Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 25oC, hottish and a clear sky.
Sunday is always a special day. Especially when you have something special to do, you are at peace, and it is a beautiful day. It is a day where you can do whatever you want with whoever you want, or even just with yourself.
I got up and went out to exercise at about 8 am. It was later than usual for during the weekdays but early enough not to hit the stream of people walking, running and with their dogs in front of the beach and the streets connecting with it.
I have noticed that almost every Sunday, there are sponsored running events and because of the carioca heat, the events are scheduled very early in the morning.
I worked out for exactly an hour using a combination of skipping, TRX, and aerobics; I enjoy mixing and changing the series to make it more enjoyable while also seeing if the final result is different. On the way home, I stopped by the local Portuguese baker’s and drank two coffees, checked up on my social media, posted a photo on my Instagram photo account and bought bread, cheese and ham to take home with me. When I arrived, both Yasmin and Nalva were up and having breakfast. I suggested that we go to Praça Sao Salvador.
Praça Sao Salvador is a large public square surrounded by trees, a cobbled street and bars and restaurants facing the square. At one end facing the square is the local fire station with two or three large fire engines tentatively waiting to go into action. Now and again, when somebody is trying to kill him or herself by fire, the engines jump into action and deafen everybody in the vicinity.
In the middle of the square is a large round fountain that informally divides the square into two halves. The side nearest the fire station has a small, enclosed playground for young children, where they can play on swings, slides, etc., and their parents can sit and watch on the half-height wall surrounding the playground.
The other side of the fountain has an inner square with a mini bandstand and a gazebo, which, depending on the day, is principally used for musical events. When not in use, the bandstand gazebo is a home for the homeless to sleep the night or until they are collected or forced by the local council to move on.
The gazebo, made of bricks and slats of wood, is old and worn in a nice kind of way, and with the vines from the neighbouring trees intertwining with it, trying to take it over for themselves, it looks like something you would see in one of those enchanted fairy tale films.
After the cobbled street surrounding the square, bars and restaurants line the square. Visitors can enjoy the music that typically emanates from the bandstand and be part of the lively atmosphere. People also like to buy food and drink and take it to the square to be closer to the music and the movement to socialise. And what a crowd!
Depending on the type of music being played, the place is usually crowded, especially on weekends. Even on certain weeknights, it gets filled when something special is happening, too. If there’s a televised football derby during the week between the traditional big clubs, especially if it involves Flamengo, the square will definitely be packed.
The nearby restaurants set up TVs outside on stands for everyone to watch. It’s fantastic to see hundreds, if not thousands, of people eating and drinking outside while watching an important football game.
Twenty years ago, when I had dogs, I would often go to the square to walk them. At that time, it had not yet been discovered by the mainstream. There would be only a small number of people there at night, and at one corner of the square, a very simple food trailer selling hamburgers would be there, which sometimes I would buy from. That old decrepit food trailer is now gone; it is more organised, not necessarily better, just different.
I loved walking in the evening with the dogs there, usually making a round trip of different routes, sometimes with a long neck, but always listening to music through a pair of cheap headphones.
I was happy, but I did not know it!!!
So, we went to Praça Sao Salvador at about 1 pm., approximately a twenty-minute walk from where we live. As we approached the square from one of the side streets, we could already hear Chorinho playing, a slow style of romantic music from northeast Brazil.
The square was completely packed, and a handicraft fair was happening around the perimeter of the square, with stalls selling all kinds of Brazilian artesenato(handicraft).
The band playing Chorinho was next to the bandstand and the gazebo; the number of musicians was too many for the tiny bandstand. Hundreds of people concentrated around the band, many filming or taking pictures, but all appreciated the slow melody of the chorinho with such good artists. It was a pleasure to be there and see it.
After a while, we left the square and went up a street that took us down into another famous square in Rio, Largo do Machado, another square famous for the northeastern community in Rio.
Nalva wanted to see if a particular shop was open, but it was not. We finally returned at about 4 p.m., had a late lunch, and relaxed. It was a simple but good Sunday.
In bed by 9 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post. Feel free to explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
