Above: The beach in Ipanema, September 2008
Dear Readers,
As some of you may recall, last September I attended Capital Fashion Week in Brasilia to cover the shows for Diane. Before flying back to New York, I made a 4-day pitstop in Rio de Janeiro and am just now getting around to posting some of my photos from there. I am now gearing up for my next trip to Brazil for Fashion Week Rio (I'll actually arrive there on my birthday, January 11) and am looking forward to returning to this beautiful, beachy city. But before you take a look at my snapshots, please enjoy this musical interlude from Liza Minelli's late husband, Peter Allen...
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Rio: Me and my passion-fruit caipirinha on the beach at Ipanema.
The lovely, leafy streets of Ipanema
Inside a church in downtown Rio. We love the wax heads but can't remember the story behind them. Too much sun and cachaca, I guess.
Above: Okay, this I remember. Because I first saw it in the 1964 film "That Man From Rio" starring Jean Paul Belmondo and I recognized it as the work of Candido Portinari. I became a fan of Portinari's work when I visited Oscar Niemeyer's terrific Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Belo Horizonte in November 2007. Portinari created the tiles that adorn the outside and inside of the controversial church. Portinari was born in Brazil but his parents were Italian immigrants (hence the surname). He joined the Brazilian Communist Party in the '40s (Niemeyer was already a member) but had to flee Brazil for Uruguay in 1947 due to the persecution of Communists. He returned to Brazil in 1951 but sufferered ill health until he died in 1962 due to lead poisoning from his paints.
Above: A phantasmagoric scene from "That Man From Rio" in which Belmondo passes by the church I visited (above) and the Portinari mural.
Portuguese tiles in downtown Rio
Don't fear the reaper, doll.
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley: Me on the way to Santa Teresa.
A view from the trolley
The Metropolitan Cathedral, which looks like something built by futuristic Aztecs, and that strange cubist building lend a sci-fi feel to the urban landscape.
Lush, mossy paths in Santa Teresa
Me and my friend Carlos in Santa Teresa. Carlos is from Rio so he was a great tour guide.
Brasil, mon amour
The next day I made the obligatory journey up to Sugarloaf Mountain. I picked a nice day (or at least it looks that way in the photos. It was actually extremely windy and I was terrified that the tram was going to get blown off the cables or I was going to get whooshed off the top of the mountain by a strong gust).
You can see Christ the Redeemer waaaaay in the background.
A view of Copacabana beach
What is that unglamorous cement bunker behind those palm trees....a public restroom...?
Believe it or not, it's the Carmen Miranda Museum! No campy fag worth his salt would miss a visit to this hallowed hall. I was able to sneak one photo of one of Ms. Miranda's vaunted costumes before the security guard yelled at me. Many of her fiercer-than-fierce platform shoes were on display and comprehensive English-language timeline info was provided. Of course my first association with Carmen Miranda was when I saw Lucille Ball caricature her on the "I Love Lucy" show when I was a little kid. Did you know that Carmen Miranda was actually in the audience during the filming of that Lucy episode?!
Above: Not Lucy, but the real McCoy
Street art outside Rio's immaculately and miraculously pristine subway system.
Jeee-sus Christ, suuuperstar....who in the world do you think you are?
Hello, Dali!
On my third day in Rio the weather was crazy--windy and misty, dark and bright... and very dramatic. Luckily the next day was picture-perfect beach weather--sunny and 75F--and I had a marvelous afternoon at the gay beach before jetting back to New York that evening.
A church I visited somewhere north of Urca before I went to the beach.
There it is--my perfect beach day. Spoil me!
Thanks for visiting.
Love,
Glenn Belverio
