Bermudians have the chance to taste "a little bit of Portugal" on board a Portuguese tall ship tomorrow.

After a 21-day voyage from the Canary Islands, the Portuguese Navy's tall ship arrived in Dockyard yesterday, just in time for tomorrow's National Portuguese Day celebrations. The vessel has a crew of more than 1,000 and will stay in Dockyard until tomorrow when she moves to Hamilton.

Yesterday the ship's captain, Commander Antonio Carrilho, invited local dignitaries on board for lunch ? Culture Minister Dale Butler, Opposition MP Trevor Moniz, Hamilton Mayor Lawson Mapp, Portuguese Counsel to the US Silvino Rebeiro, Vasco de Gama Bermuda president Tony DaCosta, Edward DeMello, Robert Pires and Edward Harris.

Following the lunch, Cdr. Carrilho said: "I would like to say to the Portuguese community to please pay us a visit. This is a really a little bit of Portugal. We would love to see them here and visit with them when the ship is open."

This is not Cdr. Carrilho's first visit to Bermuda. He came here in 1976 on a "small yacht" and thought that it was a "paradise on earth".

The was incorporated into the Portuguese navy in 1962 after being built in Brazil. Since then she has been used as a training ship, providing hands-on experience for cadets as a compliment to the technical and academic studies they receive at the Naval Academy.is also used to carry out ambassadorial duties. Since her launch, she has visited 113 ports in 45 countries and has completed two world circumnavigations. Her current voyage kicked off from Lisbon in May and will take her to Newport, Rhode Island, Norfolk and Baltimore before returning to Portimao in southern Portugal.

Visitors can board the from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and again from 2 to 6.30 p.m. each day until next Wednesday, when the vessel leaves for Newport, Rhode Island.