Walking!!!

Up again early and had coffee.
When Neil went off I decided to get out and walk to the west end of the Copacabana to visit the Fort and Cafeteria Colombo - which is in the fort.
The Copacabana is a quite long stretch and I was there just at 10 when they were opening.
I had a look around in in the fort before I settled for a coffee and a Pastel de Belem!


Then I thought since I am here now I can cross over to Ipanema side and walk along the beach there.
It is another long beach!!
I walked and it started raining, which cleared the beach a bit but did not bother me.
I walked and walked until I was in Leblon and on the edge of the beach. There was a lovely view over Ipanema beach and I took a break and had a water at the kiosk.
Then I walked back, hit the shopping mile in Ipanema.
I had already over 10 km in my flip flops and my feet were starting to complain a bit.
I thought I will not be able to wear them much longer and surely not during the evening.


In a small shoe shop I tried some ballerinas and they were so comfortable that I bought them in all 3 colours!! I paid about 10 Pounds per pair!
I walked further (still in flip flops) until I reached the south west end of the Copacabana and walked the last two kilometres or so in the sand with my feet in the water.


I was back in the hotel just after 4pm and knackered!
My Fitbit told me that I had walked 15 km …. in flip flops!


I phoned Christina to see how she is getting on. She has loads to organise and the service is finally confirmed for Saturday 24th!


Neil came home after 5 and was knackered too.


I skipped the swim and waited for Neil to finish work so that we could go for food.


Babi had recommended 2 places, one of which was an Arab place a lot of people were raving about.


I was starving and managed to drag Neil out at 8 pm.
We walked towards East again and found the restaurant.


We ordered only half portions: 1 half starter, 3 half main portions without sides, plus 2 half salads


What they put on our table was ridiculous!!!
The half starter would have been a main for me!
The half greek salads would have been a big one every where else.
The plates of meat (HALF portions) could feed 3 each!


Seriously, I can eat and I am always ordering a lot so that waiters sometimes try to pace me down, but seriously, I was convinced that this was a rather modest order and not in my wildest dreams I expected such an amount of food appearing on our table!
And what food! The salads were beautiful and fresh, the meats juicy and delicious. But we could NOT eat it all.
The waiter was laughing.

We left kind of stuffed and wandered back towards the Hotel.
Two blocks further we met the Brazilian Pianist who was chatting to us in the Churrascaria on Sunday - again because of Neil’s kilt!
He basically took us by the hands and pulled us back a street in order to show us a little lane with 2 small clubs where they were playing live music.
He was well known there and chatted to the girl to let us in briefly to have a look.
The place was tiny! And a woman was singing wonderful Bossa Nova!!! 
In the second bar, a band was playing samba.


He told us, if we would stay a few more days, that was a place to go for daily live music.
We thanked him and left just in order to turn around after 100 meters, pay the entry and go in.
Only few people were there,  locals I would say and we listened to this wonderful singer Flavia Dantas and her guitarist.
When she finished we went to the other bar, similar garage side and listened to more Samba music until midnight.
Our pianist friend was well known in the community and joined stage with the artists a few times.

A great finish to the day.

We walked home - the new ballerinas are approved!!!

Blipping today south west end of Copacabana in the morning. 
Extras: Bikini Seller in Ipanema, birds over Leblon