FILE - Electronic Language International Festival

Today we visited the FILE exposition in Santander Cultural Center downtown Porto Alegre.
This interactive exposition is a combination of visual arts and technology, artists from 21 different countries.

The works show web-art, animation, 360º photos, games and more. The exposition is very interesting, there's a lot to see, touch and play with. A great place to spend few hours with kids. Free entrance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
The exposition is on until Apr. 20th
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00
Sat-Sun 11:00-19:00

A visit to Cafe do Mercado

This week we had the honor to visit Cafe do Mercado roasting facility. Christiano welcomed us with a tour in the place and explained the process the brazilian coffee beans go through, from the raw beans, roasting to packaging. We were fascinated by the machines, aromas and noise(-:
When we thought the tour was over, Christiano invited us to watch their baristas practicing for the Brazilian baristas contest to be held on March 7th. We entered a small training room where we met the barista Miriam Masui and some coffee experts from abroad who came to assess her and give their comments. We saw professionals in action and got to taste a fine cup of espresso with good crema, strong aroma and beautiful taste. As for the cappuccino, I still prefer it made with fresh milk rather than the UHT one.

Thank you Christiano for your great hospitality. The next coffee is on me;-)

The Post Office - Correios

At the post office door, you have to take out of your bag/pockets
all metal things and place them in the small window. Then you go in
a revolving door and take them from the other side. If you're "locked"
in the door, it means that you still have metals on. You have to go backwards and take them out too. Same happens when entering a bank.
My first visit to a post office was quite shocking since I didn't know all that(-:
Next step is to take a number at the numbers machine.

Here's a list to help you find the nearest post office to you.
The correios site is very useful if you read Portuguese.

You can purchase package boxes at the correios. They don't sell soft envelopes.
When sending packages overseas, there's a difference in price between documents, which include
papers and CD's and merchandise which includes everything else. It's cheaper to send
documents.
The fastest and most expensive way to send a package would be by "Sedex".
Other than that, there are 2 more options - PRIORITÁRIO and ECONÔMICO.
Prioritario would take 4-5 days to arrive to destination and Economico 2-3 weeks.
After sending you can trace the package through the site.

In the correios site you can check the prices for sending packages.
Generally, the price is the same for packages up to 500gr and then up to 1Kg and so on.
Payment in Cash or Santander Bank cheque only.

Machry Armazém & Bistrô

My friend MS showed me this charming bakery/deli/bazar store in Tristeza neighborhood in Zona Sul (the southern suburb of Porto Alegre). The two Machry sisters run the place. The front part of the store is a deli, where they sell homemade breads, cakes, pastries, fresh and frozen, all made of 100% natural ingredients. They also sell dairy products, sauces and kitchenware. As you go deeper in the store, it turns into a bistro, where you can eat by a table, from a selection of food served in an inexpensive buffet. The food is original, light and delicious. Don't forget to leave some room for one of the irresistible homemade cakes. Ohh... they're just too good! We usually try more than one kind.At the front there are tables to sit and enjoy the small garden and open air. The store is decorated with different craft works that add an artistic touch to the place, and are for sale too.
Address: Rua Dr. Armando Barbedo, 257, Tristeza Tel. 3266.9301
Opening hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00-19:00, Sun. 12:00-19:00. Packed on weekends.

Coffee in Porto Alegre

As a coffee addict, I can only say that I was disappointed from the coffee i found in Porto Alegre. Unfortunately, I still find it difficult to drink the brown liquid that is called coffee in Brazil. It is definitely not an espresso but I admit that as a dose of caffeine it does the work. The second problem is that a fresh good quality milk is a rare merchandise in Brazil, what makes getting a decent cup of cappuccino an almost impossible task.

However, after a while in Porto Alegre, I succeed to find some solutions:
Drinking coffee at home - to have good coffee at home, I bought nice Italian SAECO machine that together with Brazilian Melitta coffee beans (can be purchased at any big supermarket) and Santa Malta Tipo A fresh milk (can be purchased in selected Zaffari and Bourbon shops) - provide great cappuccino and fantastic espresso.
Having coffee out - for me there is only one coffee chain that is worth visiting in Porto Alegre - Press Cafe. This is maybe the only cafe in Porto Alegre that is using Santa Malta fresh milk and that it's "baristas" really know the job. The sweets next to the coffee are splendid as well. as other decent cafes we count Z-Cafe and Cafe do Porto.

Public transportation in Porto Alegre

Bus - Generally the buses in Porto Alegre are modern and comfortable. Buses come regularly and the different lines cover the entire city. On some streets there's a special bus lane and in peak hours the bus would be faster than a taxi. The lines are named by neighborhoods. In case the bus is going to/from Centro neighborhood, it will also have a number prefix. The prefix "T" means that the bus route is longer and it crosses the city through it's main crossing roads. A ride within Porto Alegre costs 2R$. Payment is done inside the bus as you get in.


Lotaçao - This is a red and blue minibus for up to 20 people. It's is a bit more expensive than a regular bus (3R$) but its advantage is that it stops anywhere along its route, just raise your hand to stop one. Pay the driver as you get off the bus. The lines are named by the neighborhood the bus is passing through.


Taxi - Taxi is safe and inexpensive to ride. You can either call a taxi station or stop one on the street.

Natal Luz in Gramado

Christmas time is the nicest time to visit charming Gramado. The streets are full of Christmas decorations, all made of recycled plastic bottles and colorful lights in the evenings.
During November-December there are many events going on in Gramado. The holidays program is called "Natal Luz" and it includes many events, out of which the most impressive one is the "Nativitaten". This is a show of a choir, laser lights and fire works, held in the surrounding of an artificial lake. A ticket should be purchased beforehand in Gramado's cinema ticket office, or online. This year the price for a ticket is 40R$.
There's also a parade, a singing tree (a choir singing between a Christmas tree leafs) and many more attractions.

The Caracol Park - Canela

The Caracol (=snail) park is located on the way from Gramado to Canela, 7Km before Canela. The Caracol waterfall is the main attraction of the park. The Caracol river falls from height of 130m to a small pool that can be reached by 927 stairs going down hill (and then uphill, yay!).
If you're not in an athletic mood, there are 2 other options to view the waterfall. First - a cable car ride with a view to the waterfall from above. Second - Entering the Caracol Park and taking the elevator to the view tower.

This picture was taken during summertime while the hortênsias (hydrangea) blooms.



This is a short video showing the waterfall, cable car and tower:




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Renting DVD's in Porto Alegre

The 2 biggest DVD stores we found are Espaço Video and Blockbuster. Signing up to a store is a bit of a pain... you'll need an ID card, CPF number and a residence proof. Payment is per movie - you rent a movie and pay upon return. Usually you can keep the movie for 24-48h on weekdays or for the whole weekend if you rent on a Friday. Espaço Video also has movie delivery service for extra 4R$.

Espaço Video stores addresses:

1. Rua Vasco da Gama, 153 Bom Fim. Tel. 3311-7999
2. Rua 24 de Outubro,1378 Auxiliadora. Tel. 3342-8585
3. Mucio Teixeira,661 Menino Deus. Tel. 3024-0808

Blockbuster stores addresses:

1. Assis Brasil 2847 Tel. 3361-6769
   
2. Carlos Gomes 11 Tel. 3333-8151
   
3. Av. Nilo Peçanha 2785 Tel. 3328-5660
   

Maria Fumaça Steam Train

In the heart of the wine area, north from Porto Alegre, the Maria Fumaça train ride is a fun tourist attraction. The train leaves from Bento Gonçalves, where you will have some Brazilian wine tasting. As the ride starts, groups of singers pass between the passengers, playing, singing and dancing, dressed up like old Italian immigrants. If you drink enough wine and you're mentally ready to dance, the dancers would be happy to dance with you. Make sure you have enough space on your camera memory card before embarking (-: The train stops on Garibaldi, where you'll taste some champagne and grape juice. The final stop is in Carlos Barbosa. A bus ride back to Bento Gonçalves is included. Another option is to ride a bus to Carlos Barbosa and take the train back to Bento Gonçalves. The ride is around 2 hours long, over 23 kilometers of scenic route.

It's recommended to reserve tickets in advance by phone:(54)3455-2788.
Train operates on Wed. and Sat. at 9:00 from Bento Gonçalves and 10:45 from Carlos Barbosa. At 14:00 from Bento Gonçalves and 16:00 from Carlos Barbosa. Kids under 5: free. Above 6: 40R$ on low season and 45R$ on high season (July, Dec. Jan.).


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