Day 55. Friday 2 May.

The weather looked threatening, then cleared, then…..all day, with occasional light showers.

Off we went to Viana do Castelo, about 7 km down the road, to visit the Igreja de Santa Luzia. It was up a long and windy road, signposted at 90 km/hr: 40 km/hr was a sensible speed.

The complex was impressive, sitting atop a mountain, overlooking the city like a ruler, as perhaps it once was. It was called a sanctuary, so we wondered…far too remote for a regular church. Inside it was as you’d expect, but curiously restrained compared to some. And in the mountaintop garden, there was Santa Luzia, looking like she was missing something from her left hand. Perhaps something containing Vinho Branco? Reminded us of someone.

From there we went chasing a fabric shop identified on Google this morning. After Apple Maps told us there was no such address, Tom Tom, the car GPS, gave us a route that looked promising. We arrived – at some sort of housing complex, obviously not what we were after. Checked again: the store is actually in a different town about 40kms away. T was not that serious about visiting.

New plan. Into town to find a different store. Directions OK this time excepting that it was in the middle of Centro, so traffic was busy…and they all had horns! On the way, a car pulled out in front of D at one stage from a slip road on the right, requiring emergency braking for the first time on this trip and he instinctively used his horn, again for the first time, but was mortified to note that it was an L plater (he always tries to cut learners lots of slack – and distance). He apologized to the instructor as we passed.

Underground parking beckoned, so in we went. Found the fabric shop easily – T browsed, but was taken aback by how expensive items were: twice what you’d expect to pay in Oz and nothing exciting enough.

Back to the underground car park. D started to redeem the ticket – two euros – put the coin in and the machine then advised the transaction was annulled. A queue was forming, patiently. The guy behind politely took the ticket, placed it over the reader, and it said: Two euros. D put two coins in and Voila (whatever that is in Portuguese) the card was ratified. D let everyone know that it had cost four euros: they didn’t share his concern.

Took the ‘coast’ road on the way home, but as it was in fact set back from the shore decided to venture down some side cobblestone tracks for a closer look. Stopped at a site that had a couple of motor homes set up for the night: we were green with envy (Gloria redux). A short stroll along a boardwalk to marvel at the colours and the water until the spotty sky told us it was time for a glass of wine.

Dinner. Pork sausages, with steamed vegies.