Lisbon – Part 3

April 25, 2019:

Today we’re back in Lisbon, touring many sites: Oriente Train/Metro Station; Parque das Nações (site of Expo ‘98) and Vasco da Gama Bridge; Lisbon Oceanarium (Aquarium); Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara; Convent of São Pedro de Alcântara; and Shopping and a Wine Bar in the Principe Real District.

ORIENTE TRAIN STATION (GARE DO ORIENTE):

Oriente means “facing east” (unlike old town Lisbon where the River Tagus goes east to west, this part of the River Tagus goes north to south) – This impressive transportation hub ties together trains (to the Algarve and Évora), the Metro, and buses under a swooping concrete roof designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Oriente Train Station (Gare do Oriente)

Oriente Station Metro art:
The Orient Station Metro had lots of interesting street art…

Oriente Station Metro art

Facing the Oriente station east across the street is the…

Vasco da Gama Mall:
The inviting, soaring glass façade of Lisbon’s top shopping mall – originally the grand entrance to Expo ’98 – it was also designed by Calatrava (Open Daily, 9 am – midnight).

Vasco da Gama Mall

Exiting the mall at the far end from the train station, you’ll be smack-dab in the middle of the…

PARQUE DAS NAÇÕES (PARK OF NATIONS) AND VASCO GAMA BRIDGE:

First do an about face and view the Vasco da Gama Mall and new luxury condominiums next door.

Vasco da Gama Mall and luxury condominums next door

Expo Buildings:
There are still some buildings in use from the Expo ’98. The striped oval dome to the left, once the Atlantic Pavilion (Pavilhão Atlântico), is now an 18,000 seat concert hall.

Concert Hall

A pavilion to the right is used for art and museum exhibits.

Art and museum exhibits

Grand Esplanade:
The Grand Esplanade is lined by 155 flags – one for each country represented at Expo ’98 – The flags are arranged in alphabetical order, so the first ones are South Africa (Africa du Sol), Albania and Germany (Alemanha) – In the middle you’ll find the United States (Estados Unidos), Spain (Espanha), and Estonia side by side.

Grand Esplanade

United States Flag

Walk to the Vasco da Gama Bridge:
We’re now at the waterfront. The cable cars above go between the Oceanarium (Aquarium) and the Vasca da Gama Tower.

The waterfront

To our left is the Vasco da Gama Tower and the Vasco da Gama bridge. We took short walk along the waterfront to see them.

Vasco da Gama Tower

Art on the way

Vasco da Gama Tower and Vasco da Gama Bridge

We now did an about-face and walked south along the waterfront until we reached the…

Walking south along the waterfront

LISBON OCEANARIUM (AQUARIUM):

This Oceanarium is Europe’s largest aquarium – housed in what looking like a drilling platform or a big, modern ship at sea – the aquarium simulates four different oceanic underwater and shoreline environments, from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Indian to the Arctic.

LISBON OCEANARIUM (AQUARIUM)

We circled around the upper level, seeing surface dwellers from each climate (such as otters, puffins, penguins, and other sea birds).

Upper level surface dwellers

Then we headed downstairs and did another loop, this time seeing underwater creatures.

Underwater creatures

We now took an Uber to our next destination:

JARDIM AND CONVENT OF SÃO PEDRO DE ALCÃNTARA:

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara:
This small park, aka as the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, has a fountain and a statue, and a great view of Lisbon.

Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara

Fountain

The park has an interesting monument to the Portuguese writer, journalist and a founder of the “Diario de Noticias” newspaper, José Eduardo Coelho (1835-1889). This is the work of Portuguese scultor António da Costa Motta (1904). Notice the paperboy delivering papers at the base of the statue.

Monument to José Eduardo Coelho

Great views of Lisbon

Tuk-tuk parked along the park

Across the street from the park is the…

Convent of São Pedro de Alcântara:
São Pedro de Alcântara was a Franciscan monastery in the Bairro Alto district of Lisbon, founded in the late 17th century. It is a large Baroque building, with a highly decorated chapel.

Convent of São Pedro de Alcântara

The monastery was established by António Luís de Meneses, who promised to build the monastery if he prevailed in the Battle of Montes Claros. When the religious orders, convents, and monasteries in Portugal were closed by the government in 1833, the monastery buildings were handed over to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (a society charged with helping the old, the sick, and abandoned or orphaned children). At present the Santa Casa uses the buildings as a home for young girls.