On a day like this...

Waking up in a beautiful mansion in Buzios, Rio de Janeiro state, meant greeting the sun and blue skies, which came as a great welcome after the non-stop tropical winter rain of the day before (which possibly also came as a welcome in some respect, it's possible). It meant heading out to explore the beaches, the rocks and the crashing waves, with a gorgeous line of houses on the opposite shore adorning our one billion photos in all this gorgeousness. And waving around Brazillian beach towels, because why wouldn't we, especially on a day like this.

And when you return after a decadent day such as this one, what's better than getting into the pool at the beautiful house where you're staying and being handed a beer to drink up? Now that's one of those days when you think later, I wish I could re-live that again! One could say that I'm painting a pretty and yet shallow picture, but admit it, everyone should be allowed a day like that once in a while to reminisce about, right?

I remember that night we dressed up and took photos around the house in modellesque (am I making up a word?) poses. And it was that night that we watched little Vinícius, Fernanda's nephew and co-owner of the mansion, performing another of his Michael Jackson hits, which had us laughing and entertained to tears. There were quite a few, things are starting to get a bit blurry, but I will never forget his 'Thriller' and the way he tried singing, but few of the actual lyrics came out correctly. But he had the rhythm and the moves down, allright!

The night before, you could still feel the rain in the air, but that evening, we could head out in our short skirts, as is tradition in Brazil, without fearing the chill factor. Was it that night that we looked around at that little market in the center, around the taxi stand, and where I bought those flashy earrings that I never really wear, because of their weight and amount of jingling? But they're a crystal green colour, and I thought, wow check that out, they match my eyes...

I believe we've quite adorned the streets at the Rua das Pedras that night, and Chez Michou where we stopped again for crépes and Brahmas, and that little street samba party (which, it turns out, took place the second night in Buzios, not the first, yep things are getting a bit blurry in my mind but nothing that a few (hundred billion) photos shouldn't be able to resolve).

Oh, there we are, in the photo on the very left, with Fernanda, practicing our samba moves. And it was actually Fernanda who taught me the correct way to dance samba... who knows what I'd been trying to do with my feet before (though I'm not saying I danced it entirely correctly after this either, but I was getting there).

That was quite a day and a trip indeed that, despite little things here and there that have blurred a little, has been seared in my memory since.

At the Rua das Pedras she sits watching the sea...

Dressed in everyday comfy (but as always, classy) clothes, she sits facing the sea at the port of Buzios, a little Brazilian town a lá Saint Tropez, which she had 'discovered' some years before (in the 1960s, as may be the case). A seemingly modest but proud bronze statue of Brigitte Bardot, who must have fallen in love with the place, as many others have done after her. What's not to love? Great climate, beautiful scenery, washed by the warm waves of the sea, gorgeous houses and holidays mansions of the rich... and sometimes famous.

We were lucky enough to stay at such a beautiful mansion, just five minutes walking from the beach, where we explored the shore, the water and the rocks, watching the waves crash against them, taking a million photos of ourselves and the startlingly beautiful environs on that clear-blue day. (And to think that the day before we arrived at the afore-mentioned mansion among thunderous tropical rains, and entertained ourselves with painting each other's nails... until the rain cleared that night and we could get ahead into town, to show ourselves off walking down the fancy streets of Buzios, and to take photos with Brigitte).


Just a bit further from Brigitte resides the former president of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek, who half a century ago had the idea of building the new capital of the country in the middle of practically nowhere - now it is called Brasilia. He sits relaxed in his chair, waving at... well, supposedly, the crowd. It was around his chair that we did our little happy dance and took pretty poses. Fernanda taught us a little song then made up by someone once to celebrate his eagerness to build Brasilia - but all I remember now is 'Jusca tá na pila...'

We walked around, taking photos with statues of animals and trying to learn the correct basic steps to dance samba, and even ran into a small but cozy street samba party... but there was more waiting in the centre, as we now got into somewhat more deserted areas. So we returned to Brigitte, who sits gazing out at the sea at the start of Rua das Pedras, now the main street in town, adorned at every corner and on both sides with countless beautiful (and unaffordable) clothes shops and restaurants. I don't know if it has something to do with the French spirit present around there, but the place we came to love and where we came to love to eat was Chez Michou, which serves mainly beer and... crépes. And has a television screen, always showing a music DVD from a famous Brazilian artist. I say always because we returned there a couple of times afterwards and they kept up the tradition, at least in my time there. This is where Fé taught me to sing 'O amor... é um calor... que aquece a alma... O amor... é um sabor... pra quem bebe sua agua'. Timeless! And those crépes and Brahmas at Chez Michou (three times over) will certainly be in my memory for many years to come, let's hope always.

Back at our new house, we settled to sleep in our beautiful beds, with dreams of a blue sky and softly crashing sea waves, which became reality the next morning. And who can forget in this story the little boy who with such soul performed 'Thriller' and 'Billie Jean' for us? Intrigued?

Stay tuned.