Waving from the Eye

The photo was taken from the top of the tourism line bus right in front of "Eye" of the MON. The girls waved to the "tourists" coming out of the structure that holds the "Eye". This structure holds the great room that has a permanent exhibition of a collection of paintings and the tower of photography along the stairways, which always presents a photograph exhibition.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

The Pinhão and the cold weather of Curitiba

How do we know that winter is coming in Curitiba? When the Pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia seeds) began to be sold in the markets of the city. A Curitiba tradition, this seed of Araucaria can be found cooked in many houses, at the June festivals and even on the streets, where vendors on street corners sell portions of cooked pinhões directly from big steaming pots. In early June there should be at Osório Square, another edition of the Pinhão Festival, where the seed can be purchased in-natura, boiled in water and in a variety of recipes (bread, soups, candies, pies, pastries and much more). I can tell you that it tastes really good!

A little science: Pinhão is the generic name of the seed of several species of Pinaceae and Araucariaceae, gymnosperms plants, ie, which seed is not enclosed in a fruit.The pinhão is formed into a cone (Pinha), which in time will be opened to release the pinhões. In the pinha (a sample of Pinus elliottii), the seeds are endowed with a film as a kind of wing, which takes off the cone and allows the mature seed to be dispersed by wind, thus starting the growth process of a new pine tree.

In Brazil, the term Pinhão usually refers to the seeds of Araucaria angustifolia, a tree of outstanding cultural, economic and environmental relevance in the south of Brazil.

House on wheels

I found this bike and its rider at Comendador Araújo street, downtown. I wonder if he is from Curitiba and no information on the bike to indicate its origin, but it's obvious admiration of the horse-rider.

The Yellow Ipes of Curitiba

The Ipês (yellow, pink or purple) are the most common trees used in landscaping of Curitiba, whether in parks, streets or houses. The Yellow Ipês (Tabebuia), which are part of the native flora of Parana, indicates that spring is coming and the temperatures, since then, will rise. This fine specimen is planted at the backyard of the company I work for and complementing the picture, the long neck lamp passes the feeling that it is watching us.

At the end of last year, the prefecture of Curitiba has increased from 26 to 51 the number of trees in the capital immune to cuts. Among them, two more yellow ipês: the Bus/Railway station and the Manoel Ribas avenue ones. Until then, the yellow ipe of Tiradentes Square was the only one on the list.

Curitiba, a clean city.

The clean streets is noticeable for those who comes to Curitiba. The habit of not throwing garbage on the floor gets to be contagious.

It is quite common to see people walking with something to be thrown in the trash until finding a public trash can. I remember a TV campaign in which Oscar Schmidt (former basketball player) was sitting on a park bench in Curitiba and beside him, a man reading a newspaper. From the banch, Oscar began to observe people doing amazing shots of their waste, as in basketball, in the dumps. After much notice, he throws his empty glass of soda toward a trash can. The pitch gives the rim and falls out of trash can. At this point, the man stops reading the newspaper, looks at him and says, "You are not from here, are you?".

One explanation for the success of cleaning the streets of Curitiba is that the cleaner the city is, the more people care. Curitiba recently received the title of The Cleanest City among other major cities in Brazil surveyed by Globo Network. The test consists of not to do the cleaning in the busiest part of town for 24 hours and then collected all the garbage to be cumbersome. Curitiba has collected only 33 kg against 203 kg of Goiania, 540 kg of São Paulo, 680 kg of Rio de Janeiro, 710 kg of Belém, a ton of Fortaleza and 1.2 tons of Salvador.

And this civility to keep the city clean is one of the 50 Reasons to Love Curitiba listed by Gazeta do Povo.

Bonsai

A bonsai should be an artistic replica of a natural tree in miniature. Must simulate the growth patterns and the effects of gravity on the branches, besides the marks of time and general structure of the branches. Essentially it is a work of art produced by man through specialized care.

Despite the strong association between the cultivation of bonsai and Japanese culture, the Chinese were actually the first to cultivate trees and shrubs in ceramic pots. There is evidence that as early as 200 AD the Chinese grew potted plants (better known as Penjing) as the practice of the activity of gardening.

As the Japanese colony in Curitiba is large, certainly people and companies specializing in Ikebana and Bonsai are easy to find, like this man who sells bonsai at the Largo da Ordem Crafts Fair.

Spider Dog!

I always drive through the Novo Mundo district and this dog on the edge of a wall has always seemed puzzling. It would be common to see cats on the walls, but a dog? And it seems that he is accustomed to being a sort of attraction, because up there he is totally indifferent to the passing ones on the sidewalk or whom, like me, the stop by for a photograph.

On a Sunday at Visconde de Guarapuava Avenue

This is a very unusual sight of Visconde de Guarapuava Avenue, which once has been called Avenida Getulio Vargas (by sheer flattery). Usually the Visconde de Guarapuava Avenue has a heavy traffic from the early hours of the morning until late at night because it is the most important way to connect downtown to the districts of the south of Curitiba. The photo was taken on a Sunday afternoon from the top of a bus. Indeed, Sunday is the best day to stroll the streets of Curitiba, You may not see too many people on the streets as an ordinary day, but in the other hand, no time wasted in traffic jams.

A tourist taking a picture of Rosário Church's tower

The photo shows a tourist photographing the tower of the Rosário Church, on a Sunday morning. The day was beautiful and the church was well lit, I think the picture must have been good.

In four years, the number of visitors in Curitiba grew 36%, from 2,235,378 tourists in 2005 to 3,029,950 in 2008. The mark will be exceeded in 2009, after the Municipal Office of Tourism has finished tabulating all the data from last year. This number represents almost 30% of total visitors that the state receives each year. "In recent years, Curitiba has won excellent tourist areas, which need to be explored by visitors who come here," said former Mayor Beto Richa. "Today the city appears as one of the most popular destinations in the country, with strong growth in business tourism, cultural and sports," added Richa. To reach the current levels, the first initiative of the Municipality of Curitiba was to create in May 2005, the Municipal Tourism Office, which function is to develop, plan and direct actions aimed at developing tourism in Curitiba.

UFPR and Santos Andrade Square

Before visiting the terrace of the building where my aunt lives, I never had the opportunity to see the UFPR and Santos Andrade Square from the top. It is a beautiful sight indeed, with the bonus of the Flower Street on the left side of the photo.

Colored Curtain

Last Sunday was a very sunny and inviting day to a new series of photos of the Crafts Fair at Largo da Ordem and especially for shooting the mosque of Curitiba (already posted) and the reopened Casa Romário Martins (future post).

Meanwhile, here's a photo of an artisan who uses a variety of colors in her work, which seemed to have a strong indigenous inspiration.

Mosque Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib

The Mosque Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the religious shrine of the Muslim community in Curitiba, was inaugurated in 1972. Built in typical Islamic architectural style, has a central dome, flanked by two towers - called "minaret" (the Arabic "flowed" or "tower"). Fully lined with Persian carpets, the construction was geared toward the holy city of Mecca, as required by the religious prescriptions. Inside the spacious front hall of the Mosque, the Muslim community of Curitiba conducts their worship, especially the Friday prayers at midday, which must obligatorily be made in a collective manner.

By giving to the Mosque of Curitiba called "Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Muslim community of the town wanted to honor one of the most important personalities from Islamic history. The Imam (Spiritual Guide) Ali ibn (son of) Abi Talib was the cousin and son in law of Prophet Muhammad.

Cuore di Cacao

If you live in Curitiba answer me: have you ever eaten a really good chocolate around here? If you have been to Cuore di Cacao, all right, can answer. Otherwise, do not hesitate and go to one of two stores and let melt in your mouth in a flood of sensations some pallets (delicate squares of ganache amazingly flavored and incredibly decorated), or the chocolates of the Sensation line (amazing flavor and texture) or the truffles, and then yes, you can say that you really have tasted a good chocolate in Curitiba.

The Cuore di Cacao was established in 2004 by the sisters Carolina (chocolatier) and Bibiana (designer). There they ally the technical knowledge of working with chocolate of Carolina, developed in great chocolatiers in Europe, with the visual concept created by Bibiana for chocolates , packages and stores, and the result is a store that quality can be tasted and seen in every detail.

Follow the link for more information:http://www.cuoredicacao.com.br/

The Casa dos Arcos

The Casa dos Arcos (or the house of arches) was built in 1895 to be the home of the Italian immigrant Marco Mocelin. In 1918 it was bought by the family Tulio. It is the only building in Curitiba with a frontel arcade on the ground floor. The top floor was reserved for housing. It is protected by the historic heritage of Curitiba.

The Casa dos Arcos today is a very traditional restaurant in Santa Felicidade, with a menu focused on pizza, pasta and meats.

São José Church at Santa Felicidade

In 1891, due to the strong religiosity of the Italian immigrants, it was erected the São José Church at Santa Felicidade, becoming an important aggregator element of the Italian community that was estabilished at Santa Felicidade district. The facade presents romantic and classical elements, with the campanile (bell tower) separated from the nave, according to Italian tradition.

Boca do Brilho

Since I moved to Curitiba with my family, next to the playground of Osório Square, high and comfortable armchairs lined up, where you could quietly read a newspaper and get a shoe shine. From up there you could watch the people pass by, chat with the shoe shiner and have a moment of pure relaxation.

Today the site was organized and regulated by the Prefecture of Curitiba, creating the "Boca do Brilho", which employs 19 shoeshiners of the Professional Association of Shoeshiners of Curitiba, an entity that exists in more than three decades.

The view from the top of the chairs is not the same anymore, but you can still have a nice chat, a good reading and a very nice glow on your shoe.

A cold morning at Sete de Setembro Avenue.

I left my son on a cold morning at UTFPR and the image of the Sete de Setembro avenue and The Estação Mall seemed a good reason for a photo.

On the right side of the picture, the Estação Mall on access to the Estação Convention Center. The Estação Mall is located inside the old train station of Curitiba at Rebouças District.

A Au-Au with two Vinas, please!

If we were to elect the most traditional sandwich of Curitiba, I believe the hot dog of the Au-Au would be the winner. It started with a cart at Al Dr. Carlos de Carvalho, where the main store is located (see photo) and now it has 11 stores in Curitiba, two on the coast of Paraná and one in Sao Jose dos Pinhais.

The Au-Au could not be simpler: bread, Vina, mayonnaise, salad (someone explained me that there is a strict ratio of tomato, onion and chili), more mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. The secret? There is no softer bread in Curitiba. You can order your Au-Au accommodated inside the store, at the stands in the street or from your car.

Forget all the other options, ask for the simple or double Au-Au to understand why this hot dog was elected for 10 consecutive years the best of Curitiba.

And quoting another of the 50 Reasons to Love Curitiba, some words are characteristic of Curitiba, such as PENAL (small pouch to hold pencils and pens), PIA (boy), MIMOSA (Tangerine) and since we are tlaking about the Au-Au, VINA (sausage).

And if you want to know the origin of the term VINA, legend says that the most consumed sausage among the German immigrants was the Viennese or in German "Wiener Würstchen". The pronunciation of the first word (Wiener) in "portuguese" is VINA! That's it! If it is not true, at least it is very convincing!

Los 3 Inimigos de los vándalos

The city of Curitiba launched a campaign against vandalism on public transport using the cartoons of Tiago Recchia and his "Los 3 Inimigos” (The 3 Enemies). The organizers believe that humor can be much more effective language than a formal message. "Los 3 Inimigos" are very popular in Curitiba and it is expected that they reach especially the soccer fans, among which the vandals are common.

Tiago Recchia was born in Tubarão (SC), passed through Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Cascavel and back to Curitiba when he was 16 already as a cartoonist for a local newspaper. He is cartoonist of the “Gazeta do Povo” since 2005. "Los 3 Inimigos” represents three fans of the three main soccer teams of Curitiba (Atlético, Coritiba and Paraná) which was inspired by the movie "Three Amigos" by John Landis and also by the cartoon "Los 3 Amigos" by Angeli, Glauco and Laertes.

It is important to mention that "Los 3 Inimigos" do not speak Spanish but a mix of Portuguese and Spanish.

She is ignoring him.

In the courtyard of the sculptures of MON (Oscar Niemeyer Museum) in Curitiba, various works are permanently exposed, where you can walk around and interact with them.

The sculpture of the image (I need to confirm this information) is by Bruno Giorgi, born in 1905 at Mococa (SP). He moved with his family to Italy, where he began his studies in the arts. Arrested for political reasons, he was extradited in 1935 to Brazil. Living in Sao Paulo in 1939, Bruno Giorgi met the artists of the Brazilian Modernist Movement. In 1943 he moved to Rio de Janeiro, installing his studio, where he guides young artists. He has several works in public spaces throughout Brazil. He died in Rio de Janeiro in 1993.

The little buddy and his father, authorized the publication of the photo with the sculpture by Bruno Giorgi. The female figure sculpture seems to be ignoring or bored with the presence of the boy.

Frozen in time at Riachuelo Street

Photo of the facade of a building on Riachuelo Street from the top of the tourism bus line.

The City Council will end later this month the exchange of the sidewalks on the left side of Riachuelo Street, between Generoso Marques Square and Paula Gomes Street. The work is part of the revitalization of the street, which also will receive new asphalt and new lighting, between the squares Generoso Marques and 19 de Dezembro.

"The reform of the Riachuelo is part of the revitalization plan of the Centre and help in rescuing the memory of the city," says Mayor Luciano Ducci.

With the revitalization, will be integrated the streets Riachuelo, São Francisco and Barão do Serro Azul and central squares, like Generoso Marques and Tiradentes.

The blind singers of the Alto da XV Distric's open market

Almost every Saturday morning, I go to the Alto da XV District's open market, in search of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, egg, pastries and simply walk around the fair, where a variety of people and situations are always present.

Near my favorite tent of pastry, a couple of blind singers sit in their stools, and accompanied by a guitar and tambourine, sing typical redneck songs. The poster they settle down on the ground carefully before starting the singing, contains the following sentence: "The sun shines for everyone, but we can not see it. God bless you." This poster reminded me of a story told by a speaker at some corporate event, that says more or less as follows:

There was a blind man sitting on a sidewalk in Paris with one cap to his feet and one written piece of wood with white chalk, "Please help me, I'm blind." One advertiser that was passing in front of him, stopped and saw a few coins in the hat. Without asking permission, took the sign, turned it over, took the chalk and wrote another announcement. He put the piece of wood back where it was and left. At dusk, the advertiser has moved back in front of the blind man who was begging alms. His cap was now full of money. The blind man recognized the footsteps of the publicist and asked if it was he who had rewritten the poster, especially wondering what he had written. The publicist replied: "Nothing that is not in accordance with your previous sentence, but with other words." And, smiling, went on his way. The new written sentence is: "Today it is springtime in Paris, but I can not see it. " Whenever we change our strategy is good when nothing happens to us.

Curitiba awarded the Globe Sustainable City Award 2010

STOCKHOLM, April 7, 2010 - The Brazilian city Curitiba wins the Globe Sustainable City Award 2010. The city of Curitiba is awarded for excellent sustainable urban development. The Globe Award statuette will be presented to representatives from the City of Curitiba on April 29th at a gala dinner at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Globe Sustainable City Award is now presented for the second year. The aim of the City Award is to underline cities and municipalities, which excel in sustainable urban development, and to set a positive example for others.

The Jury’s Motivation
“The City of Curitiba shows maturity in their understanding of sustainable city development – both regarding policy and implementation. The holistic approach is well framed and managed in order to create a strong and healthy community, integrating the environmental dimension with other dimensions like intellectual, cultural, economic and social."

The jury group for the Sustainable City Award is chaired by Jan Sturesson, World Economic Forum, in the global agenda council "future of Government", Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers and Global Leader of Government and Public Service in Sweden.

"I congratulate Curitiba to the prestigious award for most sustainable city 2010. It is a very solid winner with a holistic municipal master plan integrating all strategic resources linked to innovation and future sustainability." - says Jan Sturesson

About the Winner
Curitiba, Brazil – Municipal Master Plan indicates reorganization of the urban territory, considering drainage basins as basic planning units, institutional strengthening, seeking the development of transversality in planning and environmental management processes as well as changes in production and consumption standards, reducing costs and waste.

http://www.globeaward.org/winner-city-2010

Autumn, Cold, Rain and Gloom!

I have noticed the girl inside a bus of the metropolitan region of Curitiba on a cold and rainy evening, with a look so introspective, and I could not resist taking her picture.

Another reason to be cast as one of the 50 Reasons to Love Curitiba is the fame of that unwelcome and cold attitude that the Curitibanos (born here or not) have. Some argue that it is not a matter of an unwelcome attitude, but a matter of seriousness and education.

Who lives in Curitiba know that when someone say "come to visit me at home!" actually means "I like you, but if you want to meet me, please call me first" and if the answer is "You bet I will show up," means "I will call you whenever I get a break". What would be the reason for this alleged unwelcomeness? Is it due to the cold weather? Due to the European colonization? Whatever may be the reason, this respect for self individuality and the individuality of the others, in my opinion is fantastic. Moreover, once a link is established, this friendship is for life and this person will always be there for you.

The trees of Curitiba and its flowery carpets

The main daily newspaper of Parana, The "Gazeta do Povo" (Gazette of the People), founded in 03.02.1919, brought together 50 persons born or settled in Curitiba on the occasion of 317 years of Curitiba to define in group the 50 reasons to love, appreciate and to be proud of the city.

The second item concerns the Ipê Trees (Tabebuia) that line the streets with a carpet of flowers.

Last weekend, I was going down the Itupava street, when I noticed on the corner of Rua Mayor Angelo Lopes, a tall tree of intense pink flowers, which base and surrounding areas were covered with these flowers. I thought it was an Ipe (since there are yellow and purple Ipês, I thought there would be a Rose Ipê). Doing a quick research at the internet, I noticed that there are plenty of trees planted by the Prefecture of Curitiba, which produce flowers. Due to the appearance of the flower, this tree belongs to the family of the Jacarandas.

So one reason to love, enjoy and to be proud of Curitiba is not the only the Ipês, but all trees in Curitiba, which provide us a fantastic scenery like the one in this photo.

Greetings from the Easter Bunny!

The unusual image of the modern Easter Bunny, waving and circling by car on Fagundes Varela Street at Jardim Social district, was made yesterday afternoon.

The Easter is gone, leaving as souvenir weight gain and the tons of chocolates that my kids won and most likely I will have to help to eat it all. Sweet and arduous task!

Happy Easter from Brazil!

Happy Easter! I wish you and the ones you love the peace of Christ.

An outdoor living room

Besides the Boca do Brilho and close to the point where the Osório Square and Rua XV meet, we can find a few wooden benches where pedestrians can relax and where the elderly (like my parents usually do) can take a break on their walks to recover. This same configuration of seats can be found all along the Rua das Flores. Curitiba takes good care of its pedestrians.

Theater Festival of Curitiba

In the photo, taken from the top of the bus line tourism, a detail of the Paiol Theater.

And speaking of theater, held in Curitiba between 16 and 28 March, the Theater Festival of Curitiba, which ended its 19th edition. The numbers, according to a survey of the organization of the event were very positive, with over 1,700 performances in more than 400 shows. The total audience, adding all its events, reached 180 thousand people. The Festival makes the city breathe theater, occupying all the conventional and unconventional spaces of Curitiba.

From the website of the Festival, I got the following information about its history. The Festival of Curitiba, which had its first edition in 1992, meets during the month of March, cultural attractions across the country. Since then, more than 1.5 million people already have attended more than three thousand shows. In addition, the festival promotes courses, lectures, workshops, or cultural events from many different genera. Thus, the Curitiba Festival represents an overview of the cultural productions that take place in the country, and shows a broad framework of national contemporary artistic productions. Throughout Brazil and even from abroad, professionals carry out projects related to art exposing the diversity of activities in different events form a lineup filled with creativity and rich in quality.

Throughout the city the local traditional culture, theater and entertainment break the spotlight using unusual spaces such as: squares, bars, sheds, streets and avenues that surprise the audience. The Festival of Curitiba, which is in its 19th edition, is a reference and is part of the Brazilian cultural scene.

Theme day: Red

Coincidentally, I took this picture circulating the halls of MON during Vik Muniz's exhibition. The title I gave to this picture was "Vermelho" (Red), due to the contrast of the red color of the woman's blouse and the B&W pictures being observed by her.

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