The World Expo and Oceanarium

After a few days of cobblestone streets, historical town squares, and intricately tiled buildings, we headed over to the modern side of Lisbon.  In 1998, Lisbon hosted the World Expo which sparked a renewal of a coastal area north east of central Lisbon.  A cable car was strung, steel and glass buildings were built, and the second largest aquarium tank in the world was filled. Post-expo, the area was named Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations) and has been a gathering place since then for locals and tourists alike.

 Cable cars drifting overhead between the boardwalk and the five star hotel area.

Taking the cable car with the Oceanarium in the background.

View from the cable car of the boardwalk that winds over the water.

Some of the surrounding buildings, the stadium to the right and a long line of flags from around the world.

Taking in the serene view of cable cars, clouds, and water. 

The animals in the Oceanarium are so pampered.  Regular seawater just won't do.  The seawater here is custom made. Salt is imported from Israel and is mixed with fresh water to achieve the perfect marine environment.  

Okay, we were just expecting an assortment of the usual underwater crowd, but were pleasantly surprised to find a few surface dwellers too.  Here's a Common Murre.  The enclosures are open, and this guy was just sitting by the viewing area.  

There were also quite a few penguins sleeping...

...and waddling about.

 The ultimate favorite for us were the adorable Atlantic Puffins!  The're about the size of a small duck and super cute.