Greetings from Brazil -- Where the Nuts Come From (Days 1 & 2)

 Day 1

Greetings from Brasil (as it is spelled down here). It is wonderful to be where it is summer (and tropical), especially knowing that it is snowing on Monday in NJ. Here's a brief look at what we've been doing our first two days in Brasil, along with some photos.

Good flight Friday night, I even slept on the plane (unusual for me). We landed in Sao Paulo, Brasil around 11 am on Saturday. After making it through customs, our friends Fred and Cris met us and took us out to their car (parked on a grassy spot as there isn't enough parking). After getting to their apartment, and meeting Noelle and Tasha (Cris & Fred's furry little dogs), it was off to Churrascaria Noviiho de Prata (a rotisserie restaurant for lunch). Even more amazing than the versions in the US!

Fred & Cris had a surprise for us -- on Sunday we were going to a football match (soccer for those of you in the US), Corinthians (home team) vs. Santos. So after lunch we went for a pre-visit to the football stadium to see the football museum. It is only about a year old and very impressive -- lots of digital media, photos, etc. And they insisted my husband Mike had to get a Corinthians shirt, with his name on the back. Next stop was the office building where Fred has his office and runs the little coffee shop in the lobby. We were treated to hot chocolate and then went up on the roof of the building (there are some great "aerial" photos of Sao Paulo. Then back to the apartment for some quiet time (and watching our Big Bang Theory DVD). Although I wasn't hungry, around 8 pm we went to a local pizzeria (Vila Milagro) where I had a salad and a small taste of the pizza.

photos from Day 1

Day 2

Cris was out early as she sings in their church's choir. We woke up later and went across the street with Fred to the pateria (sort of a bakery/deli/convenience shop). Breakfast was buttered rolls, coffee for the men, and some tasty tropical juice for me (Fred has promised to show me a photo of the fruit on the Internet). Then we took a taxi to the church, arriving near the end of the service so we got to see and hear Cris.

Next stop was lunch at a beautiful restaurant that had been converted from an old mansion. The specialty is paella (which we got to see them preparing). But of course there were three big buffet tables -- salads, hot dishes, and dessert.Another delicious meal.Many of the patrons had very upscale cars (see photos). And there was an artist and a pond with koi. Across the street was a gas station -- cars here can run on just ethanol, which is subsidized by the government (and made from sugar cane), so it's cheaper.

We drove to an upscale neighborhood near the stadium, paying a security guard (from the neighborhood) to park in front of one of the houses. Football in Brasil is unlike football in the US. And this game in particular was between two major rivals. The armed police (bullet-proof vests, riot shields, helmets) was my first indication this might be a little different. The fans have huge banners that they unroll during the game and then roll up again (you'll see photos). Also, one of the star players for Corinthians, Ronaldo, just retired and he had his official farewell before the game. The Santos fans were in one small corner of the stadium with their own police guard. Corinthians scored first, only to have Santos tie it up. Just before the second half, the thunder storm that had been threatening hit -- a true tropical deluge. Fred, Cris, & I went above the seats where there was a roof, Mike stood on the last row of seats just under the overhang. Corinthians scored on a penalty shot and then, close to the end, scored again to make the final score 3x1 (the way they show scores here).

Back at the apartment we watched more Big Bang Theory and had a very light dinner.As Fred has Vonage, we were able to make some calls home.

Photos from Day 2