I Love Paris in the Springtime....

Well we're not here in the Spring, but the weather has been incredible. The skies have been clear and the weather very mild. 

Also, I forgot to post this photo last night - we felt this was very French and no worries, we did not drink these bottles:

Today, we opted for breakfast crêpes - I had a Nutella and banana crêpe. We enjoyed them as we walked to the Picasso museum. I remember going to this museum years ago, but it felt like a different experience as they had renovated the museum recently and it took over 3 years to complete. Here are some of his paintings that I enjoyed:

We then sat in a cafe for some coffee and afternoon snacks before we headed to Montmartre to visit Sacre Coeur. We walked up the steps to the beautiful Basilica. Here I lit a candle and we enjoyed the sweeping views of the city. Here are some pictures - the pretty ones are credited to Mikey:

After enjoying the hilltop views, we headed down to the center of the city for some light shopping and enjoying more Christmas windows, such as at Printemps Department Store, sponsored by Burberry below:

All of us were then looking forward to our reservations at the popular restaurant Spring, where we enjoyed a price fixe menu and excellent service. A photo collage of our meal that included scallops with truffles and pumpkin and wild hare as a few of the highlights:

As a side note, kudos to Rachel for rocking the boot after 5 stitches last week, especially as we walk over 12,000 steps a day:

We walked home and enjoyed relaxing with champagne and a movie (do you want to build a snowman?). It's been wonderful being able to spend time together, conversing deeply, and joking around all day long. Something you can only do with good friends for all seasons!

We may have also had a dance party late into the night, enjoying old school jams - just like college....

The Girls From Ipanema

Last night at Rio Scenarium, we danced to samba music and Brazilian club music. Rio Scenarium was 3 floors, well-lit, and packed with people of all different ages enjoying the ambiance. There were antiques, clocks, and other objects all over the walls. We received a tab / sheet of paper like we did in Sao Paulo that is required for check out. The 9 person samba band was also amazing - Lizzie remarked she loves a good trombone! I wish I knew more samba and Brazilian music as so many people sang along or went wild when certain songs came on.

Today, we had originally planned to see a soccer game and had actually timed our vacation around the soccer schedule. However, due to how the season played out and how well a team called Botafogo (which is also a neighborhood) did, there were no playoff games. As such, we gained a free day in Rio!

After breakfast at the hotel, Lizzie and I rented bikes from the rental shop next to our hotel and rode all the way up and down Copacabana. On Sundays, the city blocks off an extra lane in addition to the bike lane so Cariocas can bike, rollerblade, and strut their stuff. We had contemplated doing the city bike share system, but it required registering and releasing the bike via mobile phone and we have learned and experienced that cell service in Brazil can be spotty. As we rode up, we also noticed a variety of outdoor exercise equipment that people seemed to really enjoy.

Ipanema

As Allison wasn't feeling 100%, we ended up joining her after the bike ride at base 9 on Ipanema beach. My friend Marcela said this was her favorite part of the beach. On the Ipanema side, there were more surfers than in Copacabana, and we could see them from the little hill in Arpoador. The waves were indeed strong as it knocked me over a few times. Afterwards, Lizzie pointed out the strong current warning signs.

As our plan was to head to Sugarloaf for sunset, we eventually made our way back to the hotel. On the way, we tried coconut water from fresh coconuts sold on the street and Globos. Globos are air puffed donuts made of manioc flour. They are sold everywhere and after the umpteenth peddler tried to sell it to us on the beach, we decided to try them. They are indeed tasty and light!

After showering up, we grabbed snacks and an açai shake before getting into a taxi to go to Sugarloaf which is a famous hill to see all of Rio. It is a hill made of granite and quartz. We took one tram to Morro da Urca (Urca's Mountain) and then another tram to Sugarloaf. You can see the entire city and as we were there at night, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Corcovado was all lit up and looked like a nightlight.

Jesus Nightlight

Rio at Night

In the gift shop, as I was talking to Lizzie, I managed to knock over a bunch of mini wooden Christ the Redeemer figurines in a classic domino effect with my messenger bag. As Lizzie says, I broke Jesus. So sorry!

We made our way down the mountains and back to our hotel where my friend Marcela was waiting for us. Marcela is my first Brazilian friend and we met when I was 15! I studied a summer in Paris between my sophomore and junior year of high school and what I remember is this fiesty Brazilian from Miami who loved to dance! We kept in touch over the years especially when Marcela visited NY and then lived in DC. She is now in Rio doing do-gooder type projects and working at places like the Inter-American Development Bank and various NGOs. You amaze me!

As Allison was still not feeling 100%, she stayed in while Marcela took me and Lizzie out for our last night. We had dinner in Copacabana at a restaurant called Belmonte. She said it was a popular place for the locals. We had a muffin-type bread filled with meat and then a shrimp stew and rice along with fruit caipirinhas.

One of the things I remembered about Marcela was her 4 inch heels and amazing dance skills, and I was in awe when I was just 15. She did not disappoint tonight as she took us to Casa Rosa or Pink House which was in Laranjeiras, just west of Copacabana. It was also a former brothel, but now a nightclub. Oh Rio.

When we entered, there was a 7 person samba circle led by a blind singer who was amazing. After the singer was done, the samba circle just jammed out in this outdoor patio area. There was also a Brazilian hip hop room where they played "funk". Clearly, this is where the funky party happens!

However, we spent most of our time in the samba rock room. It was fantastic and the band was clearly having a blast. I've really enjoyed the samba music, but adding the rock component was definitely an easier beat to dance to. In between, they would cover snippets of American songs from the likes of George Michael, Van Halen, and Van Morrison. I guess it was appropriate as we leave for home tomorrow night!

Listening to Samba Rock with Marcela

We eventually ended the night and headed back to our hotel. Thanks to Marcela for showing us such a great last night in Rio!

Rainy Rio

Today is Saturday and we have officially been in Brazil for over a week. We had thought about going to Sugarloaf today, but as it was overcast and drizzle, we decided to do indoor-type items on our bucket list.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we walked down Copacabana and admired the various sandcastles. We ended up at Copacabana Palace Hotel - the premiere hotel in Rio and where Barry Manilow was at and inspired to write the song about a nightclub named Copacabana in NY. The hotel was luxurious and smelled super fancy. I had been eyeing Jetsetter deals, but they did not have dates that worked for us. It would have been fun to enjoy at least a night at this hotel, but oh well.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Metro Cardeal Arcoverde and took it to Cinelândia which is near downtown or Centro. We walked over to the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM) where Allison's colleague suggested we visit. It was filled with contemporary artwork and was interesting.

It continued to drizzle and was cloudy throughout the day, so we decided to walk to Santa Theresa. On the way, there are famous steps made by a Chilean artist, Selarón, who put tiles from all over the world all over these steps. It appears he was a cliché artist as he wanted to die by his art and committed suicide on the steps. The funky steps straddle the neighborhoods of Lapa, known for its nightlife and Santa Theresa which is on the hilltop.

After the walk up the steep and cobblestone hill after the steps, we went to a restaurant recommended by Alex called Espirito Santa. It too had a funky theme and had Amazonian type food. We had tambaqui which is an Amazonian fish with pineapple, grilled namorado fish, and a Brazilian rice dish with assorted meats. For dessert, we had chocolate mousse balls. They had piranha soup too, but we didn't order it.

Allison looking at paintings of Rio

In Santa Theresa, there is a Museum called Chácara do Céu, a Frank Lloyd Wright looking house lived by and then donated by a man named Castro Mayo. He collected art from around the world and then donated everything to the city of Rio. He was also instrumental in the preservation of the Tijuca Forest in Rio. We noticed there were combat type security guards - not your normal museum guards. When we asked about it, they explained that paintings like a Picasso, Dali, Matisse, and Monet were stolen at gun point in 2006. In reading Wikipedia, it appears it was during Carnavale. Oh Rio, you're so cliché.

Next to the museum was also Ruin Park where we followed school children up to the top of a open building to see a view of the city. Again, it was a bit cloudy, but was a fun adventure.

We then walked down the hill and caught the metro back to the closest stop to our hotel. The subway car we were in was designated for women only during rush hours. It was interesting in why they needed it and we agreed that more cities probably need something like it. After leaving the station, we also tried an Açai Berry juice drink. Juice shops are practically on every corner! After some light shopping, we walked back to the hotel.

After some rest, we headed back out to Lapa to check out the famous Rio Scenarium. We had dinner across the street after an interesting cab ride. The taxi driver may have asked if I was Japanese, pulled the corner of his eyes, and told me he loved Gangnam Style. He also may have said he liked Obama, Bush was a crazy cowboy, and Clinton is sex. He may have...

So we are currently standing in a massive line for Rio Scenarium that was recommended by my friends Eduardo from São Paulo and Marcela who we are planning to meet tomorrow. Also, Alex, our hiking guide said we had to go out in Lapa, so we shall see!

São Paulo

First off, Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Allison and Lizzie's moms, and all the other moms out there! We love and appreciate you very much!

Last night, we learned that Vila Madalena was the "east village" of São Paulo. Venga was a delicious restaurant and we had an array of tapas such as baccala (salted cod), breads, croquetas, ham, fish, and cheese. We drank sangria and wine and caught up with my old friend, Eduardo.

After dinner, Eduardo suggested a bunch of bars and we said we wanted to do something locals would do. So where else would he take us? A samba bar! It was a hole in the wall that was super casual and had an awesome band. It was called "O Do Borogodo", which roughly means in sentiment, "bottom of the barrel". It definitely had the dive-y feel, but was awesome. We drank caipirinhas that were flavored strawberry, lime, and passion fruit and some local brews. You're also given a slip of paper when you walk in, where you're suppose to record all the drinks and have to cash out at the end. Very efficient!

They were several very good samba dancers and were very fun to watch - supposedly all the ladies want to dance with the good ones. Even the waiters get into the mix showing off their moves and one of the best dancers was wearing a Knicks / Carmelo Anthony t-shirt - go NY!

One of the best parts of the night was when a waiter delivered a note to Eduardo from a mysterious girl who asked if he was available! It felt a bit middle school, but supposedly this was common. It was incumbent upon Eduardo to write back (which he did using my back) and was about to give the slip of paper back to the waiter. The waiter then decided to do Eduardo a solid by telling him who it was. We all decided engaging in the back and forth was not necessary, but flattering nonetheless and courageous since Eduardo was with 3 girls!

Eduardo Explaining the Note

Eduardo Responding to the Note

Around 3 am we finally headed home after some sweaty samba dancing. Eduardo - many thanks for taking us out and showing us such a local, non-touristy experience. I will never forget it and will be forever grateful! You single-handedly made São Paulo worth it!

So today, we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and headed to Ibirapuera Park which is considered the Central Park of São Paulo. There were runners, bikers, and families everywhere. We enjoyed the people watching and the pretty trees and lakes.

Ibirapuera Park

After our jaunt, we grabbed a cab and headed to Liberdade, known for being the Japanese neighborhood. There is a sizable Asian population in Brazil and especially in São Paulo. On Sunday mornings, there is a street fair where folks sell knick-knacks and street food. We walked around the neighborhood and ended up at Korea House. Allison pointed it out, but it was also listed in my guidebook as the best Korean BBQ joint. A bit of a hole in a wall, we found the bulgogi and bibimbap to be tasty. The naeng myun (cold noodles) needed more mustard and vinegar which they did not serve as extras which is typically served. Also, we had hoped that food ordering would be easier, but the waitresses did not speak Korean.

After our Korean lunch, we headed back to the hotel and grabbed a cab to the airport to head to the famous Iguaçu Falls - one of the top 3 waterfalls in the world. It is on the Argentina and Brazil border, and Paraguay is nearby as well. Our flight was booked on GOL - the low cost domestic airline which is also a Delta partner.

View of the São Paulo Sprawl from the Plane

Checking in and the security was very smooth and so was our flight. Our hotel, Del Rey is in the town of Foz de Iguaçu and was rated well on Tripadvisor. It also had rooms with 3 twin beds. However, our room ended up having 1 double and 2 twins. The staff were also super welcoming and with a Four Square check-in, you get a free caipirinha. For the win!

We ventured to the local churrascaria buffet called Bufalo Branco. The host gave us a 20% discount, even though the hotel said we would get 10%. C-A-L for the win, again! The salad and appetizer buffet was fresh and the barbecue of various meats that were doled out from skewers were also quite tasty and flavorful. We all wished Amanda was here to share in the buffet experience! My favorite, ironically, was roasted pineapple that had cinnamon and nutmeg. As my friend Mikey knows, Koreans do love pineapple!

After our long and filling meal, we headed back to the hotel to catch up on sleep, but also to rest for our big day at Iguaçu tomorrow. It's suppose to rain so we're not happy about that, but we hope it will be intermittent!

Elephoose Wedding

Today is the day for the wedding of Sunjay and Katie! They have affectionately called it an Elephoose wedding - a merger of two cultures represented by animals - an elephant and a moose! We woke up for breakfast downstairs at the hotel and started getting ready. The ceremony was held at St. George Anglican church and was about a ten minute cab ride from our hotel.

The ceremony was about two hours and was Syrian Christian Orthodox which weaves in Keralan customs. It was so special to witness a beautiful exchange of vows and ceremony.

After the ceremony, Caitlin, Gary, Brendan, and I along with a few others went to the famous Beauty luncheonette where you make your own Bloody Mary's. I had a fantastic breakfast sandwich on hallah bread. To walk off the lunch, we strolled a few blocks and then hopped in to a cab to nap and rest back at the hotel.

The reception was beautiful. Sunjay and Katie had chosen a peacock theme so the hall was very colorful. We all had fun with the various props and photobooth and the DJ was awesome. We danced the night away, interlaced with shots and a great drummer. Sunjay had even performed with four other guys a dance to One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" as an ode to Katie! The speeches were moving (of course I teared) and it got so hot, many of the guys took off their shirts. Only in Montreal. I mean, when you look at the photos of topless guys dancing with all the girls, it looks like we're at Chippendale's instead of a wedding!

Truly, an epic wedding for a wonderful couple! So blessed to be a part of such a memorable celebration!

Ryan and Siobhan's Wedding Day

After our turtle adventure, we woke up late (around 10 am) and enjoyed breakfast prepared by our villa housekeeper, Listra.

Afterwards, we headed down to the beach where Ryan's family was hanging out before getting ready for the wedding.

Jessica was kind enough to pick up curry crab and dumpling on her way back from having breakfast with her in-laws. As such, we ate curry crab and dumpling in our dripping bathing suits and loved every bite. Ryan stole a bite and exclaimed we share food at work all the time. So true.

Curry Crab & Dumpling: Before & After

We scored a ride back up the hill with Jessica's in-laws and enjoyed the infinity pool before getting ready for the wedding.

The Happy Couple

The wedding was held at St. Joseph's where women were warned their shoulders had to be covered. The ceremony was lovely and the programs were actually fans.

The cocktails were back at Stonehaven and a dance party in itself with kids break-dancing and having a good time.

The reception included traditional Trinidadian black rum cake, ham and hops, and Doubles! Delicious!

Probably the most dancing I've ever done as the DJ played for hours and the music was contagious with its Caribbean flair. It was an EPIC dance party!

After returning to our villa, we were so hot from all the dancing that we took a dip in our infinity pool - so convenient, and so tired from the dancing but so worth it!