Boston

Brian travels to Boston at least once a year for his Virtual Labs so he was really looking forward to showing the kids this historic city during our "Education Vacation."

I insisted that our first stop be the Public Garden. The following day, however, we took a taxi from our hotel to Bunker Hill where we began our walk along The Freedom Trail. The famous words, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" were believed to have first been uttered here during the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 when the Colonists resolutely stood their ground against the British Army.

We trudged up the 294 steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument in sweltering heat and humidity and were rewarded with spectacular views of the city and harbor.

I never truly understood the term "weak in the knees" until we had descended and began our trek along the trail. It took several blocks for my legs to fully recover. 

The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) was all decked out for Harborfest.

We walked crossed the Charles River and the Boston Harbor was right before our eyes. I couldn't help but imagine the scenes of that long ago tea party.

One of the most fascinating places (to me) along the trail was Copp's Hill Burying Ground and its curious gravestones.

The Old North Church was just down the street and is memorialized in Longfellow's famous poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."

Paul Revere's house was built circa 1680 and is the oldest remaining structure in downtown Boston.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston from The Old State House balcony.

I find it fascinating how the city has been built up around this historic landmark.

Abby and Travis are standing on the cobblestone marker that signifies the site of the Boston Massacre. I didn't realize it was basically on the doorstep of the Old State House.

Red Coats and Mennonites were not far away.

The Freedom Trail ended for us at the new State House on Beacon Hill that overlooks Boston Common--pretty impressive golden dome.

Cheers to us for a day packed with history!

Rio de Janeiro

Rio is a modern bustling city--quite a contrast to the Brazilian resort town of Búzios. Of course, we were typical tourists and visited the Christ the Redeemer statue (one of the seven wonders of the world) and Sugar Loaf Mountain--two iconic images of Rio de Janeiro.

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer)

Like our trip to Italy last year, there were throngs of people.

However, the views from the top of Corcovado Mountain were gorgeous.

Rio de Janeiro and Sugar Loaf from Cristo Redentor

The lagoon (with Ipanema Beach beyond) from Cristo Redentor

Me at Cristo Redentor

A cable car was required to ascend Sugar Loaf  Mountain. Sunset approached as we arrived at the top.

Copacabana Beach from Sugar Loaf

Rio from Sugar Loaf

Can you see the Christ the Redeemer statue in the distance?

Perhaps if I zoom in . . .

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We stayed at the J.W. Marriott on Copacabana Beach. It was a welcome luxury. The cool ocean water was pretty rugged. The strong cross currents and under tow kept us from venturing too far out.

Brian with our beach set-up

Copacabana Beach looking south

Copacabana Beach looking north

Vendors like these were omnipresent on the beach selling everything from jewelry and henna tattoos to hats, sunscreen, and bikinis.

Here are a few other images of Rio that caught my eye:

After I took this picture, the artist insisted I drop some money in his cup.

A pet pig on the sidewalk in Rio

These seemed to be the snack of choice in Brazil.

A fairly nice favela on the slope of Corcovado Mountain

I smiled at these birds resting in the trees, but then I noticed the dam of trash.

My dad was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in Brazil in the 1950s and traveled there a couple more times during his career with the Organization of American States. In fact, I have a beautiful Brazilian doll he brought back for me when I was a very little girl. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to visit this country myself one day.

Brian caught me humming "The Girl from Ipanema" over and over again while we strolled up and down the streets of Rio. My dad often played that song on the piano when I was growing up. Its catchy tune always made me sing along.

As with any place, there is great beauty and there is great sorrow. The favelas (shanty towns or slums) were difficult for me to comprehend, and they were everywhere around Rio. I came away grateful for my simple abundant life.

Copacabana Beach

This is my "happy place"--my picture of tranquility. I'm so glad I was able to experience the Brazilian version.

Búzios, Brazil

My last adventure of the summer took me to Brazil with Brian while he attended the International Conference of Chemical Thermodynamics (ICCT). On August 4 we arrived in Rio de Janeiro after flying almost 4 hours to Atlanta (where we were able to meet up with Rachel and David briefly in the airport) and nine plus hours to Rio. We then boarded a bus and traveled three more hours north to the resort town of Búzios. I was exhausted, to say the least, but the sunsets in Brazil helped calmed my weary soul.

Tres Pescadores, Búzios, Brazil

Below is the view of Búzios from the porch of our hotel room.

Once known only to pirates and slave traders Búzios is now a popular vacation destination for Latins and international visitors alike. It is a quaint fishing village complete with cobblestone streets, numerous restaurants, and plenty of souvenir shops.

Since Búzios lies on a peninsula there were many different beaches for us to explore.

Brian at Praia Azeda (Azeda Beach)

A schooner at Praia Azeda

Me at Praia João Fernandes

The view of Praia João Fernandes from my beach chair

I wonder what type of Brazilian "duck" this is.

It was a new experience to be in the Southern Hemisphere and have the sun rise and set to the north. There was no Orion or Big Dipper, but the sky was just as beautiful.

Very few people spoke English in Búzios and that was a real challenge. We managed to survive with our limited Spanish and online Portuguese dictionary, however. At times we weren't exactly sure what we had ordered for our meals, but our taste buds were satisfied with the traditional cheese bread,  empanadas, fish stew, black beans, and dulce de leche of Brazil. 

After almost a week of relaxing to the point of laziness in Búzios we returned to Rio de Janeiro for the weekend before flying home.

 The brand new Ponte do Saber bridge in Rio de Janeiro

More photos of our adventure in Rio are next.