Our trip to Fátima was mostly for Mimi. Her faith was unwavering, and one of her biggest wishes was to visit Fátima, attend mass, and take part in the Catholic rituals at this holy site. We timed our stay to coincide with her birthday, and thanks to Luis Armando, she was able to experience it all in spirit.

We added an extra day to our stay to make the trip more special. That extra day was supposed to be a time to rest our legs, but somehow we still ended up walking more than 10km!

Fátima itself has grown around the sanctuary, with plenty of trinket shops and touristy restaurants lining the streets. If that’s your thing, you’ll be happy. But beyond the holy site, the town felt pretty ordinary, at least from what we saw.

Now, here’s something we didn’t expect—a Sunday spectacle! Thousands of motorcyclists from all over Europe rolled into Fátima for the blessing of the helmets. The town was filled with the rumble of engines and the buzz of excitement. While it was a fascinating event to witness, it did cause a bit of a traffic mess. Our bus to Porto arrived forty minutes late, but honestly, it was a great chance to people-watch and admire the variety of motorcycles.

The two-hour bus ride to Porto gave us a glimpse of the areas affected by recent wildfires. Thankfully, while the fires were fierce, they didn’t scorch the land as intensely as those we’ve seen in California. In Portugal, most of the damage stayed at ground level, with the eucalyptus and pine trees standing tall, a hopeful sign for quick recovery.

Once we reached Porto, we checked into our hostel—only to find our reservation a little mixed up. No worries though, they had us sorted by the next night. After that, we set off to explore the city! Our first stop was the riverfront, and we crossed the bridge to the Sandeman Port Winery to see if we could catch a tour. Unfortunately, they were all booked up for the day, but we didn’t mind. We secured a spot for the next day’s Old Tawny tour, and it turned out to be a highlight. We tasted some incredibly rich 10, 20, 30, and even 40-year-old tawnies while learning about the port-making process.

The rest of the day was spent leisurely wandering the city, taking in the sights and atmosphere. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and a good night’s sleep—because on Tuesday, we’d be walking again!

We drifted off, not a care in the world—well, except for wondering how much rain might fall on us the next day.