Fim de semana com minha familia brasileira!

Train to Morretes (photo by Dino)

Um dia perfeito, isso foi! O melhor e mais engracada viagem! Descer de trem para Morretes, piquenique no longo do rio, banho no rio em Ponto da Cima, e filme a noite com pipoca e cerveja!


We had agreed from quite early after I moved into the new house, that we should organise a trip all together to Morretes - actually it rose in our minds shortly after my first trip to Morretes with Arwen and Guido, and after the excited face and laughs I brought back from that day. The whole family, being Dino, Flavia, Leandro, Isabelle, Janaina and Ana, and myself started thus to plan our wonderful day. Train trip for sure - I don't quite remember if it was just to experience the craziness of the turist guides screaming "Atenção cachoeira na direita em 2 minutos!" or if it was because some of us never did the train trip. Maybe even Isabelle never took the train. Whatever, train it was. Finding the date then: I had to be home and Leandro not working. And we managed!

My thrilled humor about the idea of making a pick-nick rapidly overtook others and within a short time, that was settled as well. Flavia and I, running around the house exchanging dish ideas, reviewing magazines about food - a pick-nick it would be and a damn good one! A vegan one, because Flavia, Ana and Dino were on this healthy diet thinggy. The menu thus was: home-made bread rolls (by myself), soja hamburgers (by Flá - amaaaaazing ones!), cream cheese without cheese or as we like to call it "queijo sem queijo" (by Flá - a delight), eggplant purée (by myself - but Dino learned the recipe!), hummus (by Flá), couve being Chinese cabbage (well Flá brought it because we were basically swimming in cabbage - so we had to grab every occasion to eat it) mustard honey sauce (by Flá - the one and only), and then I don't quite remember what we had more. Well I made a almong cream dessert with mango purée, very tasty but with the heat just turned out to be almond soup with mango soup - still very tasty!

The train trip (photos by Dino)

Because Dino and Flá work at the bank we got fancy seats for a cheap price - the fancy part was provided by the 'surprise box' aaaand...beer at will! We cooked late the day before, got up early to catch the train, all excited and happy, screaming to who would listen - or not - "Bom Dia Bom Retirooooooo!" in remembrance of our crazy nuts-neighbours. To the point that we were doubting how much the little darling Isabelle would want to be seen with us... (Her cute drawing and text she left us on the fridge door after that day revealed though some pride in taking part in this loucura, it seemed to me...)

In the train, we had the front seats in the wagon - close to the guide and the beer. The excitment and laughs are not describable - we just had a huge amount of fun! Chatting, laughing, hugging, taking pictures like crazy Jap'turists (getting worth later though...believe it or not). The guide was superbe - very interesting, but sadly I don't remember much now though. The views and landscape was as tremendous as the first time! The sun was though much brighter on this second trip, and the heat was rising slowly but surely as the day got older and the train descended the Serra. I could do this trip a tousand time I would still be as astonished by the landscape - so beautiful.

On the way down, Araucaria the tree of Paraná (photo by Dino)

Landscape of the Serra (photo by Dino)

Pittoresque house in Morretes

At Morretes we get our bus tickets for the return before going down to the river, the old town center and getting installed for our tremendous pick-nick. The heat that day was true to the Brazilian expectations. combined with the beers from the train some of us consumed, well let's say the atmosphere was tipsy dipsy happy! The whole group stopping up at once in front of the sandales'shop to get our feet out of the shoes, then loosing the boys a while, dropping Leandro in the middle of the street taking pictures of a king palmtree, so concentrated that he didn't notice he was stopping the traffic, us hugging the palm tree, Dino trying to speak English to me while I was begging him to speak in Portuguese (hoping that the beer might have hit his mother language less)... The girls then disappeared while I was tempting to gather the male troup and make them join us at the river side. Well, male troup - yes they were only two, but distracted and drifting as they were, it was quite a job.

Picture in front of the king palm tree (photo by Leandro)





Streets and market in Morretes (Photos by Leandro)

Wondering around Morretes

Finally we gather at the river side. Pulling out the pick-nick while the two boys drop into the fresh water... The only two swimmers there at that moment - they managed to intrigue the lazy turists around and within a few minuts we had a line queuing up to see the two male specimens. How much we laughed that day! A happy day, truely.

Family picture (photo by Leandro)

Riverside (photo by Leandro)

The spectacular sight that day in the Morretes river

Pick-nick and chill at the river side

At the end of the afternoon, we take a taxi to Pôrto de Cima, a little village just at the end of a trail road with a beautiful river. Leaving our bags, spreading out a huge piece of fabric and getting fresh beers out, we enjoyed there the last hours before the return to Curitiba: bathing in the fresh waters of the river, balancing on the stones to get in and out, swimming against the stream - almost fighting up the stream, such was the strength of the flow.

Girls out for a refreshing swim (Photo by Leandro)

Our beautiful Isabelle (Photo by Leandro)

Waiting for the bus to Curitiba (photo by Dino)

Finally we take the bus home. Enjoying the last views on the Serra, not much time was needed before the whole group fell into a heavy nap, while the bus drove on the motorway to Curitiba. From the rodoviaria, we catch a bus home and off goes the activities of each one: Dino had to play at night, as every Saterday night, Flá disappeared, Ana and Isabelle went back to their house while Janaina went to take care of some neighbour dogs. We really just had reached the house that rain poured down. What is then the most obvious activity on Saterday evening with such a weather: movie and pop-corn! That was for Leandro and I, the evening plan.

What a perfect day, this was!

Poty

I had noticed the reluctant artistic expression in all the wall and mosaic works but not really noticing who it was. Fabiano, a good colleague of mine, has revealed the name behind those art works: Poty. A very good friend of Jaime Lerner, by the way, as most artists and creative people in this city.

On the front of Teatro Guaira...

In the Torre Panoramico...

On the wall behind the cathedral, next to Largo da Ordem...

The themes are anchored in the Paranese culture and history: the Araucaria tree of course, the working people, the many different origins and related architecture styles, the old tram-way and the latest transport system (with the drawing of Poty's fantastic imaginary world inside the tubo station!), the fairs and markets, the circus, the Farol do Saber (meaning lighthouse of knowledge), the Botanical garden pavillon... everything and everyone that constitute or contribute somehow to construct and represent Curitiba and Paraná.

The line is simple, a bit naive almost, could be considered close to childish, but at the same time, it is brilliant in its simplicity. Beautiful and powerful images, loyal references to the origin and origins of Paraná.

Praça Vinte e Nove de Março - the Araucaria tree, Paranese pine tree

In Torre Paronamico - fishers and scenes from rua XV de Novembro with the first tram-ways pulled by mules

Daytrip to Morretes

Wednesday was the day of the dead - a Christian holiday in Brazil. Rapid planning and here goes the journey to Morretes, a city just on the other side of the Serra do Mar, the mountains between Curitiba and the coast. It is a city situated right in the middle of the Mata Atlantica, the coastal jungle forest... How was it again, something like 4% of the 17-19% left and existing in Brazil are located here around. Numbers - not very important when you are there... The beauty of the scenery is breath-taking and that is all that matters there. Whatever is left, it should be taken good care of anyway!

Pedro's CS guests, Guido and Arwen, are embarking the trip - by train! An adventure in itself given the few train lines in Brazil. "Atenção!!!" screams the guide in he wagon " No lado direito - cachoeira!" or " Em 7 minutes, no lado esquerdo, rio Ipiranga, primeira vez!"... "Mais 7 minutes e rio Ipiranga secunda vez! Atenção!!! Camera foto, pronto, no esquerdo!" CRAZY! LOUCO! And the people tumbling from one side to another in this old train, so that I almost thought the whole wagon would tilt over, down in the marvellous canion... Beautiful place for such a dramatic end, but fortunately the old rails and wagons kept on the way bringing us through this fantastic landscape and down to the warm and charming Morretes.

1: Arwen and Guido on the train - 2: passing tunnels...

1: cultural heritage on the way - 2: river Ipiranga

1: canion - 2: clouds hanging over the Serra

1: view towards the coast - 2: cachoeira

The plan was to have lunch, have a quick walk in the city and then aim for a little hike before getting a bus home. Only thing is that the concurring guides mislead us by telling us that a whole day and night over (of course in their pousada!) was necessary to get the full experience and go for a hike in one afternoon was pratically impossible if you didn't know the place and the forest. It says though that the trails are well marked - especially if you just go for a two hours walk or so...

Arrinving at Morretes

1: everything with banana and manioc - 2: colourful facades

Impressions from the streets and yards

Shops...

...and river side

Anyway, we enjoyed the city and its surroundings instead. Walking through the historic center and the market stands, the idylic river side, tasting bala de banana and local cachaças! Definately cachaça de banana was my favourite... And then after a big lunch in a little restaurant and a nice nap on the waterside, we headed for a walk, picking a road that seemed to lead to the mountains. It didn't. But the nature, the vegetation, the views we had on the way - and the fun!- were more than fascinating and our curiosity enough to make this boring asphalted road (probably the thought of a local) into our discovery road. Palm trees and banana flowers. Bamboos of giant size, singing somehow as they were rubbing and pushing against each other. A river, beautiful, blue, reflecting the sky and mountains. A hairy worm and huge blue butterflies.

1: banana flower (eatable apparently) - 2: immense bamboos

1: hairy fellow - 2: Arwen at the river

Impressions of late afternoon in the city

Back again, a quick coffee - brazilian coffee...nice! - and there we go to the other side.

Even the coffee is pretty...We had four photo cameras over our cups!

The road here is of earth, leading down to the cemetery and further to the surrounding neighbourhoods. More humble and simple in looks, the houses vary from regular ones to shaggy ones (but with big screen computer inside the living room! Contrasting you could say...), coloured ones, some surrounded by dogs, some by chickens - when I say surrounded, I mean it litteraly! -, children playing joyfully, swinging on a rope attached to a tree, or teenagers playing fancy on motorbikes. A horse. A mule. An old abandonned factory. People selling flowers for the cemetery visiters.

1: cemetery - 2: house lost on the hill

Houses around Morretes

Chicken and kids...

1: bird in the cemetery - 2: José's backyard and VW van

Last discovery in Morretes before catching our bus is the local baker, José Augusta da Cruz. As Arwen was taking a picture of the yard with the old VW van, he pops out and invites her in - curious or a bit worried, she waves at Guido and I to come. The baker invites us in to see one of the few remaining stone ovens on the country: two in Morretes, four in Curitiba and that should be it, besides a few in São Paulo maybe. He shows us the oven, explains the functionning, his ideas of improving its efficiency with a sustainable system of his invention - which by te way he would like to patent. His engineer of son has agreed and checked it and he is rassembling the budget for doing this abroad so that it can serve other countries (apparently even China doesn't have such a system as his, according to his saying), and avoid the corrupted veto of some local politicians. He describes the bread, the baking, the technics to take it in and out, he offers us to taste it and pours ou butter and knife! What a lucky coincidence to meet him, what an interesting meeting!

1: Arwen, Guido and José - 2: warm bread from the oven

Finally we thank our new friend José and hurry down the street with bread in our pockets and hands. It is late and getting dark. The bus leaves in 20 minutes. A last look to the mountains - all streets of the city have this amazing perspective with the curve and shadows of the mount as back scenery. Blues, greens, shadows of all colours as the sun, clouds and hours pass. Beautiful! Truely!

Typical Morretes street perspective

That was a wonderful day, a beautiful city and a nice visit with some new very sympathic friends! Good that they are staying a bit in the city, so that we can enjoy each other's company a bit more. Yeah, Arwen and Guido will stick around for some weeks, the time to learn Portuguese before carrying on the trip to an organic farm where they'll be helping out for 6-7 months. Great!

Oh and by the way, just to brag about it... If you noticed, Arwen and Guido will be learning Portuguese, which means that they don't speak it quite yet. Yes, indeed, I was the translator of the day: tickets, crazy guide information, asking for price or way, translating the story of the baker...everything in Portuguese. It was me - yay, how is that - impressed...?!