Day 5 - Town of Loule.

This visit was to the Loule Gypsy market and the local farmers' market. Bought some more gifts and had a nice lunch.

Bought some flowers for Ruth from an elderly Portuguese woman all bundled up against the cold - it was about 19 or 20 degrees C.


The second photo, also taken at the Farmers' Market right next to the lady selling the flowers, gives a better indication of the temperature - depends on what one is used to.

One added feature for me was a walk up to a lovely church/chapel, de Senhora da Piedade, situated relatively high on a hill overlooking the town. Apparently this is the site of an Easter ritual in which a 16th century image of Our Lady of Piety (presumably Mary) is carried down from the chapel and then two weeks later, amid a procession of worshipers, is carried back up to the chapel; though there are other versions of this story that say this is a maternity rite which involves reuniting Mary and the infant Jesus.

The first of the last three photos is the church, the second is the adjoining chapel dedicated to a Bishop of Lisbon and the third is taken from the bottom of the hill showing the first half of the climb to the top.