Before we left Viseu this morning, we went for a stroll in the old centre of the city. It was quite dark and not very attractive, except for the usual large cathedral (which was difficult to photograph). Here are two photos from there.

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_02A1546 We checked out and headed westward, back to the coast. This route took us through more rugged terrain, with high hills and deep valleys. This was the Dao wine region. As we ascended we got some heavy rain and fog, especially at the higher elevations. At one point the sun broke through briefly and we suddenly could see this huge rocky hill in front of us and a rainbow appeared. But this interlude was brief. But the drive was fine because the highways are are excellent and there seldom is much traffic.

The rains let up before we arrived at our destination, Hotel Santiago in Vagos.

After unloading our luggage we headed to the coastal village of Vagueira, about 8 kilometers away.

_02A1556 We've been unable to find any signs of fishing activities  wherever we've been along the coast. Perhaps this photo explains the state of the fishing industry here in Portugal. We then proceeded to the beach area.

_02A1559 It's hard to imagine these beaches packed with sun seekers in the summer months, especially on this drizzly day. But the sun did attempt to shine occasionally, and it was warm, 19C.

Our next visit was a little further north to the town of Costa Nova.

_B0A0340 This place is renowned for its striped houses.

_02A1606 As you can see, not all the houses are striped. Here are a few more shots of the striped houses.

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What amazed us about the three coastal towns we visited was the vast numbers of large apartment buildings which we believe would be rented out to sun seekers in season.

We returned to Vagos and had dinner at Olive, a restaurant just down the street from our hotel. We must say that this was by far our best meal of this trip. A great mushroom in port and bruschetta appetizers with a bottle of 2011 Dao wine (only 20 Euros), followed by pasta main courses, and finishing with desserts and a shot of Port.

I think we'll return for our next dinner!