Here is some more of that unique grafity that you see all over the place.
The beaches were particularly crowded on the weekends. Here you can see all of those umbrellas on the beach.
They have a portion of the road reserved just for bicyclists and joggers along the beach stretch. Lezlea and I noticed that we didn't see any fat Brasilians.
Here is the entrance to the Forte de Copacabana.
I think these guys are modeled after the guards in London. You know, the ones who are supposed to be absolutely still, not smile, blink or acknowledge your presence.
The views from the fort were awesome of Copacabana beach. Ironically, along the beaches are the resort hotels and condos. On the mountainside, you see the favelas (slum areas).
Here is my Uncle Guy and his wonderful wife, Marcia.
Another beautiful view from the fort. I love all the mountains.
Here I am in front of the stone wall at the fort.
This is the entrance to the actual fort.
Here I am with my Uncle Guy. We ate at the Confeteria de Columbo here at the fort. I have to say it was some of THE BEST food I've eaten. I had this most wonderful salad. We also ordered three different pastries (the kinds with meat and cheeses and chicken in them). I would love to learn how to make them or at least find a place to buy them.
This place is known for it's desserts so we had to try them. Lezlea got a brownie with ice cream and whipped cream. It looked good, but she said it was the best brownie she had ever had. That is saying something. I think I had a little chocolate tart that was very good as well, but I really loved the cheese pastries. Brie is a very popular cheese there and I've not had much exposure to it. I just bought some to try and make some Brasilian dishes with.
After lunch, we dropped Guy back off at the apartment to rest. Marcia needed to go to the grocery store so Lezlea and I went with her. Across the street from the supermarket was the most wonderful cemetary Lezlea or I had ever seen. It was beautiful. Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful sculptures, ornate headstones of all shapes and sizes. We marched in with cameras in hand and the attendant shook his head that we weren't allowed to take pictures. The only thing I could figure is it was either a privacy issue, or a respect issue. My thought was, what better way to pay tribute to their loved one's passing then the beautiful art.
Lezlea and I learned from then on, to be more discreet with our cameras. My camera was smaller and less noticeable, so I snuck a few photos. Marcia said that both of her parents were buried in that cemetary. She was surprised we weren't supposed to take photos. Maybe because we looked like American tourists?
Some more from that cemetary.
These headstones were huge! It looked like all burials were above ground in crypts.
Here is a photo from the supermarket. It had a parking garage below it. On the bottom shelf is the milk in cartons that we drank the whole time there.
Afterwards, Marcia took us to a beautiful park where this old mansion rested underneath Corcovado Mountain. Inside, they had turned it into a place where students could showcase their art. There was a little eating place and small tables all around a pool (that obviously wasn't being used at the time - water dingy).
At the top right of this picture sits the Christ statue on top of that mountain. You can barely see it in the photo but you can see it clearly from that perspective. This photo is inside the courtyard area.
Here is Marcia inside the courtyard. She was truly a wonderful hostess. She has a sarcastic quick wit about her that makes her such a perfect fit into the Archer family. :)
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