Siridao's verandas look onto the Zuari, and whatever is left on them lives in salt, sun and damp together. That combination rots cotton cushion covers and fades printed ones, and it is what solution-dyed acrylic was designed for. Sunbrella does not fade, gives mould no hold and is dry again soon after wetting; as a water-repellent cloth it turns a shower but should come in for monsoon storms. Insist on foam that drains, above a mesh underside, or the filling stays wet though the cover is dry. On a windy shore, ties or a grip base stop cushions ending up on the pebbles. On the old benches of the village balcões, a stripe or a single plain colour looks right.
- Balcão benches along the shore: striped acrylic seat cushions, tied on, with foam inside that lets water through.
- Open terraces of the slope villas: sofa and sunbed cushions kept to a narrow range of colours, and a second cover for seats in constant use.
- Sit-outs looking over the estuary: Sunbrella curtains hung from stainless rings, and tied back hard when it blows.
Siridao is a small fishing village on the Zuari estuary, below the plateau of Bambolim. It has a pebbly beach, a chapel on the headland, and a feast in spring that draws people from across Goa.
Homes are traditional village houses of the fishing community, close together along the shore, with a few newer houses and villas on the slope behind.
The village faces the open estuary. Salt, humidity and wind off the water affect every house, and metal rusts quickly.
