Rio de Janiero in Photos

My one weekend in Brazil was all about seeing the city of Rio de Janiero. I was lucky enough to do it two ways. First I met up with a family from Canada who live there now. They showed me parts of the city you don't get to see on the regular tours. The second day was a full fledged commercial tour complete with local guide and a minibus. It was great too, but the differences were apparent. I'm glad I got to do both.

Let's start with the beach. I got up early on Saturday and headed to the beach. The place was busy with runners and surfers. Everyone seems to use the beach for something. The most amazing were the footvolley players. These guys play volleyball with soccer rules on the beach with a regulation volleyball court and net. They are amazing to watch not using their hands at all.

This is the view from the hill in front of the Atlantico Sul Hotel where I stayed. The beach goes on to the right for about 10 miles. It's pretty spectacular. The waves were good too and the water was warm. I did that just after taking this picture. First swim in the South Atlantic for me.

Here are some lifeguards practicing. The water was beautiful blue and clear all the way to the sandy bottom. Although the beach was a little dirty with litter and plastic the water seemed clean enough, although I did come home with a little head cold...

At 10:00 my "guide" picked me up and we were off to his apartment for a quick stop before heading into the city. We dropped off his son and a friend at the yacht club and then headed into town. Centro is downtown and is the financial heart of the city. It also hosts the museums and cultural spots as well as some interesting architecture.

Some of the interesting architecture, along with the cathedral below. I think this one is the police headquarters.

A very traditional street in the downtown which reminded me of Europe. On Saturday everyone goes out for lunch and eats on the streets. By the time noon rolled around you could hardly walk for all the tables and chairs.

We had lunch at the Imperial Palace. It had a nice little cafe with quiche and salads. Add a bottle of wine and life is good. The few exhibits showed some of the history of the city and the country. The influences of Napoleon when he invaded Portugal, the Spanish and Portuguese and the slavery, and the rise and fall of democracies and dictatorships.

Here a view of the Imperial Palace. It really wasn't much of anything but it did have a neat story to tell.

The Banco de Brazil building is now part of a larger cultural center and had some interesting exhibits on everything from cartoons to early Brazilian exploration.

The exhibit that really caught my eye was one by Ziraldo. He is a modern artist who is not afraid to push the bounds of art. His work pushed the envelope of sexuality and race while remaining light. The cartoons were amazing but unlike the locals I didn't take any pictures so I can't show you. The link does have a few of his works.

We also went to another exhibit of work by a well known Brazilian designer: Sergio Rodrigues. I was not familiar with his work but it was along the lines of what I like in the way of furniture. Have a look here for some of what he does.

One of the more interesting buildings near Centro is Rio de Janiero Cathedral. It is a modern building built in the 60s and 70s. It has some incredible stained glass which extends from floor to ceiling. We were there as the sun was coming out and it was impressive.

Here is the building from the outside with several views of the stained glass from the inside below.

A panorama of the inside of the cathedral. Amazing. (Remember you can click on most of the pictures here for a larger image.)

After the cathedral we headed for the concert hall. The plan was to see a Schumann concert, but first I had to get past the ticket takers. I had bought a ticket earlier but there was some concern over my apparel. I had been told to wear trousers for the concert (rather than shorts) but had not anticipated an issue with my footwear. After a consult with some other security personnel I was allowed to enter with my sandals.

The building sits downtown in front of a large square. It faces the harbour and by the decor and facade you can see how important the arts are to the Brazilian culture.

The building has a amazing interior. The whole thing was recently refurbished.

Before the concert we took a little tour of the place.

The view from the terrace on the second floor of the Theatro Municipal. Note the architecture on the right where old and new buildings are side by side, very typical in Rio. In the distance you can see Sugarloaf as well as the WWII memorial.

So usually classical music isn't my thing. I wasn't sure what to expect from Schumann but generally had a good experience. I say generally since the first performer was a little off putting. Once we got past the operatic component and got on to the violins, clarinets and horns I was fine. The other thing was that I was seated right behind a young twenty something couple who could not keep their hands off each other. It was almost entertaining but for the sake of the music I moved for the second half of the concert - too distracting.

After a quick trip back to the hotel and a meal in the hotel restaurant I was exhausted. A good sleep and on to day two of the weekend. We started at the hotel around noon, waiting for the rest of the team to get in for the conference. Once everyone was there we hit the road.

The first stop was a beach where the hang gliders and parasailers land. They launch from a nearby mountain and land ever so softly on the beach. There were also many kite surfers. They are the ones you see in the picture below on the left (imagine being strapped to a surfboard and a parachute at the same time and you get the idea).

Below is the Sheraton Hotel with the Flavela Vidigal behind it. Flavela is essentially a Portuguese word for slum but these have a little more of a story than that. They are more organized and came into being due to migration rather than poverty. Have look here for a better description. Some would say the Sheraton below the best hotel in the city, complete with its own Private beach, but it is also right next door to some of the toughest neighborhoods.

Ipanema Beach from Avenue Niemeyer, the same Ipanema as the song by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.

Next we were on to Sugaloaf again. This time we also took a ride up the cable cars and had a good look around. I even managed to find time to have ice cream, complete with kiwi, strawberries, papaya, honey, and cashew nut sprinkles. It really hit the spot.

Above is a view of Corcovado from the top of Sugarloaf. If you squint you can see the giant statue of Jesus. More on that later.

The harbour mouth from Sugarloaf or Pão de Açúcar as it is called in Portuguese. Can you imagine the first French and Portuguese explorers arriving here? The city is named for what was thought to be a river found in January. In fact there is no river, just a very large harbour, but the name stuck.

The view above is of Urca, a small part of Rio nestled below Sugarloaf. It has some interesting houses. Of particular note for me are the kayaks. They certainly didn't outnumber the surfers but it made me a little homesick. Rio would be a great place to paddle. It has lots of coastline, islands, surf, and history. Maybe someday...

The last big thing was Corcovado and the statue of Christ the Redeemer or Cristo Redentor which stands atop of it. We arrived just as the sun was setting and took the 30 minute trip up the mountain on the tram.

A better view of Cristo Redentor.

The view from Corcovado looking towards Centro, or downtown. On the right is Sugarloaf with the harbour behind it.

Another view from Corcovado looking south. The lake is Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and the lights on the right are the horse racing track and Jockey Club. After that it was home for the night, but not before a huge feed of pizza at a great buffet. Even the desert pizza was good.

Finally a view of the plant parking lot and surroundings. I was there for work after all. It reminded me very much of Southern California since the weather was clear and dry and there was always a breeze. The hills by the ocean also made it feel like the San Diego area.

Later I will go over three points which aren't covered in this post. One: Driving. Two: Drinking. Three: Eating.

Now for my next trip...

The First Few Days in Brazil

Wow, this is quite the country. Rio de Janeiro is amazing. Abject squalor followed by incredible opulence. Most of the city is even more beautiful than the books and websites make it out to be. They are proud of the coming World Cup and the Olympics and I, for one, hope they make a good job of it.

People here are incredibly laid back about things and very friendly. They try very hard, especially in the restaurants and hotels. The beach is amazing and the water isn't too cold although I haven't been in yet, but I will. The weather is absolutely phenomemenal for winter (85F and sunny).

Now the hotel we have is on the beach, but not on any of those fancy ones near town. We're down south closer to the plant (I am here for work after all). Traffic is the one downside to a city this big that is full of mountains. There are lots of people going every which direction all the time. We spent a good half hour only going two miles this morning for no apparent reason. Having said all that drivers are incredibly patient. People cut each other off all the time and do mildly crazy things but in general the only horns you hear are to warn someone of a close call or a little reminder that you are there. What would get a Canadian driver worked up and swearing a blue streak (not to mention flying the middle finger) is just business as usual here. In the US you would get shot at for driving like they do here.

The food is pretty good too. I thought heaven would have a few French restaurants and a seafood place in it but I am convinced they also have lots of Brazilian restaurants too. Brazilian for those of you who don't know is a mix of Portuguese and Native American, with some European and Asian thrown in for good measure. It also has a strong African influence to it. Anyway, the meat here is incredible. American beef is pretty good but the local stuff here is fantastic. We went to one of many steak houses where they serve it Brazilian style. Think of every cut of meat you could ever want (and some you wouldn't, like cheese infused flank steak) and they had it on a skewer, cooked to perfection, and walking around as a server was offering it up. The green and red coaster which is supposed to show if you want more or not seems to be irrelevant, you get offers either way. The salad bar was a combination of the best 20 salad bars I have ever been to, including sushi, and to top it all off they had a good selection of fish. The service was also very good as people pushed in your chair and wisked away your plate every time you got up.

Anyway, here are some pics to round out this hastily put together post. More later.

The view from Sugarloaf Mountain.

Ipanema Beach as we drove into the city.

The beach and little hummock out in front of our hotel.

The view from my room this morning as the sun rose over the mountains.

Spain, Part III

Now back to Spain. Here is a panorama of the Plaza with the church on the left and the hotel in the middle behind the column.

Our hosts were excellent in Aranda and took us out for a tour and a lovely meal. Here is the front of the Santa Maria la Real church in Aranda. The sculpting on the archway was amazing. There are ghouls and monsters, a nativity scene, coats of arms, and all sorts of little bits and pieces, each with their own story. It seems one of the artists (it took many years and several generations to finish) even put himself in it, at the top near, one of the saints.

One of the other interesting things about Aranda was the bodegas.

These caves, which snake under most of the old city, were used in the making and storing of wine. In fact many are still in use both by individuals and corporations.

Finally after the tours of the church and the caves we were off to a great little restaurant. The speciality here is lamb, and lots of it. It came to the table looking like this, but I'm jumping ahead.

The meal started with a mold of asparagus and carrots and was followed by a saute of lamb's glands (very tasty but a little interesting in the texture). Next came the blood pudding. I wouldn't have picked it off the menu but when your host orders something you try it. It was excellent.

The main course was the lamb with a salad. Each one of those little lamb chops was sitting on the grill with the coals warming it. They were all lightly coated with salt and pepper and just melted in your mouth.

As we drove to Aranda I wondered why there weren't any lambs in the countryside. Now I know. They are all on the dinner plates or waiting to be prepared.

The main course was followed by a light, minty sorbet for desert. The last item was the aguardiente. Several flavors were offered including coffee, citrus, and plain (also known as pure heat which is fitting since the literal translation for aguardiente is firewater!). They were all good but must be consumed in moderation.

A few more shots of the hotel and the plaza, first from the church...

and then looking up towards the castle on the hill which overlooking the town.

Next I suppose is our trip to Paris, and then some time in Greenville by myself... Maybe I'll let Jane do some of that blog entry.

Spain, Part II

As you know if you read my blog regularly I have been to Spain. The first day was getting over jet lag and trying not to fall asleep too early. The next day we headed north towards our destination: Aranda de Duero. Madrid was lovely but the real beauty in Spain is in the countryside in the small towns and villages.

We drove along the highway at first getting some miles behind us while passing through the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range. The scenery was great and my pictures do not do it justice.

One of our goals was to visit a small city called Segovia. Segovia was rich in culture and heritage. The pictures below of the church, the aqueduct, the town square, and the cathedral are all from Segovia. It was a very busy town with lots of hustle and bustle right up until the siesta. At 14:00 it was like an army was invading. Everything shut down, the streets which had been completely full of tourists and locals were now empty except for the odd American tourist who didn't seem to know what to do with themselves.

We took advantage of the time to visit the cathedral and poke around the aqueduct. The aqueduct was particularly interesting when you try to imagine how the Romans built the thing with their hand tools and scaffolding. Up close you could see the markings in the stone where tools had been used to lift and pry the huge blocks into place. Another interesting things about this part of Spain are the swallows. These birds were always flying in large groups in the town squares and particularly around the aqueduct. I think it must have made for a perfect nesting site. The birds just kept buzzing around in huge clouds, particularly in the evening just before sunset.

We ate lunch in the square and had the local delicacies. I started with paella (that I need to learn how to make) and finished it off with a suckling pig. I have to admit I felt sorry for the little guy but he was absolutely delicious.

As we left Segovia we drove through the Spanish countryside and passed all sorts of sleepy little towns with huge fields of sunflowers and eventually vineyards. Each town seemed to have a castle, like this one in Turegano.

By 16:30 we finally arrived at the small town of Penaranda de Duero. This is where our hotel was. The arrangements had been made by some of our French colleagues so we didn't know what to expect. I figured it must be special since we were well outside of and on the wrong side of town from the plant we needed to visit. Penaranda is like the small cousin of Aranda de Duero, where the Michelin Aranda facility is located. I was surprised it had a hotel at all but was soon to be educated on the better places to stay in Spain.

Well, here is what the Posada Ducal looked like. If you can manage in Spanish the website is pretty good too-just look at the galarias de fotos, or photo gallery. Between the twelve of us we pretty much filled the place. And yes, the rooms are exactly as shown in the photos, in fact the one I had is there too. Oscar the owner, chef, and concierge was there later to welcome us. He seemed to be the only one who spoke any French but the whole staff were great.

One of the best features of my room was that it was on the corner and had a window that opened up on the town square and another that opened onto the church courtyard. My only complaint is that the windows opened at all. You see as soon as we got settled in I decided a nap would be in order. Unfortunately the local youth's summer day camp showed up. Imaging two hundred or more chanting and singing kids running around a the town square. Let's just say there was no nap. One of the leaders even had a megaphone! I must admit it looked like fun. Everyone laughing, signing, and playing games. I would guess small town Spain would be a pretty cool place to grow up, at least for a little while. The windows did make my room cooler in the evening, and after 41C during the daytime it was welcome since we didn't have air-conditioning.

Here a picture of about a quarter of the kids.

Next post: more on the food. Here's a teaser: Ten years ago I went to France not liking wine very much and returned with a respect for good wine. This year I went to Spain not very fond of lamb...

My Great Big Weekend

A few weeks ago, actually more like a month ago since it was the Fourth of July, we did something I've been meaning to do for a long time. We went to Lake Jocassee up in northern South Carolina. It's located in the mountains and part of it is actually in North Carolina.

The lake was great. Some people at work and others in town had told us how good the paddling was but I never really believed them. They also said how cold the water was. In fact the lake was very busy with boat traffic but manageable. The water was colder than other lakes and even the ocean down here but certainly was not as cold as I was led to believe. Here are some of the shots we took.

We took the big double kayak to the lake and paddled out to a part of the state park that is only accessible by boat for lunch. Hopefully we'll head out to do some camping there someday. The swimming was great. There were lots of fish in the water and the water itself was very clear compared to the other lakes I have been to here in the Upstate.

The lake is man made so there are lots of interesting features. I kept looking for a place with a big drop off and finally found one. That's what the videos show below.

Off course after such a huge day Isabelle was absolutely exhausted. She had a big nap in the kayak on the way back to the car. In fact the trip to the lake was on Sunday. The great big weekend I mention in the title has to do with the baseball game on Friday night (and staying to watch the fireworks after it), a party at one of the French families' house on Saturday night where the kids were up late to see the most amazing private fireworks in the area, and some fireworks in Greenville downtown on the way home from the lake. Put it all together and you have a huge weekend. I would have slept in the kayak if I could!

I hope you all have a great second half of the summer. Next-more reports on some of my travel over the last few weeks.