Gijon Aquarium

One of our favorite cities to visit in Spain is the city of Gijon. It is nearby, reminds me of San Francisco (Which Gus thinks is not true and I'm crazy to think so but I still do!) and has the beach-score!! Oh and Ikea is nearby-double score!! Needless to say, we have visited this city a few times in the past year and are already planning our next trip!

Well one more addition to the other cool things to do in Gijon is their aquarium. We put it on our list of things to do in the summer and in one of our remaining days before school and its crazyness started, we went. The aquarium sits right on the beach, too!!

Before heading inside, we stopped for a snack in the aquarium's cafe. It was perfect weather, and we really enjoyed the gorgeous view of the beach! We had such a nice time as a family enjoying good food and even better company!

The first part of the aquarium was in a large room that had a skylight and lots of rocks, plants and trees along the walkways of the exhibits. You almost felt like you were outside and the natural lighting was really nice.

"Coen...what do you think? Do you like it?"

The boys had quite a bit of fun running and exploring this room with its many twists in their pathways.

Most exhibitions were at the boys eye level and perfect for their viewing! Many creatures of the sea are quite unusual and it was such a fun time to explore these animals together. The boys had also just watched Nemo and it was exciting for them to see the animals from the movie up close and in person! Even Coen recognized some fish and couldn't stop talking about Nemo for days.

Jellyfish

Rooms in aquariums like this always fill me with wonder and this room was no exception. I could sit for hours and be lulled by the rhythms of the ocean and patterns of the fish as they swim past. Sigh. I love the ocean.

This tank had several more fish from the movie Nemo. The boys were literally jumping up and down with excitement as they recognized even more animals.

All too soon, we were at the end of the aquarium. It was much larger than I had expected and very well done. The boys absolutely loved their time and can't wait to return. We want to go back soon to see things we didnt see, like the feeding of the penguins. I am so thankful for places like this that remind us of the spectacular design that surrounds us in nature which so clearly demonstrates the Lord's majestic hand in creation!