Or better SAS, (or less worse!) diverted just 2 miles north to be over the lights of Calvario town and then picked up the autoroute for a bit, for better VFR refs. But let's face it, this flight was just nuts - the weather was nowhere near ok for a safe night VFR transit, especially as the planned fuel stop at Baltar was at an elevation of 1000ft so higher still than most of the en-route terrain, so it should have looked pretty clear this was not going to work soon after launch. And with over 80nm to run to the Macedo destination with up to 3000ft hills/mountains to traverse en-route after the fuel stop, VFR had no chance, surely. I guess maybe the pilot thought he could get to Baltar VFR, then fuel up to go to Macedo IFR with reserves to return to Porto if he couldn't get down. Macedo was lower but still some hills around. Be interesting to see what the plan was. And if there was an IFR let down at Macedo he planned to use. Somehow doubt it.
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