Spectacular

Our hosts didn't want us to come all the way to Brazil, and especially Rio de Janeiro, without us seeing the sights, as it were.

So they put on a spectacular day for us.... Early doors, up to the place where the (cog) train leaves to climb up to Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado).

Then across to get the cable car on to the sugarloaf, by-passing the queues and enjoying the benefits of "fast track".

Corcovado, in particular, was mobbed, and I found the crowds a bit oppressive. The views are also not, in my view, quite as spectacular as those from the Sugarloaf mountain, although I got some great views across the lagoon to Ipanema (see second extra). I love the photograph I've chosen to blip because it really does justice to the spectacular geography of Rio de Janeiro. And you can also see our hotel on the left hand side of the photograph, more or less halfway up. The other extra is a plane coming in to land to at the RJ Santos Dumont airport, which is the smaller of the two airports, and serves domestic flights. With the wind as it was on Thursday, aeroplanes do an amazing circuit across the downtown and round the bay before landing. It was extraordinary to see it from above on the Sugarloaf. Apparently, we came in the other way when we landed at that airport on Wednesday. To be honest, I didn't notice because it was still quite spectacular as we came in across the water on the other side.

Then we were taken for an excellent lunch at the Copacabana Palace Hotel. Excellent food with a sea view (shame about the traffic of course!). After that, I walked back to the hotel with MH and VR, and then went up to the 39th floor swimming pool and hung out there for a while drinking a couple of cocktails and watching the sunset.

Truly a blessed day. How lucky I am!