Coming a long way from Texas USA, we were careful choosing a home for a week-long visit. Our first trip to Portugal was years in planning with a good measure of penny-pinching, so deciding to stay at Casa Sintra was serious business! Well, we could not have made a better choice...we simply loved staying in Luisa's apartment overlooking the Praca Republica. Luisa arranged for us to pick-up the key at the Cintra Centre shop downstairs. Look up! A beautiful azulejo (blue tiled) scene flanked by twin balconies with flower boxes identifies Casa Sintra. Up one flight of interior stairs we found the apartment spacious by European standards. There's easily room to sleep five with twin beds in the bedroom, a sofabed in the living room and a single bed in the attic hide-away (climb the kitchen ladder for a fun attic room for a youngster). The full bath with tub/shower, bidet and toilet has plenty of storage. In fact there are loads of closets with extra hangers. The kitchen is fully equipped with a fridge, washer, on-demand hot water, dishwasher, gas range, microwave, espresso machine, tea kettle, juicer and panini toaster. We were delighted that the kitchen is actually built over the tiny street below with windows opening to reveal postcard views. Balcony windows are soundproof, even when the delivery trucks arrive early in the morning and the church bell tolls. They tilt or swing open to allow all the sounds of the plaza below and fresh hilltop breezes stream into the apartment. Blackout curtains add privacy as well as batten board shutters. The WiFi worked fine, as well as the satellite receiver and flatscreen HDTV. Oil radiators can be rolled into position on those chilly nights, and the double-down duvets do the trick. Recessed lighting is complemented by reading lamps. So, you get the picture. All the comforts of home are at Casa Sintra. But what about the non-essential stuff...the atmosphere...the neighborhood...and all those tourists? This is a location of two worlds...the daytime hustle of tour buses and literally thousands of tourists...and the night time and early morning feeling of romance and peace. As tourists ourselves, we were up and out by 09:00, which is about the time the tourists start arriving. All day, every day Casa Sintra is front and center to people shopping and taking selfies and enjoying the al fresco cafes just outside your balconies. About 19:00 the tour buses depart along with most of the sightseers, leaving couples strolling the narrow streets, having dinner in the dozens of restaurants and drinks in the cozy bars. We had a car, so parking was a concern. Luisa guided us to a free parking lot within a five minute walk...down a few hundred steps...and the car was untouched overnight all week. The lot fills up after 09:00, but spaces are available by 18:00. The train station and fairytale City Hall are a ten minute walk, the Tourist Info Office is a one minute walk next to the Renaissance...