With so much history, diversity for us often reveals itself through what is built and what is consumed. Architecture and food offer a way in as a useful starting points from which to look a little deeper.

At the southwestern edge of Europe sit Spain and Portugal, neighbouring nations shaped by both shared pasts and long-held distinctions. The Iberian Union briefly bound them under one crown, though each retained its own language and customs. The separation that followed left differences intact, evident in pace, habit, and sensibility. It is not unfamiliar to those of us in Singapore, where proximity has never meant uniformity.Much of this became apparent at the table. Meals extended beyond necessity, bread spread with tomatoes, olives in all colours and sizes, a constant flow of aperitifs, wine, and beer. The day gathered itself ever so slowly toward dinner often arriving neck full. After time spent moving through Spain, arrival in Porto brought a subtle shift, certain habits, once formed, were quietly missed.Before leaving San Sebastián, we visited Chillida Leku, dedicated to Eduardo Chillida. Rain held us inside the Zabalaga Farmhouse longer than intended. In that pause, a conversation with the curator turned into an unplanned, private introduction to the works. Only then did it become clear how many of Chillida’s sculptures we had jogged pass every morning without notice as they lay on display amongst the landscape. A recommendation is to jog the stunning coast of this little town and marvel at some of his public works with some of the fastest men and women we have encountered.The final stretch moved between Porto and Lisbon. The accommodations were generous, the views expansive, the weather less so. A cooked but semi cold fish dish lead to Illness which shortened the days, though impressions continued to form in the background often measured against what came before. First impressions, when too easily formed, tend to invite revision. A return we must.Since beginning the business, the line between travel and work has thinned and it's stands true. Along the way, we encountered dealers in antiquities, sources of vintage, and individuals committed to their craft, threads that will surface in the store in time to come.To travel, in this sense, is to accept a certain lack of knowledge. One reads, observes, prepares but understanding only upon arrival, always through locals. It is perhaps the most reliable way to begin by reminding oneself that you know nothing.If you are well verse with this region, we would love to hear from you.
It is a place we will revisit for its manageable size and deep culture.