Returning to Rio after 39 years!
First of all; on this trip I did not write any notes as I traveled. Also the editing of these photos was done when I was back in Canada, not at the end of each day, which is my usual method of operation. Attached are also photos taken on a variety of phones. Both Derek, Liana, Christina, Miguel and Silvia all contributed pictures. The purpose of this trip was to get re-acquainted with my aunts and cousins in Brasil. It had been 39 years since I was last in Brasil. Some of my cousins had been born, grown up and had their own children, all in the time I was away. I flew down with my parents on Wednesday, August 5 and arrived early Thursday morning in Rio. Christina, Liana, Silvia, Luis Paulo and Ana Carolina were all waiting for us at the airport. It was great to see them. We all headed to my aunt Luisa’s place (to avoid confusion I will call my aunt Luisa; “Luisa” and my sister Luisa “Luisinha”. Luisa lives in an apartment her father-in-law built many years ago. Luisinha arrived from the States on the Friday and Derek from the Czech Republic on the Saturday (the morning of Luis Paulo’s wedding). Derek and I stayed at Luisa’s apartment, Luisinha stayed with Silvia and Tonico (their apartment is across the street from Luisa’s) and my parents stayed with Solange in Ipanema. We spent the early days before the wedding, walking the Copacabana and Ipanema beach fronts and getting caught up on things. I got re-introduced to many great Brasilian foods and drinks. These include brigadeiros (which Liana showed me how to make), pao de queijo (cheese bread), quindim (pronouced kin-jeeng), feijoada (black beans and rice) and of course cachaca (pronouced ka-sha’-sa). The fruit is fantastic here. There is nowhere on this earth I have tasted better fruit. One great “combination” that Tonico introduced us to was the feijoada sauce with pork rinds along with a shot of cachaca. The salty feijoada went very well with the Brazilian schnaps. The wedding was held at a beautiful church, Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmo da Antiga Sé. The music for the wedding was impressive, chorus and orchestra. The reception was held at the “jockey” club. It is the horse track you can see in many overall shots of Rio’s lagoon. Christina provided a van for transportation to and from the wedding, which was great. We did lots of dancing (and some drinking :). It was a late night, but we got through it with out any ill effects the next morning. Below are some pictures of the beach front as well as of the wedding of Luis Paulo and Fabiola.
Loved your photos and the way you describe your trip!