Off to a hot winter...

On August 29, TAP flies me from Lisbon to Recife in 7 hours and throws me from a rather cold European summer into a hot and steamy Brazilian winter, 8 degrees south of the equator (btw, the strangest thing for me in this part of the world would be that daylight always ends around 6pm - almost never get home from work in daylight??). Lucilene picks me up at the airport and offers me a delightful "Recife in less than 2 days" program (see the pictures). A lunch with two colleagues at a colorful Brasilian restaurant starts it off and offers so many specialties on a buffet (with some Caipirinhas), that I cannot list a single one any more - but they are all delicious. Touring old Recife reveals a great history involving not only the Portuguese and Dutch, but also the first synagogue on the American continent, thanks to Mauricio Nassau's tolerance for Jews in the 16th century. An excursion to Olinda provides superb views of the cute village and of the coast, plus a succulent lunch (lobster-stuffed pumpkin). The final highlight is a visit at sun set to Francisco Brennand's impressive sculptures and (much more fascinating) paintings. Next time, I promise to reserve enough time to go to Porto de Galhinas, the seemingly beautiful beach that used to be the landing for the slaves ("chicken"). But this will require the more leisurely pace of a business trip.