Cold, humid days and soft rain. Typical London winter. A good warm coat with a hood played the trick, and the rain did not stop me. There were moments in which I thought I was in a suspense movie, the city is full of alleys, bridges, dead-end streets that give you that creepy feeling.
A mind at peace, calm and balance!
Spending New Year’s in London demanded a little bit of sacrifice, hours waiting, freezing cold, but all worthwhile. About 5 minutes of show which seemed to be more, the fireworks covering the sky as far as I could see, lots of lights, music and the Big Ben announcing 2010.
Many strange tribes in the street carnival of Paraty, but Bloco da Lama was the most bizarre. Unrecognizable people, filled of mud from head to toe, in some we could see only de white from their eyes and teeth (everything else was gray), others carried props like rags, skulls, vines, flowers and fantasies. After they play in the mangrove of Jabaquara beach they go distributing happiness and creativity through the streets of Paraty to the Historic Center. It was a very funny. experience.
Traveling by train in France is more expensive than in other countries, that is why we chose to do it by car. This way, we had the chance to see the roads, pass by cities and towns, take pictures from inside the car and have freedom to come and go as we pleased.
Paris is the most expensive and touristic city I have ever known. Full of Brazilians and people from all over the world. I spent 6 days there and enjoyed it to the fullest, but it was not enough to know everything I wanted.
I had seen pictures and was delighted with the place. I thought it was amazing, I love mountains – it is more charming when there is snow. I went to Chamonix – Mont-Blanc, Chamrousse and Grenoble.
Alsace is on France’s eastern border and was, for many years, the subject of war with neighboring Germany. Around Christmas, I visited Equisheim, Colmar and Mortzwiller.
Loire Valley (Valée de La Loire) deserves a ride, because it is a bit far away and has many castles. It is also possible to join excursions that leave from Tours. We decided to go by car, and as we got away from Paris, we found fields and trees covered in snow, everything white and a cloudy sky, contrasting with the gray road and leafless trees.
Amboise is a city of about 11 thousand residents, inhabited since the first century BC in Val de Loire. Today it is famous for its royal castles and many personalities, including its most distinguished resident, Leonardo Da Vinci.