The Art of Lisbon: Azulejos, Pastéis de Nata & Design Inspiration from the Borealis
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
- Saint Augustine (354–430 AD), theologian & philosopher
All Hands on Deck!
I’ll never forget stepping aboard the Fred. Olsen Borealis at Liverpool Docks. For the next few days, this beautiful ship would become our floating home, carrying us across the Celtic Sea, past the Bay of Biscay, and on to Portugal.
Like kids in a sweet shop, we wandered from deck to deck, taking in the art, objects and atmosphere. Everywhere you turned, there was something eclectic: Japanese warrior statues, delicate ship models, and even a grand portrait of the three Olsen brothers who founded the line in 1848. The piece that stopped me in my tracks, though, was a mural-sized painting of stormy seas and ancient ships — a reminder of how closely art and travel are tied to human imagination.
The Ship as Inspiration
The Borealis itself became an unexpected design lesson. From the Observatory Lounge with its panoramic windows (and reclining chairs that occasionally caught passengers off guard - one poor woman reclined so fast she wore her gin and tonic!) to the Morning Light Pub with its glowing hearth and cosy board games, the décor blended history with comfort. It was a reminder that spaces tell stories - something I always carry into my creative work.
Even meals became a form of performance art. Behind the scenes, chefs presented dishes for sign-off at the “tasting table” - a daily ritual of precision, creativity, and collaboration. From sticky-plum roast duck to jewel-like desserts, it felt like watching an edible exhibition unfold.
Behind the scenes at the Borealis galley: the chefs’ ‘tasting table,’ where every dish was presented like art before making it to our plates. Creativity, precision, and a dash of theatre.
Waking Up in Lisbon
There’s something surreal about going to sleep with the sound of the sea outside your cabin and waking up to an entirely new country. I stepped out onto our balcony and there it was: Lisbon rising in the morning light.
Our tour began in the historic Belém district, a place many people ask about when visiting Lisbon. If you’ve ever wondered what azulejos are or where to see the best ones in Lisbon, Belém is the perfect starting point. The glazed ceramic tiles are everywhere - once a practical (and inexpensive) way to rebuild after the devastating 1755 earthquake, today they’re admired as intricate works of art. So, why are azulejos so important in Portugal? Beyond their beauty, they tell stories of faith, history, and everyday life, turning whole streets into living galleries. I even picked up handmade coaster replicas from a local market - a small but meaningful way of bringing Portuguese craft back home.
Inside the Jerónimos Monastery, sunlight poured across stone archways carved with pineapples, corn, and artichokes - “exotic” foods discovered by Portuguese explorers like Prince Henry the Navigator. To me, this was design at its most powerful: history, culture, and creativity etched into stone.
From there, we visited the Monument of Discoveries on the edge of the Tagus River.It’s one of Lisbon’s most famous landmarks, and visitors often wonder what the Monument of Discoveries represents. Built as a towering ode to Portugal’s Age of Exploration, it stands beside a giant marble compass and world map mosaic. Standing there, I couldn’t help but feel the pull of both geography and design - patterns laid into stone, telling stories of journeys that shaped the world.
Pastéis de Nata & Coffee Breaks
Of course, no Lisbon adventure is complete without pastéis de nata (custard tarts). We didn’t just eat them - we learned how to bake them in a workshop at the Cooking Lisbon Culinary School (aprons included!). This was part of our Fred. Olsen tour, and it turned out to be such a fun way to connect food, culture, and travel. Paired with a glass of Taylor’s port and rich coffee, it was the perfect end to our day.
Ever wondered why Portuguese custard tarts are called pastéis de nata? The name simply means “pastries of cream,” and they originated with monks at the Jerónimos Monastery, who used leftover egg yolks to create the rich custard filling we know today.
Because no blog about Lisbon would be complete without them, I’ve included the recipe below as a recipe card you can save or print. Just click the banner image below to open the full PDF. If you give it a try, I’d love to see your creations - share your photos and tag me @foxkay.designs.
Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry
- 250ml whole milk
- 250ml double cream
- 175g sugar
- 40g plain flour
- 2 lemons (zest only)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 egg yolks
- Butter (for greasing)
- Muffin tins (makes 8 tarts)
Method
Prepare the pastry: Slice your puff pastry roll into 1 cm discs. Place one in each muffin tin and press gently outward with your thumb until it reaches the edges. (Tip: wet your thumb to help spread the pastry more easily.) Chill while you make the custard.
Mix the base: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Gradually add the milk, then the cream. Stir in lemon zest and a cinnamon stick to infuse.
Cook the custard: Transfer mixture to a saucepan and simmer gently over medium heat, stirring often. It should thicken slightly but stay pourable. Remove from heat and strain out the zest and cinnamon.
Cool completely: Place the custard in an ice bath or refrigerate until cooled.
Add the eggs & fill: Whisk in egg yolks once cooled. Pour into pastry cases, leaving a little room at the top so they don’t spill in the oven.
Bake & enjoy: Bake at 250 °C / 480 °F (or as hot as your oven allows) for 10–15 minutes until the tops are caramelised and the pastry golden. Serve warm with coffee or a splash of port.
From Ship to Shore: Design Stories Intertwined
Throughout the journey, the Borealis seemed to echo Lisbon’s spirit of design. Onboard, Fred. Olsen’s eclectic collection told stories through Japanese armour, maritime murals, and portraits of seafaring pioneers. Every hallway was like a gallery, a reminder that travel and art have always been inseparable.
Stepping ashore in Lisbon, I found that same storytelling spirit woven into the city’s fabric. Where the ship used paintings, carvings and statues, Lisbon used tiles, stone and mosaics. Both spaces - one afloat, one anchored in history - carried design as a way of recording memory, celebrating culture, and inviting us to pause and look closer.
After a day wandering Lisbon’s tiles and streets, we returned to the Borealis just in time to watch another ship sail into the sunset.
A Designer’s Eye in Lisbon
In Lisbon, inspiration waits at every corner:
Textures of ancient stone walls, smoothed by centuries.
Patterns of azulejos, each tile a tiny work of art.
Mosaics of black-and-white cobblestones, recycled from earthquake rubble.
Symbols etched in marble, maps pointing to voyages long past.
The detail that stayed with me most was the colour palette of the city. Lisbon feels perfectly neutral at its core - earthy stone tones forming a calm backdrop - but look closer and you notice subtle layers: pale pinks running through the marble of the compass mosaic, golden accents shimmering against the warm neutrals, soft blues glinting on the tiles. It’s a palette I can’t wait to explore further in my own work, and one that will certainly find its way into a Portuguese-inspired pattern collection.
Lisbon showed me that art isn’t only in museums - it’s in streets, pavements, pastries, and ports. My camera roll is overflowing with motifs, palettes, and textures that I know will one day spill into design.
Come Behind the Scenes
This journey through Portugal is just the beginning. From Lisbon’s azulejos to Madeira’s gardens, the textures, colours and stories I’ve gathered are already finding their way into sketchbooks and early pattern ideas.
If you’d like to see how travel moments become designs - from first scribbles to finished collections - I share it all over on Instagram.
Follow @foxkay.designs for behind-the-scenes process, new pattern launches, and more travel-inspired creativity.
