Kind of funny, really - we were in Lisbon getting ready to go on a cruise. My wife uses a walker…read moreand one of the parts got lost somewhere. I needed a bolt, two washers, and a wingnut. So...first problem: what the heck do they call hardware stores in Portugal? Figured that out, found this one, Uber to the door. Once inside, nobody spoke English (thank goodness for Google Translate!), and they keep all the loose bits in the back room - the staff has to go get whatever you want. So I kept this poor fellow busy for about 15 minutes figuring out what I needed and what sizes. He got it together, spent a couple minutes on his computer, came back to me: 41 cents. We both laughed, I went on my way and completed the repair. Nice guys, good work, very helpful and patient with tourists!

We stopped by a few days into our trip and ran into the proprietor who explained how the tiles are…read morefound and acquired for the shop. Today we went back to find a piece to bring home, and the staff were kind, going out of their way to assist us. When we found the piece we wanted to purchase, they packed it in bubble wrap and told us more about that particular piece in the 16th century. Mind you, we only spent about $150 euros. The staff made it a very high level experience. Highly recommend!!

I scoured the city for a nice tile, one that would catch my eye AND one that was an antique. I…read morefound it here. They have an impressive selection and the owners were friendly and helpful. If you're a tourist like me and unwilling to shell out 100+ euros for a REAL antique, there's a bargain bin up front -- 10, 15, and 25 euros selection. I finally found a 15 euro one that I was very happy with! They also inform you on the age period of the tiles, which I appreciated.