7 things you should know before cruising a Brazilian city

Sales of private vehicles grew 10% in 2010 and Brazilians get more and more addicted to their cars. In a way, it is a pity – more traffic jams, more air pollution, less urban interaction. …

Zeppelin over the tropics

Rio, early thirties.
“We ran upstairs to the open porch and saw the colossal Graf Zeppelin float by above us, sunshine reflecting from its silver sides”, describes Alicia Momsen Miller, that was five in 1930, when …

Brazilian Babel

by Sylvia Estrella*
You may be under the impression – like most people – that Portuguese is the only language spoken in Brazil. In fact, 0.5% of the population (around 750,000 people) are native speakers of …

Brasília, half a century later

The most graphic city in the world becomes middle aged today. Fifty years later,  Brasília’s curves, ramps, wide avenues and huge open spaces keep their freshness.
Conceived by architect Oscar Niemeyer and urbanist Lúcio Costa to host …

Brazil and food, a love story

Ten dishes for your delight:

Once upon a time, landowners used to invent dietary taboos to convince their slaves that they shouldn’t eat certain things. Two of these taboos remain strong. The first says that you …

Saints without a halo*

They were not canonized. They are controversial. There is even doubt if some of them really existed. Nevertheless, Brazilian popular saints generate deep devotion, pilgrimages and flourishing commerce.
Take, for example, Escrava Anastácia. This beautiful slave …