Monday, January 17, 2011

Tiles of Portugal


I ended my last blog in this very square as we were saying goodbye to Sintra, Portugal. The restaurant with blue walls is typical of the culture of Portugal--completely tiled in vibrant blue. For 5 centuries, the Portuguese have been making beautiful tiles, highly influenced by the Moors, Spanish and Italians through the years.



Typically referred to as azulejos, tiles are found both inside and outside of buildings,



decorating fountains,



courtyards,



floors,



and walls.



You can't walk down the road without seeing beautifully crafted tiles everywhere you look, from the sublime, as in palaces and churches to the common in train and subway stations.



They are pieces of art,



signs identifying your path,



part of royal decor,



and story tellers.






I leave you with two of my favorite angels and a wish that your travels take you to the charming country of Portugal someday soon.

8 comments:

  1. you are invited to follow my blog

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  2. Love these tiles! They put the one we have around here to shame. Thanks for these pictures.

    Have a happy day!

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  3. I know they have some fabulous finds in Portugal! Oven wares and dishes too...hope you are taking some of these beauties home with you! I just love reading what you are up to next!!!! Have fun!

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  4. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!! Your photos are GORGEOUS!!!!

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  5. Loved both of these posts on Portugal. Have never even thought about going there, perhaps I should! Beautiful destination, obviously. I think Hal had a stopover in Lisbon on one of his Navy cruises long, long ago!

    Glad you liked my Monday Melody. Mary C Carpenter has a new album I discovered yesterday when researching that song ... my kind of music!

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  6. Hi Debi , I don't know what has gone wrong but I know I left a comment on here. I have never been to Portugal but would love to ..I love the Spanish style , and the tiles are wonderful.. :-) Happy weekend hope you have fun :-)

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