Lirio

I would recommend to get a better time frame. The airport is far from the port area. I was there last August.

A day at the Museums in Sao Paulo: Ipiranga (about our independence 200 years on 2022 and about the bandeiras I mentioned yesterday), Pinacoteca (modern art) and Lingua portuguesa (portuguese language).

The pictures show the front of Ipiranga Museum, 2 main Bandeirantes, the Ipiranga Museum yards, a scupture and a picture from Pincoteca and vase from the Portuguese Language Museum. One thing that I like form the last musuem is a room where um listen to several languages from around the world like a babel tower, impossible to show on a picture.

Visiting the historic center of São Paulo which is the capital of Sao Paulo State.

First “Patio do Colegio” - Where the city was first established at Jan. 25, 1554. Nearby is the house of Marquesa do Santos.

In the beginning of our history, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador in Bahia were the main city. Sao Paulo was just a small poor area. But from Sao Paulo, the first pioneers moved west to hunt for Indians for slaves and in a search for gold and other precious metals. Those brave men were called “Bandeirantes” and each trip was called “Bandeiras”.

In the 20^th, Sao Paulo went on an industrial revolution and became to be the richest state in the country.

Later I visited to the Theatro Municipal from early 20^th century. 

11 minutes ago, Lirio said:

I was very unhappy that we decided not to cruise this year. So we decided to change our minds and booked a 7 day cruise Venice-Venice in the Spirit next August. Plus few days on a land trip in Italy.

 

But the best part of it: my daughter is joining us for 1st time in a cruise!

 

Bad side: SS is not offering pre cruise hotel + transfer for us because we choose  P2P. We wish we could pay to get the pre cruise 1 night hotel and the transfer to the pier (Fusina) from SS. But it is not possible. The weird is that SS doen not offer D2D from Brazil!!!

 

So now I will start to search information about embarkation in Fusina.

 

Weekend in Sao Paulo. Pictures soon.

Never visited Venece before. Any recomendation will be much appreciated. And in the ports of Croacia.

I was very unhappy that we decided not to cruise this year. So we decided to change our minds and booked a 7 day cruise Venice-Venice in the Spirit next August. Plus few days on a land trip in Italy.

But the best part of it: my daughter is joining us for 1st time in a cruise!

Bad side: SS is not offering pre cruise hotel + transfer for us because we choose  P2P. We wish we could pay to get the pre cruise 1 night hotel and the transfer to the pier (Fusina) from SS. But it is not possible. The weird is that SS doen not offer D2D from Brazil!!!

So now I will start to search information about embarkation in Fusina.

Weekend in Sao Paulo. Pictures soon.

1 hour ago, zqtchas said:

Have you heard of “ When the saints go marching in”?

Plus the other songs they play marching behind the street funerals?

I only know "When the saints go marching in" that I saw in several films....

11 hours ago, zqtchas said:

Actually I think it’s more like Dixieland, which I like better. I did have a chance to chat with Al Hirt.

Dixieland!!!

49 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

check out Commander's Palace in the garden district. need reservations. sometimes not at lunch.

jazz festival is better than mardi gras.

Living in the city of carnaval (that I do not like), I thing Mardi Gras is not the focus.....Jazz seems much better.

7 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Coolers - anyone been to either Namibia or Botswana?

 

Looking for a place to go in October. Botswana seems to have some great lodges and the Okavango Delta looks like a unique place. We've looked at some of the A&K itineraries and also the Sanctuary Lodges. Sanctuary also offers a lodge-hopping itinerary which includes a few days near Victoria Falls to start. We're looking for a mix of game viewing and "other" since we've done a few safaris in the past.

 

We have looked at Namibia for years but cannot get a feel for how to best visit there. Some of the landscapes look unique, and we've actually done a series of virtual walks through Namibia on our treadmill... It looks like a place we must visit, but it seems that everything is far-flung and connecting the dots might be a challenge. Also, it seems that nobody offers an itinerary that COMBINES Victoria Falls with both Botswana and Namibia, which would be perfect for a 2-week trip.

 

Any advice welcome!

While you go Africa in October, I have plans to go to New Orleans for a conference in October. Any advice welcome. I may have 3 or 4 days after the conference.

On 3/18/2023 at 11:38 AM, Mocamps said:

We did one last August and went from Reykjavik to Kangerlussaq and back. Silversea put us up in a hotel in Reykjavik on the way out and back and the charter flight was included in our fare but we made our own way to and from Iceland.

I also did last August and we had the same itinerary. We arranged our own flights to Iceland and after that all was included in our fare. We wnet to Reykjavik to Kangerlussaq and back. Silversea hotel in Reykjavik was Hilton Nordica. 

Sun set in the crowded Ipanema beach in the last summer Sunday! 

14 minutes ago, drron29 said:

Just Australia. 9 hours Brisbane to Singapore, 7.5 hours to Dubai, 6.5 hours to Frankfurt and finally 2.5 hours to Porto.

I know your feelings when I have to go to NZ to visit my daughter......

So many jokes today...........yesterday I visited a gardem in an art center nearby my house. Flowers to you all...

2 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

Am I allowed one of my periodic rants against BA? No? Well, I'm having one anyway. 

 

Booked BA Heathrow to Dublin for past Tuesday early afternoon and return today early afternoon. 

 

Outbound flight cancelled and transferred to one 2 hrs later. Offered the option to cancel but would lose my car park payment, hotel and transfers not to mention the dogs' kennels. Ah well, its only 2 hrs. 

 

Now sitting in Dublin Airport because our early pm flight back is now 19.45! I'm livid. Extra time parking, another night in the kennels for the dogs (thankfully they had space to keep them another night) and won't get home until the wee small hours. 

 

Once, just once, it would be nice to book BA flights that left on time and arrived on time. 

 

I shall, of course, as usual, write a snottogram to their PR dept. It will have no effect but will make me feel better. Travel is painful enough without the "World's Favourite Airline". You'd really think I'd have learnt by now. 

I know your feelings...........

Hello @TayanaLorna how was your trip? Did you manage to do it?

Last day for this trip to Belo Horizonte. Good weather. Visited the former train station that is now the museum of arts and crafts that present the way work was performed in the XVIII to early XX century. Also visited a church on the way. Tomorrow going back to Rio de Janeiro.

Belo Horizonte is the main city of Minas Gerais, land of mining (iron, gold), steel and milk. The best cheeses in Brasil are produced here. In the pictures an early mining equipment and cheese plates.  Pictures also includes the train station inside and outside, box office, a river ship model, a braziliam cowboy.

21 hours ago, Lvshack said:

Hi water coolers .. I know I don't contribute much to this thread but follow it with much interest .. the  today's funnies I laugh 😂..so much.. my husband and I were booked to go on silversea silver moon Oct ( 12 nights Barcelona to Athens ) but we have to cancel 😢as my pesky myeloma has decided to rear its head again ( after 10 years stem cell transplant) so I will be back on chemo & a further stem cell transplant... Happy days 🥂 but I'm hoping that the cruise for 2024 will be on !!! . keep the funnies coming..silversea cruising since 2005 ...

I hope you make fo 2024. My best wishes.

Back to Belo Horizonte we visited Praça da Liberdade (Freedom Square) where formerly was the government buildings and palace. Now all the buildings around the square are museums, or art galleries. The pictures are of the square, buildings around it and the government house (inside and outside). I lived here in this square for some years in the 70´s. It was my playground.

2 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

I prefer collard green than Kale.  I was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and here how we do collard green. I have it at  home 2-3x per week. 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/garlicky-collard-greens-couve-a-mineira-3029578

And a museum.

Today we visited Sabara a town where the first massive gold exploration took place in early XVIII century. Later the gold mining increased and moved to other areas around and new cities were established. In the pictures, 4 churches with different ages (all from XVIII century). Please note the size and decoration from the first one (smaller) to a big one with decoration outside and inside. In later XVIII and early XIX when gold mining was at the highest level, churches in the new areas are all painted in gold (I will not visit them at this trip). I hope you enjoy.

Visiting abandoned train stations in rural area, One is renovated and now a small museum, and the other almost destroyed (station, mail house and chapel (renovated)).

I do like these historical stations.

San Francisco Chapel in Belo Horizonte. Design by Oscar Niemeyer, tiles from Portinari. Behind, Pampulha lake.

On the road again....It is carnaval and I am getting away of it. Going to Belo Horizonte where I was born. I will try to send some pictures......

11 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

I didn't get it either @jollyjones.  Having negotiated personal medical issues requiring surgery this past week, at first Chas's post just threw me a bit.

Thank you for the clarification, Mysty!

I know we have some doctors present on these boards.  If I may speak as a retired chemical engineer for a moment, I am gratefully stunned by the technology our doctors and nurses wield as they heal us.  The work it must take to master these skills!

 

 

Hi Que, I hope you a getting better every day. I am a chemical engineer, as well.

Tonight house is full for superbowl!