Travel Diary. Day 3. Lisbon Oceanarium.
As you can guess from the title, the third day of the trip was devoted to visiting the Lisbon Oceanarium. This attraction drew us not because it has Europe's largest aquarium, holding 5 million litres of sea water and simulating the ocean depths, and not because of its modern architecture or the vast and diverse grand exhibition of seabirds, fish, crabs, jellyfish, starfish, and other ocean inhabitants, but because of two species of flippered creatures - Magellanic penguins and Southern rockhopper penguins.
But the morning itself began with what I call "my ideal Portuguese breakfast," enjoyed at A Padaria Portuguesa (R. Gomes Freire 195, 1150-101 Lisboa). This is one of a chain of 60 cafés spread across all of Lisbon. There one can enjoy morning coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and freshly baked savoury and sweet pastries. On two consecutive mornings we treated ourselves to traditional puff pastry tarts Pastel de nata with custard filling, Caracol frutos secos - a sliced dough plait with dried fruits and nuts, Croquettes de carne - a fish croquette, Pastel de Bacalhau - a salt cod cake, and Rissóis de Camarão - a prawn pastry. All very delicious.
Then by metro on the Oriente line we went to a wide square where there is a large modern shopping centre Centro Vasco da Gama, exhibition centres, a promenade with an aerial tram, and the Oceanário de Lisboa (Esplanada Dom Carlos I s/nº, 1990-005 Lisboa). It consists of two buildings - the sea house and the ocean house. In the first, the eye is met by a large hall where one wall is covered with 55,000 blue-white tiles, the pattern forming fish silhouettes. There are the ticket desks and a temporary exhibition. The second building is built on piles on the water and at its centre is a gigantic aquarium - home to the main exhibition, including the penguins.
Tickets are most conveniently bought on the oceanarium's website to avoid queuing. The price of one adult ticket - 17.10 EUR. And one should allow at least three to four hours to see even at a fairly quick pace the entire exhibition, which is quite rich. From the large aquarium alone it is impossible to tear one's gaze away.
The small bridge to and from the oceanarium and the promenade are themselves worth a visit. Such spaciousness! At the centre of the square there is a water feature, along which on tall masts the flags of all the world's countries flutter in the wind (among them we found Latvia's too). Above the promenade runs the aerial tram Telecabine, with which one can ride above the Tagus River. Worth riding there and back (price per person 6 EUR), as a view opens up of the Lisbon panorama and the mind-bogglingly long Ponte Vasco da Gama (bridge length more than 12 km).
Dinner was at a quite pleasant Portuguese restaurant next to our lodging - Restaurante NOSSA LISBOA (Rua Joaquim Bonifácio 20 A, Lisbon). If with your meal you wish to sample the house wine by the carafe, simply ask for "vinho à jarro" - you will only need to choose "tinto" or "blanco." And the evening was a success!
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