Renting Rui's place was like having our own private guide to Lisbon. His recommendations for us were absolutely spot-on. His advice meant we were able to navigate around the city so much easier, we got to see all the things we wanted to see, ate at perfect 'non-touristy' restaurants, got better views for less. All in all, our stay in Lisbon was close to perfect and, for that, we can thank Rui.
We expected the apartment to be small but it was actually the perfect size for two and it is totally amazing that so much is available in the small kitchen - including a washing machine (we even got to hang our washing outside the window like a Lisbon local).Like many places in Portugal, there is no air conditioning, but there is a good fan, great window opening to breezes, and the bedroom was cool (we had 29 deg C days and it was perfect for sleeping at night). If arriving by train, it is a short walk which does include some steep stairs (but you can't escape that in beautiful Lisbon!).
Rui met us at the apartment and spent as much time as we needed going through information with us and marking things on the map. Invaluable. He also provided treats - fresh fruit! port and the famous pastel tarts. One of the nicest things . . . Rui told us not to worry about anything at the end of the stay - beds, rubbish, all that - we were to just enjoy our stay and leave everything. It was such a lovely thing to hear and made our stay even more relaxing. We were there for around five days.
Would highly recommend Rui's apartment.