Love Holding Love

PRESS PLAY Brazil - Wah

One of my favorite places in Rio is Ilha Grande. There are no cars, very few houses/hotels and people. It's all about the nature, and what nature! Cristal clear water, breathtaking beaches all around, pure pure air. It's all about bikini and Havaianas.

I got back together with Felipe after some very needed time apart, and lots of transformations. We've been there a couple of years ago, and choose this place to start over fresh :) Couldn't have been better.

PS: the name of the CD that has this song is "Love Holding Love" :)) very appropriate!

Happy New Year!

I spent my new year's eve again at Copacabana beach watching the fireworks. I've done that almost my whole life, with a few exceptions. Well, I lived there, and now still live very close, so it's been the obvious choice. I heard this year they hired specialists from Disney to coordinate the fireworks with the music. For me, it was amazing like always :) I just LOVE the shiny colors everywhere!

This time there were my sister with the kids and my brother in law, and our dear friends that now live in Germany, Fabiano, Katrin, and their kids Fiona and Valentina. She is almost the same age of my Valentina, who helped me taking a firework foot pic holding my leg up high :))

My resolutions for 2010 include finding a job that I love, learning how to play the guitar, making more friends, writing, laughing more, keep singing, practicing more yoga, travel more and, of course, keep walking :) No matter what.

Happy 2010!

Lagoa's Xmas Tree

One of my favorite things in December is to rent a paddle boat and go see Lagoa's floating xmas tree from very very close! I It's been a city tradition for over 10 years, and they always come up with something different. Last year they had pictures of Brazil's famous landscapes. This year is pretty traditional xmas colors, lights and decorations and I LOVE it! I pass by it everyday since it's right by my house and I can't get enough :)

Lagoa

PRESS PLAY Cidade Maravilhosa - Caetano Veloso

I'm a carioca da gema (born and raised in Rio, daughter of cariocas) and I can't stop being amazed by this city's views. They still make me breathless, after 32 years! :))

This is Lagoa, right by my house, seen from Clube Piraque. I used to go there a lot when I was a kid, but I haven't been there in years. It was like a time travel for me; I could almost see my mom by the lake, helping me feed the little fish that jump for bread crumbs...

Portuguese has a word with no translation for any other language - it's saudade. I guess it was not only the view that got me breathless that day... :')

I keep roller skating

PRESS PLAY Cheek to cheek - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

This weekend the weather finally gave me a break, and I got a perfect day to go skate - cloudy and not raining! I went to the Lagoa skating rink with Valentina and Billy.

It didn't take long until I was skating like I used to 20 years ago :)) Billy loved going with us for a ride, felling the wind on his face... he is too cute! What about his glows-in-the-dark ghost t-shirt? :D And I LOVE the view of the place, with the Christ and everything! Yes, skating like this, I'm in heaven...

test driving Carol's new bike in a sunny afternoon in Ipanema...

I keep biking

PRESS PLAY Coralie Clement - Samba de mon coeur qui bat

going to Leblon / going to Ipanema

I use my bike for transportation purposes. Traffic is caotic, noisy, and expensive, and for things I have to do bike is often faster, not mentioning the environmental issue. Besides, I LOVE the ride :)

mall parking lot

Where else in the world you have a view like that on a mall parking lot?

Although it's cloudy I think you can see the Christ on the mountain on the left... and right at the bottom there is Lagoa. Really breathtaking. If you ever go to Shopping Leblon in Rio, park on the roof. If you don't have a car, go there anyways ;)

Winter in Rio

Typical winter day at Ipanema Beach, in front of the famous Coqueirão (big coconut tree). Where else can you find a weather like this?

I LOVE Rio :)

I was born in a rainy day

...and it has been like that ever since.

It's ok, I like rainny days :) They make me think. Sunny days make me want to go out and do something. I guess birthdays are days I'm supposed to think about what I'm doing, like a New Year's balance, but for me only.

I had breakfast at Confeitaria Colombo, a very traditional tea house in Rio. The original one is downtown, but I chose the one on Forte de Copacabana. Next to my feet is Sugarloaf again, from the opposite side of Niterói.

Astonishing view, even in a cloudy day... I LOVE it!

Rio Niterói

Rio-Niterói Bridge

They say the best thing about Niterói is the view... but that's mean, it is such a pretty place... It's a nice outlook though, great angle of the Sugarloaf and the Christ. This is Camboinhas, a very pleasant beach where you can eat fresh fish in kiosks in the sand.

Mercado de Peixe São Pedro (Saint Peter Fish Market) in Niterói is where you can find the best fish in Rio. Chefs go there at 5 a.m. to buy the most fresh ones. I went there, obviously much later than that (I guess I'm not such a great chef... hehe) to get shrimp for my very famous grandma's recipe of Bobó, a traditional dish from Bahia. This will be my birthday dinner menu :)

I fell for Copacabana's rainy fall

PRESS PLAY Águas de Março - Elis Regina e Tom Jobim

Girl from Ipanema's feet :))

PRESS PLAY The Boy from Ipanema - Ella Fitzgerald

One of my favorite things is to go to the beach in Ipanema, specially not in the summer, when I can only go like after 3pm... too freakin' hot here.

And I LOVE the "Two Brother's Mountain", at the end of Leblon (Ipanema and Leblon are physically one beach, just the name changes around Post 11). It is specially beautiful when you take a bike ride along the beach.

Mate Leão in a huge silver gallon and Biscoito Globo are mandatory. I count on Marcelo to get the best Mate in Ipanema. Sorvete Itália is always a good alternative.