Madalena is so sweet that I wish I could say nicer things about this place. For one, the location is not great. It’s not an easy walk to the metro station, which is probably why Madalena couldn’t give me directions even though I asked 3 times before my arrival. I later discovered a network of bus connections nearby but I wish I had known about it earlier.
The room is adequate for one person as long as you remember to keep the windows open to avoid a musty smell. Everything is very clean, even spotless, except for the pools of dog piss and sometimes even poop both in and outside the house. The garden is lovely but the “smoking permitted outdoors“ really means that cigarette smoke is ubiquitous. I found it very unpleasant. Finally, although Madalena is very welcoming the same cannot be said for other members of the household, who were either indifferent or downright hostile to my presence.. I did feel like an intruder.
On the plus side, the kitchen has everything you could possibly need and the bed was comfy. It’s very quiet except for at times the dogs barking and people talking late into the night. And of course the price is reasonable.