Communication before, during and even after our trip was on time, easy and most helpful! Meeting and talking with our host made this trip far more enjoyable and successful than we ever imagined. These four days were the highlight of our 3 week trip to Europe. Daute, who stood in for Francisco, was friendly, made us feel very welcome and was extremely attentive at all times - even getting up early to prepare breakfast and see us off! We can't thank him enough for the time he took to give us "first-time visitors" meticulous directions for exploring Amsterdam. He was generous with his time, excellent suggestions for touring, and with the amenities of the apartment including food. Daute's warm exchange of ideas and patience with our endless questions about the culture made it easy to stay up talking late into the evening! Feeling totally at home in every way in an unfamiliar location was priceless. Our private room and bed were spacious, functional and VERY comfortable. The entire apartment was very clean, comfortable and beautifully decorated. We also benefited from Daute's high-tech knowledge and the use of Wifi while there. We were so inspired by Francisco's design that my husband came home and immediately started creating a lush, "secret garden" in our back yard!
The location of the apartment was easy to find and excellent for exploring all parts of Amsterdam. On our first night we found dinner and a good grocery store at the Mercatorplein (shopping square) just 1/2 a block from the apartment. With a 72 hour transportation card and help from Daute and the public transportation website 9292.nl, we were able to easily find Amsterdam Centraal Station, Amsterdam Zuid, Museumsplein, the Hermitage Museum, a canal tour, the free ferry to the Film Institute, the and finally the tram and train to Schipol Airport. With additional tickets on the bus and train we were able to take rewarding side trips to Utrecht and Marken - as suggested by our host. As senior citizens taking the usual precautions, we felt safe at all times throughout our stay. If I could be lucky enough to return to Amsterdam I would only stay here! A sincere thank you Daute and Francisco.