The Cosmopolita, one of Lapa's relics from 1906, was serving drinks behind its stained-glass saloon doors. At the Café dos Arcos, a poetry salon was in full swing.
The entire, sizzling nocturnal scene seemed chimerical when I returned to Lapa one sunny weekday afternoon. A bright yellow tramway (no longer in service) trundled its way over the aqueduct, on its way to the hilltop neighbourhood of Santa Teresa. The streets, which nights ago had been filled with fashionistas and late-night revellers, were quiet and reminiscent of a traditional town in the interior.
I stopped at the rustic Adega Flor de Coimbra for a glass of cool red wine (Brazilians like all drinks refrigerated) and bolinhos de bacalhau (cod balls). Opened in 1938, this Portuguese bistro was once a popular haunt where intellectuals, artists and later students and leftists sat around drinking red wine by the glass.
At this same corner sprawls another Lapa landmark, although of a more recent vintage. The "convent stairway" is composed of 215 steps covered with a dazzling mosaic of broken ceramic tiles that lead up to the convent of Santa Teresa.
Selaron, a Chilean artist, began the staircase as a gift to his favourite city. Initially, he purchased antique tiles in Brazil's national hues of green, yellow and blue, but soon people began sending him tiles of all colours from all over the world (including Canada). The result is worthy of Antonio Gaudi.
Wandering beneath the arches and following Avenida Mem de Sa, I passed some beautiful, if slightly worn, buildings. At the century-old Bar Brasil, draft beer is served from an ornate, 90-year-old bronze tower. Lazy ceiling fans and polished wooden freezers contribute to the old world atmosphere.
