Although we arrived a little earlier than check in , Joao' s mother and brother were there to greet us and were extremely welcoming. Joao' s brother was able to explain to us in English the workings of the flat.......very useful as our Portuguese is virtually non existent!
The directions to the flat were very detailed and clear and we were able to find the flat easily.
It is in an interesting old part of the town and next to a supermarket, which we used everyday on return to the apartment.
There were quite a number of stairs to climb....but we saw this as part of our work out!
Being so central made travelling on public transport extremely easy and quick. We tended to walk most places and were able to see the different areas of Lisbon in this way.
We made the train trip to the beach a couple of times....an interesting journey, taking about 40 minutes. We also made to Sintra on the train, which goes from a different station, again, not too far from the apartment.
The trams are great and a tram ride to the castle is a must.
We had a wonderful nine days in Lisbon and Joao's apartment was perfect in every way and made our time there even better. Everything you need, plenty of space for two people, perfect position for getting to the numerous attractions ...including great restaurants. Lovely view of castle from small terrace (another plus), with enough space to eat outside, which we were lucky to be able to do in December!
Joao was very accommodating in letting us check out later than the given time, which we greatly appreciated, as our flight was an evening one.
Altogether, a lovely city/beach break in a great place.
Would definitely go to Joao' s apartment again and would recommend it to others.