Breakfast (Cafe da Manha) in Brasil

I know I've talked about food in Brasil before, but it seems no one tires of hearing how wonderful the food is. Breakfast is no exception. Juice, fruit, meats, cheeses, breads, cakes. You have it all in a typical colonial-style breakfast.

Now for the but part. But...

If you are looking for an American-type breakfast with eggs, hashbrowns, toast, there is no place to find it, and after a while, you begin to miss the things you once took for granted.

I think one of the first places I went after coming back to America was a place called Tee-Jay's in Columbus, Ohio, famous for it's barnbuster breakfast. I didn't have that exact breakfast because it is way too much food, but I did have eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and toast, as I always had before moving to Brasil, and I loved every bite. Now that I'm back in the states, I miss the typical Brasilian breakfast. See? There's just no pleasing some folks.

Til Next Time, Tchau!

Gauchos of Southern Brasil

When it comes to cowboys, and country music, Brasil isn't really that much different than the US. They have their country songs, their wide open spaces, and their love for horses.

What is different is the cultural mix in the southernmost State of Brasil, Rio Grande do Sul. You have people of spanish decent from the Gauchos in Argentina, you have Italian winemakers, and you have whole cities settled by Austrians.

The music is as diverse as the people. In one song you may hear a steel guitar mixed with an accordian, in the next, you may hear an Austrian waltz, and the next a Flamenco guitar. It would not surprise me if there are some who mix all these mediums together at once.

As you can see by the video attached to this blog entry, Rio Grande do Sul has some striking similarities to the region we call home to our own Rio Grand. Enjoy.

Til Next Time, Tchau!