What’s black and white and red all over?

Porto's black and white tiled streets invite people to inject their own vibrant pop of colour

Atlantic winds and rain whip through the streets of Portugal’s second city, bringing the distinctive black and white mosaic of the tiled streets to glossy life.

But a bit of rain never stopped the vivacious people of Porto taking to the streets, vividly coloured umbrellas defiantly in hand as they navigate tiny and huge galleries, unique craft and designer shops and mouth-watering restaurants.

Red is a hot favourite set against the huge geometric punctuation of the street tiles, but blue gets much more than a look in too, with buildings telling stories in huge blue azulejo tiled designs.

São Bento station combines black & white tiled flooring with 20,000 blue and white azulejo tiles telling vivid stories from Portuguese history.

Prince Henry the Navigator’s conquest of Septa might not be exactly what you’d want on your own wall, but if you’re intrepid enough a little azulejo could help you tell your own story.