MACAU: TRIUMPH AND TRIBULATION by Stuart Braga Written at the request of Ed Rozario, President of the Casa de Macau Australia, this series of six essays outlines several aspects of the turbulent history of Macau over a period of four centuries. They were first published in ‘Casa Down Under’ the newsletter of the Casa de […]
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Portugal’s Flag by Frederic (Jim) Silva It is not all that surprising to find that a country as old as Portugal has had its flag much altered as circumstances changed. Today’s modern flag tells us a story of a past and a people. We can see something of Portugal’s origins and history, of early Kings
OS VERDINHOS by Giovanni Pereira First published in the UMA News Bulletin under the pen-name “Caramba” The fine wines of Portugal are unfortunately mostly unknown abroad, with a few exceptions like Port and the popular rosés like Mateus and Lancer. Yet this rugged handsome country produces some of the most unique and diverse varieties of
O VINHO DO PORTO by Giovanni Pereira First published in the UMA News Bulletin under the pen-name “Caramba” In 1997, the Wine Spectator, an important American publication, included two Ports amongst the Best Wines of the Year, namely the 1994 Vintage Ports of Taylor and of Fonseca. It is apt that an English House and
MOUNTAIN FIREWATER by Giovanni Pereira First published in the UMA News Bulletin under the pen-name “Caramba” There is a spirit in the Algarve. It’s pure and crystal clear. No secret recipe, no additives and the Algarveans still know how to distill it in their own homes! It’s derived from the most characteristic shrub in the
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COMIDAS REGIONAIS DE PORTUGAL Regional Dishes of Portugal by Giovanni Pereira First published in the UMA News Bulletin under the title Impressions of the Algarve Part II, with the pen-name “Caramba” Jean Anderson, one of the best food writers in America and a regular visitor to Portugal for over thirty years had this to say
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TERRA DE BACALHAU Cod Country by Giovanni Pereira First published in the UMA News Bulletin under the pen-name “Caramba” The consumption of cod fish is deeply rooted in Portuguese gastronomic culture. This predilection goes back to the time of Os Descobrimentos Portugueses (Portuguese Discoveries in 15th Century) when fishermen ventured into the icy waters of
DINING IN THE ALGARVE by Giovanni Pereira First published in the UMA News Bulletin under the title Impressions of the Algarve Part II, with the pen-name “Caramba” “Muito bom dia” said the waitress, greeting us as we entered what was purported to be the best chicken piri-piri house in the Algarve, high up in the Monchique mountains,
