Family Blog

Yesterday we went to the canyon of Itaimbezinho, one of the canyons in the south of Brazil. The road to the national park of "Aparados da Serra" where this canyon is placed was mostly unfortified. We had rent a VW Gol and the way the national park was a little bit exhausting for us because we can't drive fast. The Brazilian driver seems to ignore the condition of the road - we were passed several times.

The walk around the canyon was beautiful. You walk through rain forest (the Mata Atlântica) which were covered with moss and kind of grass (it seems to very humid most of the time). After 3 km of walking you have a good view down the canyon, about 700 meters deep.

On the way back we saw some skateboard driver on the road (some parts of the road were asphalted). Some minutes later a car comes up the hill with the skateboard drivers in tow. And the next downhill race starts. One skateboard driver we tried to follow but had some problems because he was too fast for us. But on the end of the asphalted road we got him.

We used the intercity bus from Curitiba to Florianopolis and arrived the day before yesterday in the late afternoon. Yesterday we explored the north of the island. Floripa has many, many beautiful beaches but unfortunately it was too cold for us to go into the water (it is winter here in Brazil). But the sun was shining and we walked along some beaches.

Today we went to Praia do Rosa and Imbituba to watch the whales. But the weather was cloudy and the sea a little bit stormy and no whales in sight. So we went back to Florianopolis. This time we went to the South of the island.

We used the Tourism Line to visit Curitiba. With this bus line you have the choice of 5 places of interest. One of our choice was the Oscar Niemeyer Museum - a great architecture.

One of the other attractions for us were the bus station - they look like a docking station for the next trip to the moon. Curitiba has a very good bus infrastructure and got the Globe Sustainable City Award in 2010.

On Sunday we visit the Iguaçu Falls, one of New Seven Wonders of Nature. The length of the whole waterfall is about 2.7 kilometer and you first saw the smaller part of the falls. And also this part is very impressive. The trail on the Brazilian side ends at Devil's Throat where a pedestrian bridge goes over half of the river and you can see (and feel) the amazing waterfall (about 80 m high). Independent from the weather you are wet when you go back from this bridge but it is worth to.

Near the Iguaçu Falls there is also a Bird's Park with many exotic birds from the near in a natural environment. Together with the waterfalls I took over 500 photos at this day.

On the 2nd day in Foz du Iguaçu we were in a churrascaria where you get grilled meat. Several meat waiter run around with a skewer with different sort of meats (or even grilled pineapple) and they will cut of a piece at your table if you want. It was a delicious evening.

Rio is after São Paulo the largest city in Brazil, but with much more green areas and lovely places. On the most famous view points, the Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer statue you have a great view over Rio and the Copaccabana. The trip to the statue with a cog railway (made in Switzerland) takes you back in time and is an experience you don't forget.

The ideas you have as European from Brazil you'll find most of it at the Copaccabana. The beach is full of life and in the evening you see people jogging or doing other kinds of sports, you see teams playing soccer or beach ball - no wonder Brazil is so good in these sports.

Our next destination is Salvador da Bahia - completely different than São Paulo. It is also a busy city but with colorful houses in the historic part. Many houses are renovated and the historic centre was declared in 1985 as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

Most of the Brazilians here have African roots and you can see a lot of African arts here. And you here a lot of music if you walk thru the streets. At some places you can see also men practicing Capoeira, a unique mix of dance and martial art.

One of the topographic feature is the division in a upper and lower town which is connected by the Elevador Lacerda, since 1873. The trip from the upper to the lower town costs only a few cent and is the fast way to get down to the ferry.

São Paulo is a big city with many skyscrapers and cement. But there are some nice places you should visit. One of it is the Catedral da Sé which looks like a big gothic church but which was built in the last century (from 1913 till 1967).

The Edifício do Banespa is a scyscraper with a viewing platform on the 35th floor. There you have 5 minutes to enjoy the view over São Paulo. But before you can enter the platform you have to show your passport at the entrance of the building.

At Monday we left Germany at 36°C. On Thursday we arrived at 5 o'clock in the morning in São Paulo: cold and rainy. When we arrived Florianopolis our daughter told us, that it had snowed in Curitiba - the first snow since over 30 years.

Unfortunately the houses here in Brazil are not prepared for winter - no isolation and no heating, only air-condition.

Yesterday you could see the first reports of the protests in Brazil. One of the cause of the protests was the price rice of the public transportations. But the real cause of the protests is the dissatisfaction of the people with the politics - too much tax and too much corruption.

For more info you can read Carmen's article (in German) on aufschrieb.blogspot.de. She is studying in Florianópolis in the south of Brazil.

Last week our daughter started her flight to Florianopolis, Brazil where she will stay for one semester. Now she has arrived safely in Brazil. But she had to wait for more than 4 hours for her new home till somebody comes to let her in.

Welcome to Brazil

Yesterday Manuel and Andrew from Wisconsin came to visit us and to join the choir practice. In the afternoon we went to Esslingen to the Middle Age Christmas Market. It was very busy and you could here also French or Italian voices on the market.

It was a very nice atmosphere between the old buildings and you could the feeling that you are in the middle age when you go the market stalls. You could see market stalls with mouse roulette or other games, do archery or could buy something to drink or to eat. Even a little Ferries was on the market - manually driven and only for children.

For three days we visited Nuremberg. Nuremberg is an old city and the home of the Imperator in former days. One of the attraction is the old castle from the 12th century where you have a good view over the city. And you can see old weapons and armors in the castle museum.

But Nuremburg was also the main city of the Nazis, a dark chapter in the history of Germany. On the first day we visited the Documentation Centre at the former Nazi party rally grounds which got the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education 2000. One of the reasons for the rise of the Nazis was the use of propaganda - one thing you unfortunately can see also today in many countries.

The downtown of Nuremberg is very nice. Although most of the city was destroyed during tne 2nd World War you can find a lot of old buildings there. Nuremberg is also known for its gingerbread which you can buy all the year not only before christmas. And on sunny days you can sit in a beer garden where you can eat a bratwurst and drink some beer.

...we were in USA and picked up Philip from his year as au-pair. We visited New York and the Niagara Falls and had a very nice time at Whitefish Bay near Milwaukee. Also Lincoln and California was a great experience.

Back from the US our daughter left us and emigrated for 6 month to Australia as au-pair, where she met my sister. Now, one year later, all of our children are studying. Although they are all back from foreign countries only Philip lives at home - but not for long.

For three days we were on a trip in Hamburg. Hamburg is a very international city and the 2nd largest city in Germany. We stay at the Generator Hostel near the main station, one of the biggest hostel in Hamburg.

Hamburg is at the north of Germany where the weather is sometimes rainy. But we had luck with the weather and most of the sightseeings were near our hotel. If you buy a ticket for the public urban transportation you can also use the ferry. So you can see Hamburg also from the water to see the skyline and the big harbour.

We visited also the Miniatur Wunderland which is the largest model railway in the world. You can see there a lot of diffent countries (Switzerland, Scandinavia, USA, ...) and even a airport where airplanes are starting and landing. But most interesting are the (funny) details in many areas (like a rock concert or different accidents). So you can see e.g. a winter landscape with an open convertible and a snowman sitting behind the wheel.