We met João then the four of us headed to Mercado Municipal de São Paulo a large market of goods inside and amazing old building. Getting there was interesting going down a large decline with thousands of people walking and street vendors trying to sell goods of all sorts, from angry birds bubble guns, Minions and all types of clothes. After we walked around the market we went up to the second level to the restaurants and waited for seats. We had a feast, including feijoada. After lunch we tried all these exotic fruits and some were purchased to have at the apartment. We then headed for the subway and Liberdade. The entrance to Liberdade is marked by a nine-meter tall red torii (a Japanese arch that marks the entrance to Shinto temples) since 1974. This towering structure, situated on Rua Galvão Bueno, is a distinctive representation of the neighborhood. After walking through the Japanese District we headed over to Largo Sete De Setembro to Catedral de Sé de São Paulo (São Paulo Cathedral). Amazing Cathedral with large parque area. There was a pro-government protest going on below the entrance to the Cathedral. The assembly was peaceful and well organized. Time to go to Casp!te for juice.
Walking to Mercado Municipal de São Paulo a large market from the subway.
Mercado Municipal de São Paulo
Saturday inside this really busy market
On the second floor overlooking the market, while we wait for a table to eat lunch.
Marco, João, Wayne and Keith at lunch.
Feijoada is a stew of beans with beef and pork, which is a typical Portuguese dish. Two other traditional meals, one from João's region in northern Brazil.
The displays are outstanding and beautiful but the fruits are even better to taste.
Liberdade district, Japanese arches along the road
Below the bridge in Liberdade, graffiti along the walls on the highway.
Catedral da Sé de São Paulo (São Paulo Cathedral)
Catedral da Sé de São Paulo
View from the apartment.
That evening we went to Marco and João's friend, Marcello's home for dinner. We met Marcello and his boyfriend, Richard and had a wonderful dinner. Marcello told us we had VIP entry to a place called Cine Joia for Mundi Festa at Palacio Real. This was an amazing theatre and music event with live saxophone player and DJ mixing music for the crowd to dance to then switched off to a DJ duo of mixed extended dance music including Brazilian and American music.
Cine Joia for Mundi Festa at Palacio Real
There was even a show along the walls with moving objects of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and the royals.
On Sunday, Marco took us to Parque Ibraquera for a live concert being played by a famous Brazilian artist, Lenine. He was playing with a full orchestra. After walking the park and having a coffee we took a taxi to Salve Jorge. We had lunch and a couple of beers then we walked down the street to another bar, which sat across from two bars with live Samba music. We sat and listened to the music and watched the women dancing. That evening Marco taught us a Brazilian card game called Truco.
Parque Ibraquera, we could not believe the amount of people at this park on a Sunday. The park is filled with all activities from bicycling, runners, walking, sitting enjoying the day by the lake or music. Weight lifting stations and coffee shops, Planetarium, Afro Brasil Museum and other museums.
Lenine playing on stage.
Fountains in the lake, with a water style show.
Across from the park is the Obelisk of São Paulo, symbol of the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.
Monumento às Bandeiras.
Samba music across the street in a couple of bars, we sat across the street and listened. Enjoying a beer and suco (natural juice).
Marco's favorite view of São Paulo, he drove us over here before we headed back to the apartment.
During the week, Keith had to work and we took some afternoon adventures to walk through Parque Brule Marx down the hill from the apartment, came back and made dinner. That evening we all watched The Voice from the USA. Tuesday afternoon, we took the bus into downtown, where we met Ge a biology teacher from north São Paulo. He helped us get to our destination since we planned to attend a Couchsurfing São Paulo Weekly Meeting #344 at Açaí Bar. We meet some really nice local people Levy, Max (an American Ex-pat from San Francisco), Tiago, Clara from Spain and Amed from Columbia. We met a girl from Northern Portugal and Wayne discussed where his grandparents were from, only to find she lived in a village close to Serra de Freijo.
Parque Burle Marx, hotel going up near the park in the design style of Neimeyer (famous Brazilian architect)
Parque Burle Marx, many walking and running trails in the park below the apartment building.
Beginning of the river, artwork by Jose Spaniol O descanso da sala (2011)
Ginger plant in bloom.
Landscape of how the City and Park work well. This City has many green spaces, which we loved.
We planned to tour the City on Wednesday, so off we went to Igreja Nossa Senhora do Brasil is a church, built in 1940. The Way of the Cross is depicted in blue and white tiles painted frame by frame, of rare beauty. After visiting this really beautiful church we went shopping for swimsuits off of Agosta Avenue near Paulista, which turned out to be a lot of fun. Keith was trying on suits at Ipanema, they designed and made unisex suits. The women working there did not speak English but we tried communicating and were successful in him finding a swimsuit. Afterwards we walked all the way up Agosta to Luz station and to Pinacoteca do Estado museum. We walked around the old British style train station and over to the museum. That night, João made us a typical meal from tapioca and filling the tortilla for dinner and then dessert. We had a really nice meal and many laughs. This was our last night this time in São Paulo.
Igreja Nossa Senhora do Brasil, did not remind us of a traditional Catholic church. This church has frescoes and traditional handprinted imported Portuguese tile throughout.
Ceiling above the pews.
The altar and spectacular ceiling.
Side chapel in blue and white Portuguese tile.
Side of the pink chapel.
We used this rest room, only to find out when we walked out it was the Women's bathroom. At least no one walked in to find to men in there.
Realistic mannequin on the side of the building, from a distance we thought it was a man.
Casa Caetano de Campos, Praça da República, São Paulo
Interesting graffiti along our walk
Estação da Luz (Luz Station) is the common name for a railway station in the Luz neighbourhood in São Paulo, Brazil.
Estação da Luz (Luz Station)
The station was designed and produced by Walter Macfarlane & Co. Saracen Foundry Glasgow. The station was assembled in Glasgow, then disassembled and sent to São Paulo where it was reassembled. The building was designed by the English architect, Henry Driver.
Our hosts in São Paulo were like old friends, their apartment was comfortable and like home away from home. Marco and João were really great hosts, giving us information on places to see while they were at work. One night we watched The Voice, from the US one night and X Factor. We always felt like part of their family. Wayne cooked a couple of meals for all of us, taking cookware out of the second refrigerator. João made this incredible tapioca tortilla dinner with meat filling and same tortilla with a sweet dessert filling. Their Shih Tzu, Luna kept us company while Keith worked.
