Presépio com Vista para o Canal: Parque das Nações

Showing posts with label Parque das Nações. Show all posts

Friday, 2 November 2012

Lisbon, Parque das Nações

Welcome to the Parque das Nações!

This lively leisure, commercial, and residential area of Lisbon is beautifully located next to the River Tagus Estuary. The Expo '98 World Exhibition was held here after a huge recovering process of the area during the 1990s . "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future" was the theme of Expo '98. The aim: to commemorate the 500 years of Portuguese discoveries.
In the photo below, Gil, the mascot of Expo '98. The name was chosen in honor of the Portuguese navigator Gil Eanes, who, in 1434, sailed beyond Cape Bojador in Africa, until then impassable.

From Férias Portugal 2012

This is one of the several volcano fountains in the park

From Férias Portugal 2012

Love it!

From Férias Portugal 2012

One of my favorite Parque das Nações spots: The Water Gardens ( Jardins da Água )

From Férias Portugal 2012

Lisbon Oceanarium (Oceanário de Lisboa), the largest indoor Aquarium in Europe, designed by Peter Chermayeff, the same architect of Osaka Oceanarium, the largest aquarium in the world. In the photo below, Vasco, the Lisbon's Oceanarium mascot.

From Férias Portugal 2012

In Lisbon's Oceanarium central tank, you will find about 100 species from around the world, including sharks, rays, tuna, barracudas, groupers and moray eels. One of the main attractions is a large Sunfish. Around the main tank, there are four more tanks, representing different world environments: the North Atlantic rocky coast, the Antarctic coastal line, the Temperate Pacific kelp forests and the Tropical Indian coral reefs.

From Férias Portugal 2012

If you want to enjoy the amazing view of the Tagus River and of the largest bridge in Europe - Vasco da Gama Bridge - I strongly recommend you a trip in the Parque das Nações cable car (teleférico).

From Férias Portugal 2012

From Lisboa 2011

Finally, if you want to discover more sights of Lisbon, take your train in Parque das Nações, at Oriente Station (Gare do Oriente). Designed by Santiago Calatrava, it's one of the largest stations in the world.

In Oriente Station, you'll find a Metro station, a high-speed, commuter and regional train hub and a local, national and international bus station, as well as a shopping center, named after Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India through the sea (1498).

The view of Gare do Oriente from Vasco da Gama Shopping Center

From Férias Portugal 2012

I have enjoyed a splendid day in Parque das Nações with my goddaughter, her mother and her sister. I'm sure you will enjoy it too, if you want to visit it one day!

Back in 1998, it was like this...Have fun!

Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Holidays in Portugal

I almost wasn't able to go to Portugal last September. My cat Fofinho has been very ill,demanding constant care and attention. This time, we couldn't ask our neighbors to take care of him. Too much work and responsibility...

So, my husband stayed here with him and I managed to go to Portugal to visit my mother, the family and a couple of friends.

My mother's health has been worse - she has many difficulties to walk and a lot of pain in her back and legs- and I wanted to spend some time with her and take some measures to make her life easier and comfortable.

I arrived in Portugal very tired since I hadn't been sleeping very much due to my cat's situation. I wasn't feeling very relaxed either, fearing that something might happen to Fofinho while I was in Portugal and my husband would have to deal alone with some unpleasant and painful situation. The expectations given by the vet were very bad...

My stay in Portugal was a bit depressing since I found some of my friends and relatives facing serious economical troubles.Every year I go to Portugal, the economical situation looks worse than before. Some of my friends have lost their jobs, other needed to close their businesses, etc, etc...

Meanwhile, we almost lost Fofinho during my short stay there, but since I arrived to the NL, he looks better.Let's see how it goes. I keep going with all the treatments. Soon, I will write a post all about it.

I have so many things on my mind now- I feel like I have two lives, one here, one there- that my mood for blogging has been very low.I 'm now trying, for example, to understand all the new rules and taxes of the Portuguese State Budget 2013, so I can explain to my mother in the best possible way how she will be affected by all this mess. The economical situation in Portugal is critical than ever and this time, she will lose a considerable deal of money that could be used, for example, in thermal treatments or to help paying someone to take good care of her at home a couple years from now.

Nevertheless, Portugal is still for me the most beautiful country in the world, and for some moments, I was able to forget all my fears and worries...:-)

Portugal, September 2012

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