Finding Blue and White Beauty in Portugal

Every month, one of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer, from The Pink Pagoda, coordinates a Blue and White Bash linking party, where fellow bloggers post about all things blue and white, from interior design to fashion to flowers. I think I may be the lone travel blogger in the bunch and, after a while, no doubt, I may run out of beautiful places to share that are blue and white. But until I run out, I am thrilled to join the party!

Today let's head to Portugal...a beautiful Mediterranean country famous for its colorful tile, quite often in blue and white...

Lisbon Trolley
via

In the 16th to the 19th century, the Portuguese began using azulejos to decorate important buildings such as churches, public buildings and the homes of the wealthy. The tiles were often used on the façade of buildings telling elaborate stories either from the Bible or of Portuguese history. They also decorate the walls inside the buildings in a way similar to Italian frescoes or mosaics. The tile was originally imported from Delft, but in the late 1600's the King of Portugal banned all imports of azulejos, forcing Portuguese artists to begin to create their own blue and white tile designs. The results are stunning...