Soon after arriving in Portugal you may identify that chimneys play a valued role in the countries architecture. Perhaps first you will note that many houses have multiple decorative chimneys, and then you might become smitten by the craftsmanship, and artistic element of those chimneys.
Eventually though, one way or another, you are more likely than not to come to wonder what this abundance of, and attention to chimneys and their appearance is all about. Why would one small home require upwards of four chimneys, and can they all be functioning? Well, turns out that quite often only one of the chimneys is in fact functional at all. The others are merely considered a status symbol if you will, and thus only decorative in nature. Just one more curiousity that I adore so much about Portugal. For in my opinion, it is a place in which you may have to look closer to see the cultural elements, and some historical features, but they are here nonetheless, you can rest assured when it comes to that. Sure, you can still see carts with donkeys driven in the fields working the day away, and many other traditional elements are more obvious, but it is those that require a second glance that interest me the most.