The hosts had gone far beyond their regular host duties to make our stay in Lisbon really enjoyable -- first they found a great replacement apartment on the same block as our original booking (which had some maintenance problems). Next, Rui helped us to carry our luggage from the car up the steep and narrow streets and steps of Alfama, helped us with a car problem (see below), provided a list of practical tips about the city, and finally gave us a ride with all our luggage to the car shop.

When we arrived in Lisbon we parked our rental car by Fado Museum, so we can move our stuff to the apartment. During the next two hours, one of the widows got shuttered and the car was broken into. Luckily, it nothing valuable was in it at that time, so the thief took just a hat, a piece of candy, and a half empty bottle of water (sic!). However, reporting the crime to the tourist police and repairing the broken window took away a valuable time from our stay in Lisbon, not to mention an expense of fixing the car. So, if you arrive by a car, especially marked as rental or with a foreign license plates, park it in one of monitored underground garages for about 15€/night. The closest one is with a short walking distance from the apartment and Rui can give you directions. Just be aware that driving to it through a maze of Alfama is rather challenging even for an experienced city driver, especially if you have a larger vehicle.