Sunday in the Park

What to do on an early Sunday evening around 6 PM after a lovely leisurely lunch in the company of wonderful people (including of course, a certain dog named Cipote)?

Why go to the park of course!

And, it was the perfect thing to do. The day was sunny with a little bit of gorgeous cloud covering, breezy. Not too hot. Perfect for strolling.

And people watching. Because everyone and their mother was there.

Hanging out.

Drinking the chimarrão (mate) I was talking about in an earlier post. See the mug with a thick straw in the picture below? It contains an herb made from mate. And the green thermos the guy in white is holding has hot water to add to it whenever it gets low.

Yup, a cute couple drinking chimarrão on the park bench on the picture below. You see tons of this stuff for sale in the spice rack underneath the cinnamon at the supermarket...

And more.

I think I may have been the only one there not enjoying a cup of this brew...

The energy in the park was relaxed and content...

People playing...

People singing and playing guitars...I even heard an angsty Portuguese rendition of The House of the Rising Sun. This appears to be a required song for everyone to know how to play when they pick up a guitar, even internationally...

Swimming in the fountains...kind of an icky thought when you look at the actual water in the fountains, but hey if you're feeling hot and far from a pool, why not take a dip in your clothes?

Clowing around...

Watching people clowning around...

Practicing martial arts...

And teenagers too, of course, segregating themselves and looking cool...which is totally uncool of me to say I know...

The popcorn man....

And the cotton candy man...

So many different people out enjoying the beautiful afternoon...

[insert sigh of contentment here]

Mate Across Borders

Originally uploaded by Blue Dragonfly Girl

A few days ago, I was sitting drinking a cup of mate at a lighthouse, watching the snow whirling outside on the Massachusetts coast. Texas had been pretty chilly, but my trip home to New England had reminded me what cold really meant even through long underwear, scarves, hats, neck warmers, gloves, snow boots and winter jackets. And with no internet access in sight, I had no choice but to sit, relax and watch the wind blowing the snow about.

I was thinking about how I'd be soon be sitting, maybe sharing a gourd of mate (or as they call it, chimarrão) with Brazilians in humid 80 degree weather in South America.

I remember when mate first started gaining popularity in the states. One of the attorneys that I worked for, who was always ahead of the trends, started drinking mate at work, using the traditional straw. She raved about how great the stuff was, good tasting and good for you, and containing enough caffeine for a little pick-me-up but not enough to get you jittery. I should have listened earlier because this was the same person who told me that I absolutely must watch The Wire. And I will be forever be grateful to her for turning me on to that amazing show.

So, now a mate convert, I'm excited to learn the customs of how to really drink this beverage when I'm living amongst the gauchos. And, as much as I love the beauty of the snow, I also won't  mind being welcomed by the summertime weather of Brazil in about three weeks' time.