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Little Portugal in Great Britain

by Rita Guerreiro

London Coming from a small country like Portugal, arriving in London can be a mixture of shock and excitement. In a city where it would be possible to fit almost the entire Portuguese population, one can feel a little dizzy in the hectic streets and underground stations. You don't need to come from a small and quiet town. Even if you come from the busy and cosmopolitan Lisbon, crossing Oxford Street, Camden Town or Victoria station without harm can be quite a challenge.

Then you start to get used to it. And just accept the fact that you will never meet a close friend on the street by chance, and that the old lady in the bus will never start talking to you about her life, showing you pictures of her grandchildren. By the time you reach the supermarket and can't find the fresh fish you're used to and discover you will never get to know your neighbours, find any stores open until 8pm and can't pay your bills for free on a cash machine, you start to feel homesick. That's when, for the first time in your life, you acknowledge you have something different the others don't have: you have Portuguese roots.

lisbon Ah, Portugal. The nation with the oldest frontiers in Europe, the country that explored new lands and navigated all around the world between the XV and the XVIIth centuries, creating a great empire. The land of "fado" - the melancholic traditional song -, good beaches, sun and great hospitality. But also the country that suffered from 40 years of dictatorship in the XXth century, making us the poorest in Western Europe. Full democracy is recent and came with the 25th April revolution in 1974. Hard to believe we were once a great power.

However, we never stopped exploring. We are just 10 million people in our country, but far more around the world. Going abroad is written in our genes, and we even have a word for missing our country and the people we love: "saudade". As true immigrants, we like to say you can find a Portuguese everywhere you go. London is no exception.

Go to Stockwell, also known as Little Portugal, and you will find yourself wondering if you are really in London. Portuguese people everywhere, Portuguese shops with Portuguese brands, Portuguese cafes with Portuguese TV and Portuguese restaurants - where you can enjoy the typical "bacalhau", the salt dry cod that is the main star in Portuguese cuisine.

On a Sunday, when you can only find things open on the main high streets in London, Lambeth Road will be busy with natives from Portugal sitting outside and enjoying a Sagres or a Super Bock, the national beers. But not only Portuguese: the Brazilian community can also be found here. After all, there's a whole ocean separating Portugal from Brazil, but a common language makes us much closer, especially when in a foreign country. As our great poet from the XX century, Fernando Pessoa, said: "My nation is the Portuguese language".

cafe lisboa However, if you prefer a more international environment, head to the other side of town. Next to Portobello Road, in Golborne Road, you will find the Lisboa Patisserie. Again, it will be packed, not only with Portuguese but with a lot of Londoners from any part of the world. If you can't find a place inside, don't worry: you can drink your "galão", our version of latte, outside. This is perfect place to ask for a "pastel de nata" - out famous egg custard tarts - and a "bica" - the Portuguese espresso. We always say you can't find coffee like ours anywhere in the world, but I guess that's not true. You just have to look closer.

But don't ever think about asking for a "bica" on the other side of the street, in Café O'Porto. There you have to ask for a "cimbalino", unless you want to be seen as the enemy. The rivalry between Portugal's two main cities, Lisbon and Oporto, is old and connected to football clubs. But in the end, we all support together the national team.

So even if you're not really interested in immersing yourself in the Portuguese community in London and would rather take a more cosmopolitan approach to the city, prepare yourself to feel emotional - and proud - whenever you hear someone speaking Portuguese or see something related to Portugal. I guess that's what feels like being a foreigner: realising how much of your country you have in you.

Did you know?

UK and Portugal share the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world. It was signed in 1373, back in the Middle Ages, and despite both counties being members of the EU and NATO, the alliance is still in force.
There's 365 ways to cook "bacalhau", one for each day of the year. To find it in London, look in the Portuguese supermarket at Golbourne Road.
The Douro Valley, in the North of Portugal, is well known for its Port, a unique sweet wine usually served after meals with cheese or dessert and still made with traditional techniques. The name comes from Oporto, the city where the wine is aged in the "caves" (cellars). In the XVII century, Port became very popular in England, and the English started to get involved in its trade.
The 1974 revolution is also called the Carnation Revolution. The name comes from the flowers that people started to put in the soldiers' guns.
Following the steps of the late Amalia, the best fado singer ever, Mariza started to conquer audiences all over the world, including the UK. She was one of the performers in Live Aid, in 2005.
Although not entirely Portuguese in origin and cuisine, Nando's food chain has incorporated the Portuguese theme, having the Barcelos rooster as symbol.
Fly London shoes are actually Portuguese. You can find them on sale in trendy places like Camden Lock.
English football has welcomed Portuguese stars: José Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Carvalho are the most well known.

MUSIC: The world must discover urgently A Naifa, a band rooted in fado but looking into the future. I would also recommend the great Carlos Paredes if you like Portuguese guitar. For more contemporary sounds, try singer songwriter J.P.Simões or Wray Gunn for rock with a blues flavour. And, if you dare, check Buraka Som Sistema for dance music with African influences and Moonspell for heavy metal sounds. PLACES: If you want to avoid the British spots in the Algarve, I would definitely recommend the Southwest coast: great and quiet coastline in a protected area. Go to Sintra, close to Lisbon, for a magical village or Gerês in the North for amazing mountain landscapes. FOOD: Caldo verde (green cabbage soup) and grilled sardines with peppers in the summer. LITERATURE: Vergílio Ferreira, Alexandre O'Neill and José Saramago are some of the best XX century writers. ART: Paula Rego is well known to the UK audience. You can find her paintings in galleries like Saatchi and Tate.

Rita (far left) with European Commission President Barroso Rita Guerreiro worked as a journalist in Lisbon for five years. She studied Communication at University but after a trip to Greece decided that she wanted to know more about Europe. She is a post-graduate in European Studies and is currently finishing an internship at the European Commission Representation in the UK as a press officer. In future, she hopes to continue her European adventure, working in an international organisation with a multicultural team.