Santa Teresa, Rio

Santa Teresa is a neighborhood located on a high hill in Rio. The streets are entirely made of cobblestone and have tracks for a still-running trolley system. We stayed in this area for one night and explored the area and its shops, restaurants, and unique buildings. We went to an old castle that had been converted into a park for tourists that was located at a great vantage point over the city. We rode the trolley and enjoyed watching the local kids jump on and off of it as it went up and down the steep, stone steps.

Salvador Beaches

The Salvador beach is known for its sunsets. We were able to catch 3 sunsets along the beach out across the ocean. Amanda and Blake enjoyed feeding sand crabs pieces of coconut. We walked along the waterfront and watched surfers as well as took photos of the interesting and colorful fishing and recreational boats.

Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

We flew to Salvador after Buzios to see another area of Brazil. This area is called Bahia, the largest bay in Brazil. We spent time at the beach that was located right across the street from our hotel. One night they had an Aquathon--where athletes would run several miles in a loop on the sand and then swim about a mile in the water and then get out and run again. It was really enjoyable to watch. We spent a day wandering around the old area of the city, called Pelourinho. There were a lot of artisans, restaurants, shops, and chapels. This area of Brazil was very diverse and is known for its large "Carnaval" festival--the 2nd largest in Brazil after Rio. On the last morning we were there, they had a parade of people on stilts and in costume with loud music blaring down the street. It was entertaining to see all the people.

Buzios, Brazil

Buzios is a resort and beach town with 23 carved out beaches on an interestingly shaped peninsula. It became notorious for European travelers because the actress Bridget Bardot went there often. They even have a street in the small town named after her. We spent my 30th birthday in this town and ate a Thai restaurant along the waterfront. We spent 2 days sunbathing at the beach and enjoying the plethera of items being sold--sandwiches, fresh oysters, dresses, table linens, small toy boats, luggage, dish towels, fruit salad, etc. The pausada (cabin) we were in was on a hill that overlooked the ocean. The central part of town had cobblestone streets with many clothing shops and restaurants and was entirely pedestrian.

Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro

Ipanema Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Brazil. It has white sand, great surfing and windsurfing waves, mountains in the distance and at one end, an island in the water, and palm trees lining it. The area and most of the cities we went to are infamous for their patterned sidewalks as well--using a mosaic-style stone in black and white. On the beach there were people selling everything imaginable---food, sunglasses, towels, jewelry, and even bathing suits (as seen in the photo above hanging from an umbrella). We drank coconut milk and carved out the soft areas to eat. Blake joined into a "futevolei" game, which is a combination of soccer and volleyball where you hit the ball with everything except your hands over the volleyball net. Blake was really good at it, because he hit the ball with his head.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

We traveled to Brazil and met my sister, Amanda there. We spent 10 days traveling between 3 cities. We first flew into Rio de Janeiro an enormous city nestled along the coast and in between mountains. We rode a cable/gondola up the mountain, Pao de Azucar (which means "sugar loaf") and got an amazing view of the whole city from above at night. We also visited a famous contemporary art museum in a neighboring town in which we rode a ferry across the bay to reach. We spent time on the beaches enjoying the unique culture, people, food, and amazing scenery. We were surprised at how different Brazil is from Argentina. It is much more diverse, laid back, informal, and athletic. The city has a large lake in the middle of it as well, where Blake got a chance to jog along the running/biking paths. Even though we were in the city at a "low season" there were so many people out and about. We also ate at a popular Brazilian Steakhouse, where they bring all the meat to you on a spear/stake and carve it right in front of you.

April Artwork

Between visitors, during visits, and after....we have been able to get a few pieces of art completed. Here are several of our newest images. Blake's artworks are the illustrative, colorful images with silhouetted figures. One series is of an old man at a cafe and the other 4 images are from photos taken in Peru. My works are the emulsion pieces with a photo/oil paint combo, the drip paintings of doors in Peru, and the acrylic ironwork.

More Artwork....

More Artwork.....

More Artwork....

More Artwork....