At leisure

That's what our itinerary says for today and it's a welcome break from the non-stop travel and sightseeing of our trip so far. We made the most of it by having a leisurely breakfast before visiting the Cathedral and the Afro-Brazilian Museum. We then took the Elevador Lacerda down to the lower city and had a wander around. It's easy to forget that Salvador has it's seedy areas so we were careful not to stray too far.

Our hotel is in the historic district and in the evening we enjoyed the pre Christmas festivities in the main square. Lots of food, drink, and souvenir stalls were open and several stages were set up for entertainment. They have been there since we arrived but this is the first day without rain and it's good to see lots of people on the streets. We managed to get a table next to the stage which was in front of St Francis church. The performers were an opera singer, an orchestra, a big band with guest trumpeter and a crooner. Around the square there were various singers, groups and drummers keeping the party atmosphere going.