Nowadays, some people like to steal old tiles off buildings and sell them at black markets or at fairs, but the national government has been adding more regulations to help protect this national treasure.
The azulejos are probably my favorite thing about Portugal. There seem to be an infinite number of combinations of shapes, patterns and colors, and every piece of tile appears unique. I personally love the classic blue and white tiles, but my absolute favorites are the colorful, textured tiles that you can find in some older Portuguese buildings. The creators of these marvels might have a fear of empty spaces, but they were not afraid of filling those spaces with beautiful things.
