OPEN FLEA MARKET - RUA DO LAVRADIO

when you visit Rio probrably I will take you to a open flea market that happens every first saturday of the month in downtown Rio you will see there  an antique fair at Lavradio street this open flea Market is part of my tours when you are there you feel that you returned to the past because they sell a bit of everything

in Brazil we have a lot of the African influence on the art of carving so there you will find animals in wood similar to the ones you find in Africa

while you walk through the Lavradio street you see old buildings dated from the XIX centtury most of them are being restored by the city council

when you are there  it´s interesting to stop at one of many bars and restaurants where you can enjoy the  snacks and listen to and authentic brazilian samba music

this flea market is near the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro that was inaugurated in 1976 after 12 years of construction  you cannot miss a visit to this church it´s dedicated to San Sebastian the patron of the city and consists of an enormous cone, complete with four beautiful stained-glass windows the cathedral interior is spacious, with enough room to fit over 20,000 people inside, and is home to many paintings, sculptures and murals which were completed by local artists .

CHRIST REDEEMER AND NITERÓI WITH ISIORENE BERNARDINO AND HER FAMILY

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer is located on top of Corcovado Mountain at a hight of 710 meters and it is the most visited touristic attraction in Rio de Janeiro , the Statue was built in 1931 and it is the image of the carioca faith

Isiorene and her Family enjoyed a lot our tour

Home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife, found only in the Atlantic Rainforest, this is Rio's urban forest replanted by man and spread by natural ecological development, which covers some 3,200 hectares. Its historical attractions and enchanting nooks are well worth a leisurely visit. Just a short drive from the financial center downtown, the North Zone and Rio's smart beach districts, its attractions include the Cascatinha Waterfallll, the Mayrink Veiga Chapel all favorite destinations for weekend family outings.The Tijuca Forest was reforested in the middle of the 19 Century after years of intense deforesting and planting (specially coffee plantations).The replanting was a pioneer initiative in all Latin America.

This is one of the fountain that you can find inside the park and can drink water of good quality that comes from the waterfalls

The Tijuca Forest it´s one of the largest Urban National Parks in the world with many species of plants and trees and wildlife

The charming litlle Mayrink Veiga Chapel is known by the brazilian´s Rio society for the sophisticated weddings and it is situated inside the Park

Á Mineira is one of the best Restaurants of all you eat that we have in Niterói , there you can find food from the South of Brazil and has all kinds of different foods for the most discerning palates and they loved to eat there

The Family in the Fort of Santa Cruz ( Niterói ) with a view of the Sugar Loaf  mountain

                                This  is me posing for a picture in front of the cannon  

                                            This Fort was built to protect the entrance of Guanabara Bay

This is what you see when you look from the top od the mountain on National City Park

                                        Me and the girls posing for a picture in the  sunset









   the girls were enjoying a lot  and our tour was almost finishing by the end of the day

THE CHURCHES IN DOWNTOWN AREA

Downtown Rio de Janeiro has many churches , some of those churches took almost over a 100 years to be built , there are convents and monasteries and brazilian barroque , rococo, neoclassic and ecletic masterpiece are all everywhere you look it is a travel through the time , it doens´t matter what belief you may have you will be impressed by the skill of the constrution , criativity and devotion of those temples named São Bento Monastery , Metropolitan Cathedral , Candelária Church to name a few

This famous church is a good example  for the opulent , Neo Barroque Archiqueture

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