qahwa -kaffa – kahve –capha- cafeh – caffé – café – koffie – coffy – coffee The origin of the word coffee is probably derived from Kaffa, the name of an Ethiopian kingdom in the 15th century. At that time in Yemen a beverage was prepared from a plant of Ethiopian origin, which proved to […]
‘Zé Povinho looks from one side to the other, and stays – as always – the same’ Zé (abbreviation from José) Povinho (‘little people’) is a caricature of the Portuguese everyman, created by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro – journalist, socialist, publisher of satirical newspapers, and ceramist – in the second half of the 19th century. The […]
‘We need a country that is prepared, not surprised’ (President elect) In spite of the unprecedented floods and landslides as a result of the last two weeks’ train of storms, people turned out in surprising numbers for the presidential elections last Sunday. The former Socialist leader António José Seguro got 67% of the vote – […]
We are not a perfect city, but definitely on the right track’ (Guimarães 26) Guimarães – just 65 km inland from Porto – has been elected European Green Capital 2026, the second Portuguese city to win the title after Lisbon in 2020. The European Green Capital Award – organized by the European Commission – […]
He championed navigation but never actually sailed on any voyages himself Prince Henry of Portugal (1394-1460), better known as Henry the Navigator, was a central figure in the 15th-century Portuguese maritime exploration and regarded as the main initiator of what would be known as the Age of Discovery. He was the third surviving son of […]
‘We hope a presidential candidate who includes everyone, will win’ The year 2025 was marked by setbacks in immigration issues, says Ana Paula Costa – president of the Casa do Brasil (Brazil’s House) in Lisbon – to newspaper Público. ‘We had a very difficult year in terms of narrative, legislation and integration of immigrants, not […]
‘We cared for her for over 13 years, and she will be hugely missed, but we could not see her living alone any longer’ – Antwerp’s zoo director. Kariba, a female elephant from the zoo in Antwerp, Belgium will be the first resident to arrive at a new large-scale sanctuary being created on land located […]
Patron saint of children, sailors and the poor Nicholas (270 – 343 AD) was born in the third century in the region of Lycia. At that time, the area was Greek but is now called Demre, situated on the southern coast of Turkey. He was made Bishop of Myra – the metropolis of Lycia – […]