When we booked a home for a month in the Algrave region of southern Portugal we knew that we were prioritizing location over amenities.  The home we selected was a small former coast guard building perched high on the cliffs above the ocean. It was surrounded by walking paths and just minutes away from the beach.Â
The inside was nothing special.  Well, maybe special it its own way.  But we don’t need anything fancy, so thought the eccentric decor was a reasonable tradeoff for a relaxed stay. Here are some pictures of the interior.  Because a picture is worth one thousand words.
However, we arrived to a dirty house that was significantly more worn than the description indicated.  The electricity was easily overloaded. The lights flickered when the refrigerator cycled on and sometimes went out completely when using the range.  The cupboards were misaligned, some without handles. The bed was uncomfortable and the couch was worn to the frame. We tried to remain positive, finding humor in the oddities of the home. After all, we don’t need much and that we were lucky to wake up to the amazing view every morning.Â
Then, over the next few days we noticed an increasing odor from the kitchen. I suspect that it was well masked by open windows and air freshener when we arrived.  The smell became unbearable making, it difficult to remain in the home.  And as the smell grew, the other inadequacies of the home also revealed themselves.  Loose plumbing, cupboard doors falling off the hinges, dirty refrigerator, a dead bird stuck in the pool filter … I will spare you the picture of the bird, but here is a video of our sink. Â
Unfortunately, our attempt to resolve the issues with the host were not as successful as we hoped.  For the first day, multiple messages went unanswered. When he finally did respond the next day, he only offered to have someone “look at it” three days later.  By this point, we decided that we couldn’t take it anymore. A short stay was bearable, but the prospect of staying for a month made my skin crawl.  We also had family visiting and this wasn’t the ideal home for hosting guests.Â
Thankfully, Airbnb was extremely helpful and approved us to leave immediately. Â The only problem was that we had nowhere to go. Â After a frenzied search, we found a new home near Lisbon and within few hours of contacting Airbnb we were back on the road. Â
In retrospect, I am embarrassed that we stayed so long. Â But it did make us particularly thankful for a well maintained home with functioning electricity. Â I almost hugged our super sweet host when we arrived at the new home!Â
