JOURNEY TO PETROPOLIS, BRAZIL
13 December 2006 Wednesday
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant overlooking the breakers coming in off the Atlantic. Then loaded up the car for the hour drive up to the mountains above Rio to visit the summer residence of the Emporer of Brazil- Don Pedro II. After the Portugese monarchy was kicked out of Europe by Napoleon (there he is again) they moved to Brazil. Don Pedro was the last of the rulers, having been installed in his youth and ruled into the 20th century. The drive was uphill on winding mountain roads which were well maintained. We stopped for gas on the way up and I learned that the car we were in was driven by natural gas. Brazil is way ahead of us in that you can buy non-polluting ethanol or natural gas or pay more for gasoline or diesel. Lots of clouds on the way up but weather cleared in Petropolis. First stop was the cathedral and burial site of Don Pedro. Then over to the Dumont house. Santos Dumont was an aviator about the same time as the Wright brothers and was the first to fly a heavier than air aircraft in Europe- he went aroung the Eiffel Tower. A model of his plane is in the town square- it looks like a box kite. The line of school kids going uop to visit the Dumont house was long and slow moving, so we opted for lunch instead- new restaurant and good food.
Went for a tour of the palace next and I was bummed out by the fact that no photos permitted. It was hot, stuffy, not airconditioned and you had to put on ill fitting slippers to protect the hardwood floors ( I really think it was to keep the floors polished). By the time I got through the dining room I was pretty well soaked in sweat and had to hear Rosemary tell me I was wearing the wrong type of Polo shirt for a tropical climate "the damned material doesn't breathe." Her husband Bill wasn't drenched, so she must be right. Did the carriage house after the palace and could take photos there. Then we agreed to head back to Rio as there wasn't a whole lot else in Petropolis (the city of Pedro). Uneventful trip back to Rio with me in the suicide seat, but not much opportunity for photos.
Another good steak dinner with the group and since I also discovered that at happy hour we got 2 drinks for the price of one, I naturally indulged in the rum lime combo and passed a pleasant evening.
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant overlooking the breakers coming in off the Atlantic. Then loaded up the car for the hour drive up to the mountains above Rio to visit the summer residence of the Emporer of Brazil- Don Pedro II. After the Portugese monarchy was kicked out of Europe by Napoleon (there he is again) they moved to Brazil. Don Pedro was the last of the rulers, having been installed in his youth and ruled into the 20th century. The drive was uphill on winding mountain roads which were well maintained. We stopped for gas on the way up and I learned that the car we were in was driven by natural gas. Brazil is way ahead of us in that you can buy non-polluting ethanol or natural gas or pay more for gasoline or diesel. Lots of clouds on the way up but weather cleared in Petropolis. First stop was the cathedral and burial site of Don Pedro. Then over to the Dumont house. Santos Dumont was an aviator about the same time as the Wright brothers and was the first to fly a heavier than air aircraft in Europe- he went aroung the Eiffel Tower. A model of his plane is in the town square- it looks like a box kite. The line of school kids going uop to visit the Dumont house was long and slow moving, so we opted for lunch instead- new restaurant and good food.
Went for a tour of the palace next and I was bummed out by the fact that no photos permitted. It was hot, stuffy, not airconditioned and you had to put on ill fitting slippers to protect the hardwood floors ( I really think it was to keep the floors polished). By the time I got through the dining room I was pretty well soaked in sweat and had to hear Rosemary tell me I was wearing the wrong type of Polo shirt for a tropical climate "the damned material doesn't breathe." Her husband Bill wasn't drenched, so she must be right. Did the carriage house after the palace and could take photos there. Then we agreed to head back to Rio as there wasn't a whole lot else in Petropolis (the city of Pedro). Uneventful trip back to Rio with me in the suicide seat, but not much opportunity for photos.
Another good steak dinner with the group and since I also discovered that at happy hour we got 2 drinks for the price of one, I naturally indulged in the rum lime combo and passed a pleasant evening.
posted by DT at 7:25 AM
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