Exploring Lisbon

[caption id="attachment_7314" align="alignnone" width="750"] A view of the Park of Nations, Lisbon[/caption] Few international exhibitions have had as elegant an afterlife as Lisbon’s Expo ’98. Its site – on the northeastern bank of the River Tagus – is now the vibrant city suburb known as ‘Parque das Nações’, or Park of Nations. The area is home to some 22,000 residents, as well as luxury hotels, restaurants, museums, art galleries, shops and the International Fair of Lisbon. Buildings designed for Expo ’98 are among the architectural highlights of the area. Outstanding among those buildings is the Gare do Oriente, a major transportation hub. Elevated train tracks are crowned by a distinctive grove of metal and glass “trees”, dramatically lit at night. The work of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, Gare do Oriente incorporates a metro station, a high-speed commuter and regional train hub, a local, national, and international bus station, shops and a food hall. During Expo ’98 the station also served as an exhibition venue and is still used for the occasional fair. An underground passageway links the station to the Vasco da Gama shopping centre opposite, as does a pedestrian road at street level. The entrance to the present day shopping centre was once the main entrance to Expo ’98. A walk through the boat-shaped mall leads out to the reflecting pool that was a highlight of the event, and where flags still fly. The two towers flanking the shopping centre are residential and commercial buildings built in 2000 and 2004. They are named San Gabriel and San Rafael after twin ships in Vasco da Gama’s armada. The ‘flying saucer’ building to the left of the fringe of flagpoles is the MEO Arena, Portugal’s largest indoor arena. Designed by Portuguese architect Regino Cruz, it is partially below ground and holds up to 20,000 spectators under its giant dome. During Expo ’98, the building was called the Pavilion of Utopia and housed the spectacle "Oceans and Utopias”. Renamed the Atlantic Pavilion and now MEO Arena, it hosts visiting bands and artists, as well as a variety of other major events. To check what’s on, visit the website at: arena.meo.pt A short walk from the MEO, is the Garcia de Orta Garden, named after a 16th Century Portuguese doctor who studied and classified Asian plants. Its vegetation represents the regions of the world explored by the Portuguese during the Age of Discovery. One idea is to combine a tour of the Park of Nations with a one-hour jog. Run in Portugal offers a “Modern Lisbon City Run” with a runner-guide. Tours leave from the Vasco da Gama shopping centre at 9.00, 10.00, 19.00 and 20.00, or you can book one to suit your own schedule. For details, see: www.runinportugal.com 3 to note  Average October temperatures:14-22 degrees C Currency: Euro International airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport Tops tips for other Park of Nations sights: The Oceanarium, built on a pier in an artificial lagoon in the Park of Nations, is home to 450 marine species.The main exhibit alone showcases 100 varieties of fish.  Its largest tank, a 1000-square metre tank, is seven metres deep. Tanks around the large central tank house four different habitats with their native flora and fauna. The largest indoor aquarium in Europe, it is one of the few to exhibit an ocean sunfish. The Oceanarium was among the most popular attractions at Expo 98 and still counts over a million visitors each year. To avoid the queues, buy a ticket online via the Oceanarium website at: www.oceanario.pt or by the automated ticket vending machine on the side of the building. The Oceanarium is open 10.00 to 19.00 daily, with the last entry at 18.00. The aptly named Telecabine cable car loops between the Oceanarium and the iconic Vasco da Gama Tower, now part of the Myriad hotel. Literally a “hop on, hop off” procedure, the Telecabine makes its continuous round trip without halting. It’s a short journey but it offers great views of the Vasco da Gama bridge and of the Park of Nations like an artist’s impression far below. Tickets are available for a return trip or one way and must be purchased at one of the ticket offices on the northern and southern terminals prior to the trip. The cable car functions every day with hours varying by season, but operates from 11.00 until 19.00 at the time of the ESCRS Congress in October 2017. Website: www.telecabinelisboa.pt. The Vasco da Gama Bridge, inaugurated in 1989, is the backdrop to the Park of Nations.  At 17.3 kilometres in length, it is the longest in Europe, spanning the River Tagus at its widest part, known as the “Mar de Palha,” or Sea of Straw. The structure was designed to last 120 years, to withstand wind speeds of 250 km/h and to survive an earthquake 4.5 times stronger than the 1755 Lisbon earthquake – which is estimated to have been 8.7 on the Richter Scale. Environmental pressure to preserve the marshes under the bridge resulted in the left-bank viaducts being extended inland while the lamp posts along the bridge are tilted inwards so as not to cast light on the river below.