Tiled Facades - The Portuguese seem to have a natural affinity for ceramic tiles. Or, maybe they're just natural born exhibitionists. While the rest of the world was using tiles to decorate the interior walls of homes, they went for a bolder approach and used them to decorate the facades of buildings. In the 1950s, the transit authority began tiling the interior of metro stations in an effort to make them blend in more with life aboveground.The National Tile Museum is a unique gem housed in a gorgeous 16th century convent. It's the world's only museum dedicated to chronicling the history and evolution of this art form. Both the convent and the tiles it holds are fascinating, but the highlight is Portugal's longest tile composition. Depicting Lisbon before the earthquake of 1755, this magnificent work contains 1,300 tiles and measures 120 ft long.