Before becoming confined to a wheelchair, I had the privilege of working for many years in my dream job as the assistant manager of the gourmet food department in a wine and cheese shop. The pride and glory of the fromagerie was a floor to ceiling, open-air, cheese case, from which we hand cut to order, some of the finest artisan cheeses from around the world.
A customer from England, living and working in the Colonies, introduced me to the tradition of serving a plate of Stilton blue cheese, cracked walnuts, and a rich, ruby-red Port on Christmas afternoon.
And that, I must admit, is all I know about Portugal. I know where it is. I know the capital is Lisbon. I know they are a NATO ally. I know the official language of Brazil is Portuguese. I remember from grade school that Portugal lead the Enlightenment and the Age of Discovery. I recall that Portugal was one of the many countries that established a great maritime empire which waxed and waned throughout European history. We learned that Ferdinand Magellan, who first circumnavigated the globe, and Vasco da Gama, who opened the sea route to the Indian spice trade, were Portuguese.
And that's probably more than 99% of Americans could tell you.
Let's face it. Until recently, Portugal was not on my radar. I simply did not give it much thought. But I noticed that my blog has a new follower from Portugal. To me, that is amazing. I don't know if the reader is male or female, young or old, rich or poor. But you are certainly in good company. My blog is read across the continent from Ireland to Russia, and coincidentally, receives many page views from Brazil.
I simply want to say, thank you. I never dreamed that my blog would be read beyond the U.S. My gratitude is without bounds - or borders.
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