After a late night with great cuisine and laughter with dear comrades, this display of mandolins was spotted at the Vila Gale Opera Hotel in Lisbon Portugal. The colors revealed by the lights and the smooth surface reflections on the instruments bring this composition to life. In my travels - from Macau and Mombasa to Maui - I have become more and more amazed at the far-reaching influence of the Portuguese over the centuries. One can order Portuguese donuts in Hawaii and in Rhode Island using the same magical word - ‘malasada.’