Getting up and into Miguel's apartment is a chore: I won't lie. My wife and I took the metro from the airport so we had to drag our luggage up the Bairro Alto hill and, especially if you're new to the city, it can be difficult to find and get to. Then we had to wait on the very narrow sidewalk until Miguel's cleaner let us in. We didn't know about the buzzer or, even if we had, whether it worked. Still don't actually. And then there were the five flights of stairs up that seem unending even if you don't have luggage.
But when you get up there. Wow! It's so worth it all.
The stupendous balcony is a perfect roost high above the city from which to watch the ebb and flow of Lisbon. It has a fantastic view of the Castile do Sao Jorge, the tops of the ruins of the Carmo church, a big view of the Tagus and more. The Rossio subway is nearby and there are so many other places to visit nearby.
Then there're so many rooms: each unique. We shared the place with another couple who arrived a day after we did. They did the smarter thing and took a cab from the airport. But even with two rooms taken we had the two smaller rooms to stretch out our bags. And the kitchen was cosy.
Yeah, yeah but with the door to the patio and the kitchen windows open there's such a flow of air and such light that it seems like you're in a different world.
We loved it. I could stay there for months on end and never exhaust all the wonders and, God, the food and drink... yeah. Anyway. Here's a haiku inspired by it:
Carmo Casa Silêncio
A shape to sun, wind,
when in Miguel's hilltop home.
An almo Lis-bon.