chorinho na praça

Should you happen to go up to the Corcovado by the little train which leaves from Cosme Velho (it is suggested that you get tickets in advance, especially in the summer, as the lines can be quite long) and it is a Saturday, you might consider going down the Avenida Laranjeiras a bit more and turn into Rua General Glicério. Soon you will get to the open market (feira) and in the square there will be music, chorinho to be precise, a type of Brazilian popular music. Chorinho means ´little lament´ but in fact the music is quite happy.

This neighborhood is off the usual tourist track and quite charming. Make sure to try a pastel, a deep-fried pastry filled with usually cheese or meat or hearts of palm

The market and entertainment happens every Saturday until about 2pm

Need to add pics

Largo do Boticário

A charming reminder of Old Rio.

The Rio Carioca flows alongside a little square, surrounded by homes which were built in a neocolonial style, in the twenties with……….. retrieved from homes in the center of Rio which were being destroyed to give way to high rises and businesses.

The Rio Carioca is the reason inhabitants of Rio are called Cariocas. In those days the river provided the city with clear waters (no longer so unfortunately). The Tamoyo Indians believed that a bath in the river would increase a women’s beauty and the virility of a man.

One of the houses has a musharabi, much used in Arab countries, a fanciful stonework which hid the women looking out of the windows. Although quite popular in Spain and Portugal at the time, they were forbidden in Brazil by the King Jo’ao VI, because he was afraid of assassins.