TIME EUROPE
October 30, 2000, Vol. 156 No. 30
Lisbon's Ocean Side
The Portuguese capital is a good place to see fish — and to dine on them
By ROD USHER
In a country long on coast and short on hinterland before it bumps into Spain, the people of Portugal have always looked oceanward and eaten fish. They consume more per capita than any other country in Europe. But when in Lisbon it's worth feeding the eyes on marine life before filling the stomach. As befits such a seafaring land, Portugal's capital lays claim to Europe's biggest oceanarium at the Park of Nations, on the site of the 1998 Expo.
The 5 million-liter vessel is home to sharks, rays, predatory eels, venomous stonefish, delicate sea horses and ethereal jellyfish, all swimming just centimeters from visitors behind curved glass walls. The star performers in the oceanarium are two sea otters, a couple who spend their days floating on their backs eating calamari, preening their whiskers, or producing more sea otters. Their progeny have been sent to venues in Antwerp and Vancouver, and they are exptecting a third. Admission, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, is 1,700 escudos, about $7.
Even if you hate fish, the trip to the oceanarium is worth the short Metro ride to Oriente station (take the red line at Alameda; Oriente is the last stop). As the stations flash by, murals reveal the Portuguese penchant for glazed tiles. But the best bit is Oriente station itself. The work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, it blends raw concrete arches and a delicate steel-and-glass roof that conjures rows of giant white lilies. The Teleférico, or cable car, which runs above the bank of the Tagus, affords a good overview of the station and the aquarium.
If you're in more of a mind to eat fish than to admire them, one option is to cook them yourself at the Maré Viva. It calls itself the Cathedral of Fondues — not the cheesy Swiss type but a seafood feast of prawns and chunks of fresh fish. Don't mind the wine cork floating in the hot oil — it stops it from spitting. The fondues are for two or more, but lone diners have plenty of choice, like cataplana, fish and rice served in a round copper dish. Getting to the Maré Viva is also an adventure. First, a taxi from the city center to the Fluvial ferry terminal, which should cost about $7. Then a ferry ride (half-hourly) across the Tagus to Brandão. Walk straight ahead as you exit the terminal. The Maré Viva faces a scruffy little beach. A meal costs about $25 a person, including wine — try the Porta da Ravesa white. (Closed Tuesdays. At weekends, it's wise to book: Tel. 21-295 1134.)
For bigger spenders, a night at the casino at Estoril, 18 km from the city, can be rewarding. The casino restaurant's food and the after-dinner floor show are both top quality, as is the art gallery upstairs for non-gamblers. Apart from roulette and other table games, the downstairs halls glitter with more than 1,000 slot machines. The casino's biggest payout from a one-armed bandit came in July 1994, when casino regular Marino Ferreira, a widower with no children, landed a record $1 million jackpot. "We haven't seen him around here lately," smiles gaming manager Manuel Anok, "but we know he did get married again." When he won his fortune, Ferreira was aged 91.
The Estoril casino fills and empties pockets from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.
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A Ramble on the Ramblas
Forget the tour bus — the best way to see old Barcelona is on foot
Hong Kong Havens
Where those in the know go to find calm and cuisine in Asia's busiest city
Down by the Danish Seaside, a Work of Art
A museum offers fine art and fine views
Lisbon's Ocean Side
The Portuguese capital is a good place to see fish — and to dine on them
An Afternoon Polonaise
Warsaw may not be Europe's most lovely city, but its citizens have style
What are your Lisbon favorites?
Got a preferred café? A special haunt? Write and share. We'll post reader favorites online
October 30, 2000
EUROPE
Kosovo after Slobo
It is neither a country nor a province, but the Albanian part of the former Yugoslavia yearns for an identity that the West is reluctant to supply
A Man of Chops and Changes
Oliver Ivanovic, the next big Serb
Hopes and Hesitations
Bernard Kouchner, the U.N.'s man in Kosovo
Defender of the Faith
Bologna's controversial Cardinal Biffi says Italy should favor Catholic over Muslim immigrants
E-Europe: Invasion of the Ice Men
Iceland can't survive on fish alone, so young people are looking to make a splash in the new economy
Fast Forward: Denmark's Hippies Hit Their Golden Years
The residents of Christiania, where the 1970s never died, face a very modern problem: an aging population
AFRICA
A Trip Inside an African Hot Zone
What happens to a small town and its people when the Ebola virus erupts?
A Whiff of Revolt on Spice Islands
Thirty-six years after its union with Tanzania, Zanzibar considers divorce
TRAVEL 2000
Destination: Outer Space
As tourism booms, travelers are lining up for a chance to sample the last frontier
The New New Thing
Quirky and futuristic buildings are the latest must-see stops on the tourist trail. But can other cities repeat the magic of Bilbao?
Log On, Take Off
The Internet is revolutionizing the travel industry but online profits remain elusive
Leisure in the Fast Lane
Less time off is leading to shorter, more frequent holidays
A Sea of Possibilities
As an armada of new ships sets sail, Europeans are taking advantage of great bargains afloat
The Going Gets Tougher
Sometimes travel is an endurance test. And for the adventure seeker, that's precisely the point
BUSINESS
The Virtual Grocer
Supermarkets are pushing products on the Internet so customers need not push trolleys
The TiE That Binds
Successful Indian entrepreneurs have united to interact with and inspire the next generation
THE ARTS
The Art of a Wine-Dark Sea
A lavish exhibition celebrates paintings inspired by the enchanting shores of the Mediterranean Sea
He's Back, and He's Not Alone
Macaulay Culkin comes out of "retirement" in a tender but flawed take on the art of seduction
DEPARTMENTS
On Your Own Time
Lisbon
To Our Readers
World Watch
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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