Welcome to Rio
one of the most famous cities of Brazil , full of things to do ,
known for its surf beaches , its colors ,
for its wild Carnival , is a series of contrasts
over 600 favelas are opposed to the tops of skyscrapers , lagoons contend the sea , the reflections of the sky,
wealth and poverty live in this city of a thousand shades … a city that arouses strong emotions !

Let’s look at what needs to be absolutely visited :

Christ the Redeemer is one of the symbols of Rio ,
is located at 700 mt above sea level , on the top of the Corcovado ,
The statue is 38 meters high and is situated overlooking the city and the Bay of Rio .

The Sugarloaf is another undisputed symbol is one of the ” morros ” the most famous in the world ;
morros are the granite hills covered with tropical jungle,
by a cable-car , you can reach the top where you can enjoy a fantastic view :
on the one hand Copacabana beach with the fine white sand , on the other hand, the beauty of Botafogo Bay with the harbor and skyscrapers

The green pearl Rio consists of the Tijuca National Park ,
if the city is so beautiful,
it is due precisely to the Tijuca massif , which forms the backbone of the city .

Here is another peculiarity: the Staircase Selaron ,
Selaron had moved to Rio recently and started to renovate dilapidated few steps closer to his home ,
began to cover the stairs with tiles in the colors of the Brazilian flag ;
sold many of his paintings to finish this work that it became almost an obsession ,
work turned out very long and expensive.
The original tiles were salvaged from construction sites but then in recent years
most of them were donated by visitors from all parts of the world.
The staircase is composed of more than 2000 of which more than 300 tiles hand-painted by Selaron .

Carnival is an event known worldwide,
floats and colorful costumes, samba dancers beautiful and talented .
the most prestigious schools of samba partecipate at this event
each has from 3000 to 4000 sambisti …it is certainly a magical and unforgettable !

And we are … the most beautiful beaches in Rio are Copacabana and Ipanema,
the latter is said to be more quiet and reserved than in Copacabana …
everywhere beach volleyball courts , kiosks where you can find great coconuts to drink through a straw
you would like stay here for ever!

And now we come to the kitchen, who was born in this country from
a winning combination of an indigenous , Portuguese and African cuisines,
we say that the three influences blend seamlessly , creating special and delicious dishes!

And our dinner starts with the Brazilian national dish , feijoada ,  it is prepared with rice ,blacks beans , pork and beef

Another dish is the well-known Brazilian churrasco ,
meat cooked on the grill and served in the typical ” churrascarias ” , the spit is brought directly on the table and is sliced ​​by the waiter

The fish and seafood are the masters
clams , shrimp , oysters and fantastic aragosste the Northeast … the great caranguejos (crabs )

And the fruit ?
Wonderful … pineapple, passion fruit , papaya, melons , grapes , guarana, a triumph of flavors and fragrances !

Here are the desserts … the brigadeiro is a typical cake made ​​with chocolate condensed milk and butter , a true delight

the Cocada and another delicious sweet for people like me who loves the coconut ,
the Beijinho are a variant of brigadeiro , beijinho means peck , the base is always the condensed milk , but the place of the chocolate is the coconut

Our evening ends here in Brazil ,
I hope you enjoyed it … but when you’re all together is always good
I return to my beloved … divanuccio with my usual espresso !

Until next time!

And … the journey continues!