72 hours in Rio

Deliciously hectic!

If I listed everything I did in 72 hours, one would think I am mad… Well, that you already know I am…

So, I will only give you the highlight! The purpose of the trip was a wedding…

Now, let me tell you the before, the during and the after… of the wedding…

The Before… Shopping and eating…. I love the Brazilian shoes… A few weeks ago I came across a brand which is called NOT A SHOE… It is actually not a shoe but THE shoe… It is a bijou… So beautiful that I could not resist and bought 2 pairs…

Eating… Well, the day has 3 meals… And I made sure I made the most of it…

For Breakfast, I started my day with delicious cheese breads… Freshly out of the oven, these small little balls are just toooooo good… In portuguese called Pão de Queijo… It is something one must try when visiting Brazilian land…

For Lunch…. Invited by a very good and old friend (25 years of friendship), I had the chance to visit the newly open Xian Restaurant at the Bossa Nova Mall. Situated in front of the bay facing the Sugar Loaf… the view is an attraction on itself… The food as the name suggests is Asian and delicious… I would say Asian cuisine with Brazilian exoticism… a great place to visit, enjoy and feel the Rio vibe…

Dinner… go to Brazil and not eating in a churrascaria is the same as not going…. Barra Brasa was our choice and it was impeccable… Picanha, ribs, chicken, sausages…. OMG…. I forget how much I love beef…

Now, next step… The wedding… Before we got there as the ceremony was in a castle in Itaipava which is about 2 hours drive from Rio, we had to do a pit stop at the Casa do Alemão… This is a snack shop on the road which serves Sausage on the bread and German sweets. A traditional house opened in 1945, it is the MUST pit stop on the way to Petrópolis, which is the Imperial city of Brazil. As you may know, Rio was the only capital of an European Empire outside Europe, this when the Portuguese royal family therein lived. Petrópolis is full of palaces and the historical heritage is worth getting to know.

The Wedding… It took place in this amazing castle which also has a quite exotic story… A 18th century Baron decided that he wanted to have a medieval castle in Brazil… So he commissions the construction of it with stones from Europe… He lived in the castle for several years and it happens to be the only medieval castle in South America.

A few words on the venue… Very touching and a true story of love despite all the odds… All beautifully decorated… Just perfect…

After the wedding… HANGOVER!!!! RAIN!!! A real tropical storm and more Hangover…

I could not even give myself the luxury to stay in bed… It was time to go back…

Until the next destination…

XX Valentina