nationalities blended well among all the rooms, gardens and outdoor seating for the 13 of us. Joao was attentive, gracious and always attempted to provided solutions for any problems we encountered. He even came searching for and retrieving our lost selves, after dark, from the scenic overlook in town.
Hiring a local cook named Fatima was a brilliant move. She was efficient, pleasant and well versed in scrumptious meat and seafood dishes, as well as, local cuisine. No matter what ingredients we brought her, she delighted us with the results. For just 10 euros an hour she cooked, served and cleaned up after our evening meals.