Monday 8th July
Amber weather warnings for "cold" weather have issued from the local news as the São Paulo winter sets in, bringing 6C nights and clear, cool days.
Exotic summer fruits have been replaced by warming winter Caldo Verde soup, spiced Honey Cake, cups of hot wine filled with pineapple chunks, and steaming Quentão - the Brazilian version of gluhwein.
Dotted around São Paulo, lively stalls under fluttering flags signify the arrival of Festa Junina (June Festival) - a typically Brazilian agricultural-come-catholic-come-funfair with roots in European midsummer celebrations. People gather to eat, drink, dance quadrilha and play bingo to the accompaniment of Sertanejo classics to which everyone knows the words.
This short Brazillian advertisement nicely captures the cozy Festa Juninha feeling - completely different from stereotypes of Brazil! While this tongue in cheek beer advertisement shows some of the games & dances.
Fancy coffee shops have started coco dusting snowflakes onto their hot beverages, and on a weekend getaway we stayed in a cabin with a *log fire*.
Four weeks after returning to Brazil, six months after I left in January, at the height of the Brazillian summer, it feels like Christmas has finally arrived.
- Nívea enjoying tapioca sweet at one of several Festa Juninas we visited. Often organised by Catholic Churches, the stalls tend to be run by volunteers serving delicious homemade food at very reasonable prices -
- After several weeks of moving in and out of various hotels around São Paulo, we've finally found a well located and equipped apartment in Pinheiros -
- Adjusting to life on the 17th floor! We are lucky to have what must be one of the greenest views in São Paulo, slightly marred by being directly under the final flight approach into the local airport, looking out to a smelly river and one of the main traffic arteries in São Paulo with 10 lanes full of cars, and motorcycles -
- Pastel, a sort of fried pastry served with various combinations of cheese/meat/veg is a very delicious snack -
- São Paulo is home to the world's largest Japanese-descendant population. Here Nívea and I make Takoyaki at a friend's house -
