At the risk of repeating myself, Portugal joined the civilised world at the beginning of January when it banned smoking in enclosed public spaces. What I find amazing, however, is that people are actually obeying the law. Portugal is (or was) a country of smokers. It seemed as if just about everyone here smoked. Portugal also has a café culture, and it seemed to be part of the ritual of life here to "tomar uma bica e fumar um cigarro". Most people -- certainly most non-Portuguese that I know who have more than just a passing acquaintance with this country -- believed the law would be widely ignored. But it isn't. Now I can have my morning torrada and galão and read my Público in a smoke-free environment, and I can reach my office at the university without having to run a gauntlet of chain-smoking students haunting the corridors. In fact, the students now go outside to smoke, meaning the corridors are not only smoke-free, but also student-free and noise-free. As for the men in this picture... one of them was playing with an unlit cigarette and looking around him to see if there was anyone there who might object if he lit up inside. I was watching him.