Everything was wonderful from the time we were welcomed by Gonçalo. He took the time to orient us to Lisbon and give us a few tricks for navigating through the hills into the different districts. We also appreciated the book he and Rita assembled with useful information including recommended groceries and restaurants.
We chose to leave the windows open to absorb the buzz of the music and the people below into the spirit of our vacation. One could choose to close the windows for a quieter experience. Either way our family couldn't imagine a more perfect place to live while exploring Lisbon.
While we started viewing Lisbon on our own and intended to do so the whole time. On our last day we planned to take the #28 trolley and walk in the narrow maze of the Alfama district. Unfortunately, the #28 trolley to was unusually off schedule and we were about to take a taxi.
As luck would have it, we ended up taking a tuktuk tour which turned out to be the best part of our trip because our guide added so much more depth to what we had already observed and helped us learn that the narrow streets of the Alfama represent more than just a maze. He helped us use all five senses to appreciate how the Alfama and the adjacent Graca and Mouraria neighborhoods are ingrained with the intertwined history of the people of Portugal and Lisbon.
Three days was not enough.
Thank you Gonçalo and Rita for sharing your space. We hope we can visit again.