Rio Centro

Today we ventured to the center via metro. As we walked around the center, I loved the busy, vibrant feeling. There is just something special about the energy of downtown areas. Our first stop on our walk was the monastery of São Bento from the 1600s. It was beautiful inside and we times or stop perfectly to be able to sit and hear the Gregorian chants. Even though I don't believe in Catholicism, I still love to visit these kinds of places and hearing the chanting and singing of Psalms added to the experience. We actually stopped at several other cathedrals thoughout the day from the large, neo-classical Candelária, to the tiny Igreja de N.Sra.da Lapa dos Mercadores, and ending with the stark and modern Catédral São Sebastião, We ate lunch on possibly the cutest street in Rio. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but I'm a huge sucker for old, narrow street for pedestrians only. This was part of Rio Antigo and is actually a famous area because of its rich history. Carmen Miranda lived in the house next to our little restaurant, for example. I loved it! We walked by a lot of old, important buildings like the Municipal Theater (based on Paris Opera House), Paço Imperial and many others. Unfortunately, Monday is the day that a lot of things are closed, so we couldn't go into the various museums. Instead, we took the old bondinho (tram) over the Lapa Arches, an aqueduct built in 1700s that was converted to a tram line in late 1800s. We went to the beautiful Santa Teresa area where we saw many ateliers and super cute houses with amazing views of the city. We got out and walked to some museums and old buildings and got some nice views of the city before heading back for some more bondinho adventures. The lines kept falling and needing repair, which was a separate adventure in and of itself! After a long day of walking, we were happy to rest at the hotel for a couple hours before heading out to dinner. We ate nearby and strolled around the art fairs that line Copacabana. Again, we were tempted to buy a couple pieces, but didn't have the cash on us. Maybe I'll have to take up painting and recreate our favorites.