Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam: Cruising with a Dutch of class

Lisbon, Portugal: One of Europe’s finest capitals and a wonderful day out on a cruise call.

A 20-minute stroll took me the main Comércio square hugging the Tagus estuary with its fine arch, statue of King Jose I and vintage trams rattling past.

From it I headed up Rua Augusta, the city’s relaxed equivalent of Barcelona’s Rambla. It’s full of famous brand stores and individual shops, interspersed with bakeries and restaurants.

Don’t miss a chance to try a pastel de nata, the fabled Portuguese custard tart (around 90 cents); the bakery I stopped in produces 9,000 a day.

You can also try another Portuguese favourite, the bacalhau (dried salted cod) cake made with cheese, egg and potato. It’s often served with a white port tasting (around €8). A bit messy but delicious. Lisbon is hilly with several elevators and funiculars to tackle the inclines. The eye-catching wrought-iron Santa Justa lift is in a side street off Rua Augusta, but expect huge queues.

I headed up, up, up to Sao Jorge castle, a symbol of the city which has a 2,000 year history. The views are stupendous, there’s a museum, café, posh restaurant and ramparts (castelodesaojorge.pt/en/ €10).