Day four from Lisboa

Yesterday we went to the Parque das Nações (Nations Park), a 2km stretch along the waterfront and the site developed for the Expo '98 held in Lisbon. We went to the biggest Oceanarium in Europe which was pretty cool. We saw some pretty odd species we hadn't seen before. Highlights included the playful sea-otters and the impressive 2.5m long Mantra.

Afterwards we went to an interactive science museum which was very entertaining! It was aimed at kids of all ages. There were over 300 interactive exhibits that occupied us for a good three hours. We didn't have time to see everything but we did have time to ride the flying bicycle a couple of times. This was a bicycle balanced on a trapeeze one storey above ground level. No matter how much you swayed the balance of the bike the weight hanging below it and gravity meant it couldn't fall off.

We're heading back to that area tonight for what should be an impressive fireworks display. It's part of a three way competition between Italy, Germany and the USA and tonight is the final. Go you pyro's!

Last night we went for a really nice authentic Portugese night out with two Aussie girls from our hostel - a great meal with champagne Sangria (it was so refreshing!) followed by a few drinks in the somewhat wild Bairro Alto area close to our hostel. We all tried a local cherry flavoured liqueur called Ginjinha that tasted a bit like port. It tasted that much sweeter as it was paid for by a 5 euro note I found on the ground in one of the bars!

Today we've moved to another part of town just north of the central area. Residencial Luena seems reasonably nice, much like a budget hotel. Our room overlooks a busy street but our toilet appears to be only partially attached to the floor. You win some, you loose some! We're here for two nights and then back off to another Youth Hostel that looks very much like the one we stayed in for our first three nights.

Love,

Sheryl & Dale



(More photos from around the Royal Palace in Madrid)


(80,000 people at the Santiago Bernabeu)


(Our view from Lisbon Lounge hostel, and from the Castello Sao Jorge)


(Us with the Oceanarium Mascot and me looking like a 3 year old in the Science Museum - gotta love oversized stuff!)

(Dinner and drinking in Bairro Alto)