What can I say? This is a wonderful apartment to make your home base as you explore Lisbon!
Communication was great! Frederico had answered questions from me before our stay (we asked for tips on travel from Salema and he further provided information on nearby parking if we needed it) and was flexible on our arrival time.
Joana greeted me at the building, as we had arranged, insisting on carrying my bags up to the apartment.
Once in, she helped me unlock the door and then showed me around, explaining how to use the coffee maker, etc. Some refreshments had been provided to welcome us.
Then she oriented me to the city and showed me where the subway entrance was and the elevators to get to the castle, visible from our balcony. She gave me tips on where to dine (O Chiado, where we had dinner our first evening — great meal!). These tips made it very easy to begin enjoying the city quickly!
And the location was excellent! As mentioned, we were blocks from the subway, which could take us anywhere. While the area was bustling with activity, we were high up enough (5th floor) so that street noise was not at all an issue. Our location made it easy to get to many local areas of interest. One day, we walked to the Elevador de Santa Justa and rode up it (tip: if you don’t get there quite early, there can be quite a line and a long wait. In that case, just walk up the stairs. At the top, you can pay an additional fee to get up to the observation deck on the top, up a narrow spiral staircase (don’t do it if heights bother you a lot). The viewpoint is TERRIFIC!)). Afterward, we explored the lovely Bairro Alto district, including the Convento do Carmo (a ruined convent with delicate gothic arches still intact and supporting nothing but the sky. Very beautiful) and ate a few pastel de nata (custard tarts) at Manteigara (a bargain at 1 euro each and still hot from the oven. We dined at the counter watching the skilled bakers rolling out puff pastry and mixing up the custard).
On evenings, we enjoyed strolling down towards the river to the Praça do Comércio. There were often very talented street musicians down there and it was always pleasant. Our last evening, we paid 3 euro to go up to the top of the Arch of Triumph there to enjoy the view as night fell and within reach of the gorgeous statues on top.
A few favorite restaurants: Restaurante Carmo was outstanding. It shares the square with the Convento do Carmo, so if you make reservations (reserve via Trip Advisor) and show up early, it is highly pleasant to sit on the square enjoy people watching. I had a delightful risotto dish, my husband enjoyed shrimp in garlic butter. The prices were surprisingly reasonable.
We had a wonderful breakfast/brunch at the Mill (probably not traditional Portuguese, but yummy avocado toast, poached eggs, smoked salmon, etc.)
Our favorite place for souvenirs was the delightful A Vida Portuguesa, which has several locations, including a smaller one in the Mercado do Ribeira (but worth looking for a bigger one).
If you need groceries, there is a supermercado at the bottom of the second elevator up to the castle.
We had a delightful stay in Lisbon! I highly recommend this lovely apartment!