I hit the host jackpot with Rui. He is a kind, generous, artistic host who takes a huge amount of pride in his apartment, and it shows.
My train was late and he so kindly waited for me, introduced me to the apartment. I was tired and grumpy after a 5 hour train ride, and couldnt even (or didnt want to) listen to directions so he walked with me to a great portugese restaurant a block away, translated the menu, ordered for me and left me to enjoy dinner in silence.
That is way above and beyond for a host and I appreciated it to the utmost.
The place was great - all the reviews are accurate and it was exactly what I expected. What I did not expect was how well equipped the apartment was. The kitchen was full of everything (most noteworthy of course were the treats: water, fruit, port wine and pastel de nata!!!) from a toaster to a kettle to a coffee pot to an espresso machine to a washing machine to a panini press to anything you would ever want. There was a sewing kit and a first aid kit and the list just goes on and on. It was like a mix of an apartment with hotel amenities that sometimes I miss at an airbnb (example: sewing kit)
The neighborhood seemed cool, but I was just there for the night - enough to have dinner, repack and reorganize, get a great nights sleep on the comfortable bed and leave early in the morning for the airport.
Thank Rui!!!!!!