Taking a nap at Flower Street

On a Sunday morning, returning to the Praça Santos Andrade right after a section of photographs at the Paço da Liberdade and surrounding areas, I spotted this guy taking a nap on a bench at XV de Novembro street. I took the photo trying not to disturb his rest.

The concentration that precedes the show!

I was wandering around the area near the Jardim Ambiental at Itupava Street in the Alto da XV District, awaiting the end of my son's classes and since there was a small group on the skate track of the Ambiental, I decided to take some photos.

I've got the picture of that little boy who from the top of the track seemed to be concentrating and waiting for the right time to start his maneuvers. Who knows but maybe I have recorded the beginning of the career of a great sportsman!

Stained Glass Window of the Catedral Basílica Menor of Curitiba

The Cathedral of Curitiba at Tiradentes Square was built in neo-Gothic style, inspired by the Cathedral of Barcelona, and opened in 1893. The stained glass windows were donated by important families of Curitiba. The photo shows one of these stained glass windows, in front of which there is a great image of Christ crucified.

Performance at the Paço da Liberdade

I don't know why, but in front of the Paço da Liberdade when I was taking pictures on a weekend, I saw a group of people singing typical northeast of Brazil songs, dressed in colorful clothes and rehearsing a group of people who appeared to have been rounded up among the passing ones, for some kind of shooting.

The Hippies are back

I have already been to the Largo da Ordem Crafts Fair at 7 AM, when the tents are being assembled and some bohemians used to wander around; at 10 AM, when every street is crowded with tourists, Curitibanos, vendors, artists; And after lunch, when most of the tents were dismantled and the handicrafts removed. One day after lunch, I met these girls who seem to come from a woodstock movie, occupying an empty tent, trying to sell their own products. Once I had not shown any interest, they asked me to take a picture of them and also asked me not to forget to send the pictures to one of the girls e-mail (very modern hippies). It reminds me of the old name that this fair was once known: The Hippie Handicrafts Little Fair.

Sculptures at the MON

The sculptures of the photos are arranged in the outdoor areas surrounding the MON or Oscar Niemeyer Museum or Museum of the Eye in Curitiba, at the Centro Cívico district. The white spiral was photographed only in its upper part, it is placed at a courtyard floor, where many sculptures are arranged for movement of people between them, causing their interaction.

Tube Stations

The photo shows a huge tube station which serves for loading and unloading of passengers that use the public transport in Curitiba, attended the Bi-articulated buses. This station is the Eufrásio Correia square, at Avenida Sete de Setembro.

Jaime Lerner and Curitiba

Jaime Lerner can be considered the urbanist and mayor that have given Curitiba the “face” that it is presented all over Brazil and the world.

I have picked the following text from the site http://www.citiesforpeople.net/cities/curitiba.html .

Curitiba, Brazil
A city for people, not for cars
Some statements about Curitiba:
1. Curitiba has the highest recycling rate in the World – 70%.
2. Curitiba has bus system that is so good that car traffic decreased by 30% while the population trebled in a twenty year period.
3. Curitiba has the largest downtown pedestrianised shopping area in the World.
4. Curitiba has built large numbers of beautiful parks to control floods rather than concrete canals. So many that they use sheep to cut the grass as it’s cheaper than lawnmowers.
5. Curitiba is a city where 99% of inhabitants want to live. In comparison, 70% of Sao Paolo’s residents want to live in Curitiba.
6. Curitiba’s average income per person has gone from less than the Brazilian average in the 1970’s to 66% greater than the Brazilian average.
Any of these statements on their own would be impressive enough, but together? Can any city, anywhere in the world, at any time in history boast anything that comes anywhere near to this amazing transformation to a city for people? Maybe one – Bogota. They did it by copying Curitiba, but that’s a different story.

Jaime Lerner
Jaime Lerner first became mayor of Curitiba in the early 1970’s (he has been mayor three times). His leadership was crucial to the changes. Curitiba did a number of things, best described here:
1. Built parks instead of canals to reduce flooding. Also used parks to make the city more liveable.
2. Pedestrianised the downtown area.
3. Invented and built the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – a bus system that works like a light rail system but is 10 times cheaper.
4. Gave people bus tokens in return for waste.
5. Started a massive recycling scheme – all initiated by children.

Jaime Lerner and Curitiba have done more to influence my ideas of what to build and how to make cities for people than anyone else.
There is so much that can be said about Curitiba. I recommend watching Jaime Lerner’s excellent TED presentation Sing a Song of Sustainable Cities, watching this video and reading this article from the New York Times.
If you’re really interested there’s a great film "A CONVENIENT TRUTH: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil" describing what happened with some fascinating insights from Jaime Lerner and other key people.
I also recommend the book "Urban Renewal, Municipal Revitalization: The Case of Curitiba, Brazil" which has some really in depth analysis.

Água para o Morro statue

At the square José Borges de Macedo (first mayor of Curitiba), which is in the back of the "Paço da Liberdade" (old town hall and the old municipal market), we will find the "Arcadas do Pelourinho" (where flowers, magazines and coffee are sold) and the fountain Maria Lata D'Água, inaugurated on 15 May 1996. At the fountain the sculpture "Água para o Morro" made by Erbo Stenzel in 1944 is installed.

Granite panel of Erbo Stenzel

The above picture depicts part of the granite panel representing the economic cycles of Paraná by Erbo Stenzel, which along with the tiles panel of Poty, the obelisk recalling the Emancipation of Paraná, the Naked Woman statue by Humberto Cozzo and especially the Naked Man statue (the name by which the square is best known), also by Erbo Stenzel, comprise the open air cultural heritage of the "19 de Dezembro" square, which was once a large market that supplied Curitiba.

Ristorante Caliceti di Bologna

Founded in 1970 by "Famiglia Caliceti", this magnificent temple of gastronomy from the region of Bologna, introduced in Brazil pastas like "torteloni verdi di ricotta", "LAZAGNA di verdi alla bolognese", "Tortellini in Brodo "and many other delights of this region, known in the world for its pasta and sauces. After all these years, this restaurant still stands as an icon of Italian cuisine under the guidance of Chef "Erminia Caliceti" whose innovation at both the design of the masses and the wonderful creations of bread , sauces and dessert, made a great reputation among people.

Bud

I would not say that Bud is properly a landscape of Curitiba, but eventually you can see him walking around Curitiba, especially if are at the districts of Jardin Social and Bacacheri. I wish more people could see him, for example, in the great lawn behind the Museum of the Eye, where many, many dog owners of different races can hold his companions to a race freely and interact with other dogs. But with Bud that would be very complicated, I think that if we let him go in such a place, he would disappear in the world!

Bud is a 7 years old Golden Retriever and he is the most docile dog in the world. Loves to take walks, destroying our garden and whenever he can, chew our carpets, but he is a great buddy. If you have room at home and want a smart dog and totally tame (I heard that if a thief break into the yard, he would gladly carries the torch for him), a Golden is the right choice!

Marechal Floriano Avenue and its architecture

The Marechal Floriano avenue has its beginning at Curitiba downtown, more precisely at the square that is Ground Zero of the city, the Tiradentes square. From that point, the Marechal Floriano (which from the Carlos Gomes square receives channels dedicated to buses) crosses major districts of Curitiba such as Rebouças, Parolin, Hauer and Boqueirão. It is the main avenue of those neighborhoods with predominantly strong retail trade. Three public transport terminals (Hauer, Carmo and Boqueirão) are in this avenue. The architecture that seems to have historical value and that was portrayed in these photos by me, goes from the Tiradentes Square up to the Presidente Kennedy avenue. After that, the building does not caught your attention for their architecture, but all of them resembles a small city, with smaller buildings trading both sides of the main avenue of the city. The avenue Marechal Floriano ends at Iguaçú Park, at the city of São José dos Pinhais.

Cleaning the Moreira Garcez Building

Yesterday while waiting the arrival of the zombies for the zombie walk, we witness the work of two professionals who were abseiling to clean the facade of the building Moreira Garcez at Boca Maldita, using jets of water, splashing the people down there, refreshing the intense heat.

Carnival in Curitiba?

Carnival in Curitiba is a unanimity: everyone loves on behalf of the four days off (or four and a half days). But the Carnival here is not the same thing when compared with other cities or states. Samba in the foot, Maracatu, Axé-Music and Frevo, I would not say this is the soundtrack of all Curitibanos, many simply abhor all of it.

In the majority opinion of those who lives in Curitiba, the Carnival (as seen in other cities) over here is simply a HORROR and therefore, it seems fair that the Zombie Walk takes place right in the middle of carnivel time! See the call I found in the blog "Young Nerd":

"In this carnival, no feathers, sequins and carnival marching just like in your grandmother`s time! In Curitiba, the babble of always is going to be replaced by blood and brains! It is the fifth edition of the Zombie Walk in the city, which will drag the living dead by the streets of Curitiba, on February 14. The concentration starts at 2pm at Boca Maldita, with scheduled departure 4pm to the ruins of San Francisco at the Largo da Ordem. After arriving at the Largo da Ordem, four bands will be playing horror punk and psycobilly. "

So if you want big carnival balls, big parades of the samba school, beautiful mulatto teaching how dance the samba, run away from Curitiba, because here you will not find any of that!

Mirage

I've got this strange image by positioning the camera on the floor, on the glass panels that are in the great hall which gives access to the MON. As the glass panels are below the large slab of the building, which is still the largest range in Curitiba, a reflection of the slate with the vegetation in the background provided this almost mirage.

Curitiba's railways

The current route of the railways in Curitiba shows how the city grew. The route of the railway lines used for cargo transportation at the time of its deployment, used to pass away from the urbanized area of the city. Nowadays, those lines were swallowed by the city and they cross important districts of Curitiba, causing some inconvenience to traffic and noise for residents.

The pictures show the moment when some boys took advantage of the slowness of the composition to get a ride by train.

Curitiba Skies

Photographers say that the sky of Curitiba is strange, sometimes bizarre colors appear. I don't know if what I saw this morning from the window of my house into the Bairro Alto district, is that strange sky. Anyway, I found it very beautiful.

IPHAN - Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage

The IPHAN headquarters in Curitiba (Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage) is a construction prior to 1921. The House (known as Domingos Nascimento) has a rural character and refers to the legacy of Polish immigration to Curitiba.

Originally located at Portão district, in 1985 it was transferred to the José de Alencar Street at Alto da XV street.

Julio Moreira Gallery - TUC

The Julio Moreira Gallery was built in 1976, links the Rua Jose Bonifacio to the Largo da Ordem in Curitiba. It is an underground done to protect pedestrians from the traffic of the Nestor de Castro street. Its names was given in honor of the researcher and historian Julio Estrella Moreira.

It has commercial spots and cultural events, such as news stands, snack bars and the University Theater of Curitiba (the TUC).

The TUC, which was opened in 1978, houses for 22 years on Sundays a traditional meeting point for singers and musicians of country music in Curitiba named "Canja de Viola" (admission is free). It also plays an important role to disseminate and encourage new local bands. After a renovation in 2008, the theater expanded its capacity and comfort to the visitors.

The parallels meet at the Museum of the Eye

It is always very pleasant to visit the MON (Museu Oscar Niemeyer) or the Museum of the Eye, as everyone knows it, specially on hot days like we're living in Curitiba.

It is difficult to avoid the cliches photos, since the "Eye" dominates the landscape, but I tried to get some different points of view and even unusual of the place. In the photo on this post, I tried to emphasize the grandeur of the horizontal lines of the original building (Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco), which existed long before the eye. I think the picture proves the math theory which states that the parallels meet at the infinity.

Curitiba and its hot summer

This morning, I was in the Praça Santos Andrade, waiting for our photography teacher (yes, I'm doing a basic course to try to post pictures at least tolerable), taking pictures randomly. Than I saw a tree with a twisted trunk and went to photograph it. On the way there, under a 35oC sun, I wondered what could be worse than suffering with the heat that is unusually punishing Curitiba in historical records. Well, it would be worse to be under such a sun, for hours and hours, wearing a very hot uniform, just like the garbage garbage guy of the photo.

Masses of hot air from the north of Brazil, preventing the advance of cold fronts, the El-Nino phenomenon and who knows what else, made this the hottest perior in Curitiba in more than 30 years.

Secretary of State for Culture of Paraná

Construction of 1904, thisbuilding was the former seat of Gymnasio Paranaense. At this address in Curitiba, circulated generations of students. The current headquarters of the Secretariat of State for Culture, includes the Casa Andrade Muricy. The whole set of buildings is protetect by historical heritage.

On June 18, 1979 it was created by the Government of Paraná the State Secretariat of Culture and Sports, being installed in the building of the old Gymnasio Paranaense. Initially introduced in order to coordinate and promote activities relating to the areas of culture and amateur sports. Later, changes its name to the Secretary of State for Culture - SEEC. This year the Department of Culture has completed 30 years.

Cândido de Abreu Avenue

Cândido de Abreu was born on 02 agosto 1855. His name was given to a stretch of the old road of Graciosa, which starts at 19 de Dezembro Square and ends at the Iguaçú Palace. Cândido de Abreu was mayor of Curitiba twice. In his second term in 1912, he obtained a substantial loan, applying it in durable works such as the City Hall building (now the Paço da Liberdade at Generoso Marques Square) and many squares and gardens. Under his administration the streets of the city were re-aligned and the wiring for the trams were planned. The Passeio Público got the structure and design that we can appreciate until today. He was also a federal deputy and senator. He died in 1919 and he is considered the first urbanist of Paraná.

Tiradentes Square - The Past on Display

Revitalized in 2008, the Praça Tiradentes recovers its importance and its significance for the city of Curitiba. The work featured the accompaniment of archaeologists from UFPR (Federal University of Parana), that during the excavations, found objects related to the occupation of the first residents. More significant of the findings, are the remains of pavements corresponding to the first urbanization of the area, dating from the second half of the nineteenth century. Although fragmentary, the pavements have allowed the understanding of urban layout deployed. These remains are now on display in the square, under the protection of a glass display (as shown in photo above).

Alemão Bar - Schwarzwald

The Alemão Bar or the Schwarzwald, one of the most traditional and well attended bar of Curitiba, is located at the Largo da Ordem and was opened in 1979. The most traditional drink of the bar is the "submarine", which is made of a dose of Steinhäger served in a cute tiny mug submerged in a pot of beer (hence the name submarine). Invariably people "steal" the mug as a souvenir, to find out later at the bottom of the tiny mug the phrase: "This mug was stolen honestly."

A famous snack called "Carne de Onça" (Beef of Jaguar) is served there. It is composed of a slice of dark bread with a portion of super spiced raw minced meat on top. Unlike the name, it is not made of Jaguar meat, but with a good piece of beef. The name was given because the meat is so temperate that those who eats it, ends up with a " bad breath of a Jaguar".

Barão do Serro Azul Street

By 1840, Curitiba did not have more than six thousand inhabitants mainly surrounding the Largo da Matriz (Tiradentes Square). Turning right on Chapel at that time, a small street began to be known as the Louro Street. That name remained until March 31, 1863, when temporarily moved to a house on the corner of the Louro Street and Saldanha Street the headquarter of the local government. At that time, the Louro Street was renamed to Nogueira Street. Later on, after the great Parana unfair victim of the federalist revolution, the street was renamed to its current name: Barão do Serro Azul street.

Reference: "Ruas e histórias de Curitiba" of Valério Hoerner Júnior. Artes e Textos Publisher. Curitiba, 2002

Theme day: Wood

Yesterday I took my wife to the Iguaçú Park Cemetery in Curitiba, so she could take flowers to her father's grave. It would be his 65th birthday. The place is very quiet and full of beautiful trees and wooden benches, where I imagine, people can sit and for a moment and remember their time with their loved ones that are already gone.

The empty wooden bench under a tree in this picture, caught my attention and I started thinking of the people who might have sat there and their stories.

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