HIDDEN in a corner of a one-way street in Coloane Town Square, and flanked by a roundabout and a tree with two stone tables where locals sat talking, the nondescript shop just blended into the landscape.

Portuguese egg tarts from Lord Stow's Bakery.

Looks, after all, aren't everything. This was the famous Lord Stow's Bakery which sells the original Portuguese egg tarts that have spawned imitations all over Singapore.

Our guide quickly positioned herself at the queue and told us firmly that every one of us had to try a tart or two each. The smell of warm, buttery tarts that floated past us made it easy for us - a group of 10 women - not to offer any resistance.

The shop was crowded, and at around four in the afternoon, locals were bumping against each other to purchase the tea-time snack. When the tarts arrived, we sank our teeth into the scrumptious pastries that lived up to their reputation of being the 'original' egg tarts.

Every day, the bakery sells 3,000 fresh egg tarts, baked on the premises. Each tart sells for MOP$6 (S$1.20) and the shop has been selling them since it opened for business in 1990.

Show-and-tell

Besides the authentic Macanese and Portuguese-influenced food we tasted, part of the trip was spent understanding the history and heritage of Macau, evident in the well-preserved traditional architectural landscape of Senado Square, a shopping area, and the ruins of St Paul's, Macau's Vatican City that was home to Jesuit priests during the early 17th century. It is now a United Nations Heritage World site.

Much of the talk these days focuses on Macau becoming the Las Vegas of Asia. These developments are well underway, and fill the city landscape with much to rave and talk about.

What is left unspoken, but remains very much visible within the community, is Macau's museums that befit its interesting history and origins. Today, Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of 'one country, two systems'.

Macau's museums are a good show-and-tell. One particularly impressive one was the Handover Gifts Museum of Macau that houses precious treasures meant as gifts to celebrate the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative region.

These gifts were prepared by the 56 ethnic groups of the Chinese nation, and were presented to Macau when it was returned to China in 1997.

The Wine Museum invokes the colonial Portuguese era, when there was a strong culture of enjoying wines.

The museum showcases up to 100 utensils connected with viniculture and wine production, and discusses the social, cultural and economic importance of wine to the Portuguese. I walked out with a beautiful bottle of port enclosed in a glass case.

The Maritime Museum of Macau, is strategically located on the Square of the Barra Pagoda, dedicated to the Taoist Goddess A-Ma, believed to be the protector of fishermen.

The spot where the museum is located is also believed to be the place where the Portuguese first landed. Today, the building that houses the museum resembles a sailing ship and is anchored in the waters of the Inner Harbour.

HOT WHEELS: Vintage race cars and other memorabilia in The Grand Prix Museum.

The museum has archived the traditions and way of life of the South China fishermen, and traces the great discovery trips that were part of the maritime history of China and Portugal.

Racing fans will love The Grand Prix Museum. Created by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix, race cars that competed in and won the Guia Circuit in Macau, have been beautifully preserved by the MGTO along with photographs, literature, trophies and other pieces of memorabilia related to the Grand Prix.

A museum pass entitles visitors to a one-time free entry within a period of five days to each of the following museums: The Grand Prix, Wine, Maritime and three other museums, the Lin Zexu Museum, the Museum of Art and the Museum of Macau.

The pass costs MOP$25 (S$5) for adults, and MOP$12 (S$2.40) for children under 18 years old and seniors over 60.

Photos: Daphne Lee

The trip was sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office and Tiger Airways.