The NATIONAL AZULEJO MUSEUM. .....Getting there was part of the adventure. The museum, located in what was once a convent built in 1509, was far removed from the center of Lisbon. Maybe the nuns did that on purpose? I had a map with vague directions, but I didn't know which bus stop I should use. I got off close to the train station, guessed it wasn't far enough out of town, and hopped back on the next bus. When I descended at the next stop, there were two sets of tourists with maps in hand. I've traveled enough to know what to do under these circumstances. I just followed them until we arrived at the museum.

MARTIN

The museum housed over 7,000 pieces of ceramic tiles dating back to the 15th century. One panel, 75 feet long (23 meters) depicted the cityscape of Lisbon in 1738 - that's before the famous earthquake. To make that, the artists used over 1300 tiles. However, I found the Baroque chapel even more impressive. It had the paintings in fancy gilt frames covering walls and ceiling that you would expect, but even this chapel included section of the walls decorated in blue and white tiles. The view from the choir loft in the rear was breathtaking. There was no doubt in my mind why this building was selected to house the national museum.

MARTIN