Leme Beach Series, Part 6 - Churros

"A churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried-dough pastry-based snack, sometimes made from potato dough, that originated in Spain. Churros are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, Australia, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands." (From Wikipedia)


This was all news to me. I had no idea it originated in Spain, all i know is that for years it smelled like end of class snack after high school, while waiting for my granddad to pick me up... Sometimes while watching the frequent summer rains in Rio, or watching the other kids play with never ending energy, it was my constant companion during my childhood.

Leme Beach Series, Part 5 - Work it out...

"Gym  for all" near Leme Stone...

Leme Beach Series - Part 4

My Rio de Janeiro,
By Paulo Coelho

“It is hard for a man to make any city worthy of such surroundings as nature has given to Rio.”—James Bryce.

Rio is a city where people live within their own limits, afraid of street violence, but not afraid of singing in the streets. Where the smooth sea pats the rugged mountain to show that life, like nature, is full of contrasts. A city where the sidewalks on its main beach are made of black and white stones, of darkness and light. A city where men and women come in all colors and in all creeds, and never argue because of that—but are constantly killing each other for worthless things, like the best samba song or the best soccer team. A city where 11.5 million people can dwell on top of each other, and the extreme poverty exists side by side with the most ostentatious wealth, and it is all part of daily life. A city able to teach each of its citizens the importance of one of William Blake’s Proverbs of Hell: "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom." A city where midway points do not exist, where forests are found downtown, and high rises are in the suburbs. A city with love and hatred. Where mayors come and go and are not able to destroy the city, no matter how hard they try. A city where the glory of the past is today’s madness and also the hope for the future.

A city where the real quality of life lies in the fact that it is difficult, tense, harsh, funny, crazy, unbearable, unforgettable. A city that can be called a city, politically incorrect and deliciously treacherous. A city where sea waves create one of its limits, and the mountains take charge of spreading its structures along the coast as a line, because it simply refuses to grow in the boring circular way of all other cities.

If you find another city with all of this, please let me know. But I know only the city of Rio de Janeiro, and that’s the reason why, for the moment, I will stay here.

Rio. The real thing.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/rio-de-janeiro-essay/

Leme Beach Series - Especially for Jimmy!

To Jimmy and all who love my city as much as I do: This is a sunset sequence in a wonderfully lazy Sunday afternoon, in the area between Copacabana and Leme, heading to Leme Stone. I was alone that day, but, still, I wasn't lonely. I never felt lonely here...

See you all tomorrow;)

Leme Beach series, Part 2 - Too hot? Cool off...

Leme Beach series, Part 1 - Leme Beach and me

I will start a series of pics about Leme Beach, since this is where I have always felt at home...
Here I am, watching an amazing sunset....

Carioca Classics, Parts 2 and 3: Brigadeiro and Guarana...

We were at this kid's party the other day where I could indulge myself on the Brazilian national soda, guarana (tastes like ginger ale/cherry, i think), and the wonderful chocolate snack...

Just like the ones I have at home...

My nephew watching airplanes depart @ Rio International Airport.

Always so good to return home...

Forests, forests, forests, plains, swamps, mountains, then finally... Rio:)

By the way, I love them all...

Please, sun, come back...

Cariocas do not like cloudy days... nor rainy days... But I can enjoy the trendy Ipanema beach in any kind of weather...

Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro

Municipal Theater, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, built in 1909, downtown Rio. Today it is home to the Petrobras and the Brazilian Symphonic Orchestras. I have never been there, but hopefully someday...
PS: Sorry, the pic is not all that great, but I was inside the bus, and when you're in downtown Rio, you don't want to miss your bus... neither a good shot:)

Wishing we had more flags around the city...

First pic:  Aterro do Flamengo , Second: Leme (@ Princesa Isabel and Atlantica Avenue)

Keep it up

Lone jogger on Barra beach, around 6 pm...

Countdown to Rock in Rio 4...

Rock in Rio 4 will be held on September 23rd, 24th, 25th and 30th, and October 1-2nd, 2011,

bands confirmed so far: Angra, Capital Inicial, Claudia Leitte, Coheed and Cambria, Coldplay, Elton John, Katy Perry, Metallica, Motorhead, NX Zero, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rihanna, Sepultura, Skank, Slipknot, Snow Patrol, Stone Sour.

Cangas, anyone?

These men work hard, under the 40C (100F) sun... selling the very carioca "cangas", very light beach towels. (Pic taken at Leme Beach) I'm sure they're sold everywhere in the world, but can you beat the price? 15 reais, around 10 dollars for the towels and 30 reais, around 17 dollars for the dresses...

Of course i "had" to buy the dress... I bought the first one, right there:)

Carioca classics, Part I - Acai and coxinha

For those who never tasted it, I know, I know... Acai doesn't look very appealing... But those who have tried it know what I'm talking about... I love this thing!! Acai is a northern Brazilian fruit that became very popular on the 90's as an energy drink... it's very popular, from the gym-goers to the trivial cariocas... The coxinha, "little chicken thigh" is a non-greasy shredded chicken snack...

Give them a try one day and you'll know what I'm talking about...

A carioca Santa Claus...

... promoting the grocery store "Zona Sul", at Jardim Botanico neighborhood. He is probably the only one getting a tan, since we are not getting any recently with this cloudy weather...

Rio time lapse video - December 2008

Quick ride from Barra da Tijuca to Leblon... Sao Conrado, Gavea and Rocinha in between...

Welcome to the marvelous city!!

Inside Rio de janeiro International Airport: Passport control, same old same old, Ronaldinho's endorsement of cell phone carrier Oi ("Hello"), Sign greeting us to this fabulous city...

Casa Shopping ad

This was a billboard for Casa Shopping, a mall in the west zone of Rio. Corcovado statue, the Maracana (biggest soccer stadium in the world), Gavea Stone, Copacabana Beach sidewalk, and the MAM (Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro)