Inside the Oceanarium there are five main tanks and a further 25 smaller tanks with a wide variety of fish, mammals, crustaceans, jelly fish and fauna on display. The Oceanarium is centred around a 5,000 cubic metre tank which houses a mixture of tropical and temperate aquatic life including sharks, manta-rays, tuna and unusual looking sunfish. A further four tanks representing the North Atlantic, Antarctic, Pacific and Indian oceans are positioned around the main tank. Interspersed there are a further 25 smaller tanks with unusual species including ‘glow in the dark’ deep water fish. They are all separated from the main tank by invisible acrylic walls, giving the impression that all the creatures are swimming in the same space.

The Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the few aquariums in the world to house a sunfish due to their unique and demanding requirements for care. Other interesting species include two large spider crabs and three sea otters.

A really nice place to be in, but it’s the design rather than the size that makes it outstanding. It is the first aquarium ever to incorporate world ocean habitats within a single environment, with impressive recreations of various ocean ecosystems — the Antarctic tank containing penguins, and the Pacific tank with otters playing in rock pools.

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Alta or Alattio, the city of the northern lights, has the largest population in the county. It also so happens to have a dry climate with frequent clear skies. It is sheltered deep inside the Alta fjord by the surrounding mountains. During the winter season, you can pay a visit to the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel which is just about 20 km away from Alta town centre and closer by you can try dog sledding. Each year, Alta hosts the longest sled dog race in Europe (finnmarkslopet) which attracts contestants from all across the world.

During WWII, the Germans used the scorched earth tactic in Finnmark to halt the Red Army. As a result, very few houses survived the war and even less people stayed behind. This is one of the main reasons why the towns in this county have more of a modern feel to them.

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The town made famous in recent history as a summer getaway place for Adolf Hitler. He had a complex built at the very top of a peak and was used a few times a year. It is most widely known as Kehlsteinhaus or The Eagle’s Nest. I would say a town to see in the Bavarian mountains and enjoy the salt mines for sure.

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Cabo da Roca is within this beautiful municipality. This is a cape which forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe  forming the westernmost extent of the Serra de Sintra (Sintra Mountains). It was described by the 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões in his epic poem Os Lusíadas as “Aqui, onde a terra se acaba e o mar começa” (Here, where the land ends and the sea begins). That is something, I am afraid, you will have to see for yourself to believe.

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Some history for those too lazy to go to my previous posts to read, Palermo stands for over 2700 years of culture, history, gastronomy and architecture. Although founded by the Phoenicians, it was only named by the Greek before joining the Roman Empire. It was then part of the Byzantine Empire, ruled by the Arabs, then became its own Kingdom. It later on joined the Kingdom of Naples before the Italian unification in 1860. In short, TOO much history to cover here. Get yourself on a plane and go visit. Again, I have to admit that I met some of the nicest people in Southern Italy and Palermo, like Napoli, welcomed me with arms wide open.

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It is one of the largest centres in terms of German speaking theatres and has been inhabited by so many notable people including Albert Einstein and Vladimir Lenin. A hub to one of the best airlines on earth, Swiss International Air Lines and home to the famous Swiss luxury confectionery manufacturer, Confiserie Sprüngli. Sprüngli are most famous for their macarons, best known as Luxemburgerli. The photos though, should speak for themselves when it comes to describing the beauty of this city.

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The complex is made up of the following buildings:

• L’Hemisfèric — an Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium.
• El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — an interactive museum of science.
• L’Umbracle — a landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to Valencia.
• L’Oceanogràfic — an open-air oceanographic park. It is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe with 110,000 square meters and 42 million liters of water. It was built in the shape of a water lily and is the work of architect Félix Candela.
• El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia — an opera house and performing arts centre.
• L’Àgora — a covered plaza in which concerts and sporting events are held.

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