Olinda

Recife, capital of the State of Pernambuco is the 4th largest urban area in Brazil with over 4 million people. It was founded in 1537 when the Portuguese colonized Brazil as a key harbor and biggest commercial hub of NE Brazil with over 85,000 businesses. It was successful in the production of sugar. It is located where the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers meet as they flow into the Atlantic. The name means “reef” for the stone reefs that runs parallel to the shore. The city is surrounded by many rivers, small islands and 50+bridges. It is considered a big tourist spot due to the gorgeous beaches (ie, Praia do Sancho) and historic sites here.

We drove to the historic area of Olinda (pretty view) which was established in 1535 and is a UNESCO Site since 1982. We had to transfer from a bus to small vans to get up the streets to this area and to Carmo Square. Carnival here is world famous (see separate post for costumes and puppets) and we walked in an old market, drank coconut water (from coconuts), watched the frevo (the Brazilian umbrella dance) and enjoyed the colorful neighborhoods. The rooster is the symbol of the city, the name of its main Carnival Street and the representation of the largest Carnival per Guinness Book of Records in 2013. The Crystal Tower in the photo at the end of the main historic area is a 100-foot tower in the Sculpture Park (since 2000) for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Europeans in Brazil. In the middle of Recife's flag, created in 1973, is an image of a lion, often referred to as the Leão do Norte, or Lion of the North, representing bravery, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness, and valour.

We visited the Golden Chapel, oldest church of Carmelite Order in Brazil built in 1580 in Praca do Carmo, all in gold. In Alto de Se on the towns highest hill, we saw some beautiful views of the city and learned about Se Cathedral and Misericordia Church and the St Savior church, inspired by Dutch with high arches. On Rua do Amparo we walked among the many colorful homes as well as many artists and artisans. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosio is from the 17th Century and was a church built for black slaves. It was a great overview of a city that had a lot of history and a strong economy for its industries and location for commerce.

After the tour, I went back to the historic district and spent the afternoon learning about the Synagogue (see the separate post).Les mer