My Porto Alegre

Hello all!

The purpose of this blog is to share information and tips about Porto Alegre, from a foreigner point of view. You are welcome to comment or add any information that you think will be of interest to the foreign community in the city.
We hope you'll find the posts useful and enjoyable.
Beijos,
Dafi & Dagan.

FEIARTE - International Art Fair

The Feiarte is an international art fair. It gathers the best of the craft from the five continents and from many Brazilian states. The int'l atmosphere in the fair is very exciting with people from all over the world and lots of languages spoken around. Kenya, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, Peru, Bolivia, Italy and Russia are only part of the list of countries that are participating in the fair. There are sculpture, jewelery, fabrics, bags, etc.

Every day there is a folklore dance show at a certain hour.
Apart from crafts, also food is being sold, like acarajé and tapioca from Bahia, nuts from Rio Grande do Norte, sweets from Uruguay and more.


Dates: 2 - 11.5.08
Address: Parque Esportivo da PUC-RS. Parking lot available (The fair is literally in the parking lot).
Hours: 14:00-21:00
Ticket: 7R$. Kids up to 12 years old free. Most of the booths accept credit cards.

Lacoste Factory Store in Sapucaia do Sul

The factory Paramount Texteis in Sapucaia do Sul, 20min drive from Porto Alegre on BR-116, is manufacturing the famous crocodile fashion. Lacoste accessories and garments for men, women and children are being sold in a store by the factory for good prices.

Some of the clothes are in perfect shape and others are missing the crocodile badge or the neck label. It takes some patience to look through all the merchandise but eventually you can find good bargains. The collection changes often, according to the factory production.

Address: Av. Luiz Pasteur 450, Sapucaia do Sul. Tel. (51) 3452.8770

Lady Shoe Shopping in Novo Hamburgo

Novo Hamburgo is a city located 40min drive from Porto Alegre. There are many shoe factories in Novo Hamburgo area and few big shoe stores that sell local and international brands for very good prices. The biggest outlet shop with lots of int'l brands is Armazem das Fabricas.

This shop has feminine shoes only from some well known makes that are made in Brazil for exportation, such as Hush Puppies, Geox, Bass and others. They are sold with discounts of up to 70%. Usually you get another discount for paying in cash.
Apart from large variety of shoes they also have accessories and bags.

They also have an online shopping site where it is possible to see all the models available.

Address: Av. Cel. Travassos 719, Novo Hamburgo. Tel. (51) 3595.2606 Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-18:30, Sat 9:00-18:00. There's also a store in Gramado - Av. Borges de Medeiros, 1455 lj. 2/3 Tel. (54) 3286.5996

Another 2 stores with more Brazilian look shoes is Arezzo Outlet by the Novo Hamburgo shopping mall. Rua 5 de Abril 445, bairro Rio Branco. Tel. 3593-5454. And Mercado do Sapato: Rua 24 de Maio 222, bairro Vila Rosa. Tel. 3527-0232.

Saturday Ecological Market

We visited today the feira ecológica near the Redenção park in Bom Fim neighborhood. This organic market is open every Saturday from 7:30 till 13:00. It's better to arrive as early as possible to find the largest variety of merchandise and less crowd.

The market offers fresh vegetable and fruit, honey, wholewheat bread, fresh herbs, home made jams, flowers, goat milk products and more. Many stands offer tasting samples and the atmosphere is very calm and friendly. Only by seeing, smelling and tasting this healthy food we felt in a better shape(-:

We saw some herbs and fruit we've never seen before like this Hibiscus fruit that is very citric in taste and is used to make tea or jam.

We left the market with a full basket and a tickling inspiration to cook healthy food.

Veja Porto Alegre - 2008/9 Guide

Don't miss the latest edition of the annual Veja Porto Alegre Guide.
The new 2008-2009 guide ranks the best restaurants, chefs, bars, food and wines in the city and gives complete reviews about them. Available in the newspaper stands.

Finding an Address in Porto Alegre

Recently the Google maps website added the option to find addresses in Porto Alegre. The option exists only in the Brazilian domain (maps.google.com.br) and enables to find an address on the map by street name or zip code. Getting directions is also an option but keep in mind that there's a high probability that one of the streets is under constructions and therefore closed to traffic.

Ilha do Papagaio in Santa Catarina

We spent the Easter holiday with our friends I&H and A&H in a wonderful small island in Santa Catarina, about 80Km south from Florianópolis , called Ilha do Papagaio (parrot island).
On the island there are 21 chalets, a small beach, swimming pool, aquatic sports
activities, short hiking trails, very good restaurant and friendly atmosphere thanks
to the owner and his family who mingle with the guests.
The island is an eco-resort with respect to nature.
Guests are being picked by a boat to go from the land to the island. On the island a waiter
is welcoming you with a fruit cocktail and from this moment on, all you got to do is
relax and enjoy the small paradise you've just discovered.
The kids spent most of their time on the beach, kayaks and swimming pool.

The restaurant offers a nice verity of fresh sea food among other dishes. We brought several wine bottles with us and the island crew was happy to uncork them and provide glasses.


Being an eco-resort, the chalets are simple yet comfortable and charming. We hardly spent time in the chalet since there's so much to do outdoors.

During winter time the place offers right whale watching, fireplace in the room and special winter dishes at the restaurant.

St.Patrick's Day in Porto Alegre

When we just came to Porto Alegre (more than four years ago, wow!), the first time I felt homesick was on St. Patrick's Day. It was the first time for years that I didn't party with my friends in our favorite local Irish pub back home and I couldn't even find one place to have a nice pint of Guinness in Porto Alegre.

These days are over and now Porto Alegre can offer more than one place serving proper pint of Guinness and more important - I have some drinking friends to party with.

The Mulligan pub will have a special event on Monday, March 17 - offering the second pint of Guinness for free. They promised to have St. Patrick's Day's T-shirts and hats and a lot of Guinness.

You can already call in sick for Tuesday, March 18.

Mulligan Irish Pub
Address: Padre Chagas 25 (Moinhos de Vento). Tel. 3029-3725 / 8422-9301. Opening Hours: 17:00 - 2:00 (Close on Monday)

Mario Quintana Cultural House

Mario Quintana Cultural House is named after the famous poet born in 1906.
The cultural house downtown Porto Alegre is known for its pink color. In the past it used to be the Majestic hotel. It was built in the early 20's in a baroque style.
Today, this beautiful 7 story building is a home for cultural events, library, art galleries, shows, courses and movies. There's always something interesting going on and it definitely worth a visit.
On the 5th floor, there's a nice garden called Jardim Lutzenberger with purple water lilies in bath tubs, benches to rest and a view to the Centro and a beautiful church. A perfect place to relax or read a book.There are 2 cafe-restaurants. One is located at the entrance and the other one on the top floor, where we visited yesterday with our friends J&M. It's called "Cafe Santo de Casa". They have tables indoors and also outside the balcony with a view to the Guaiba. The food is simple and good. The dish names are all spiritual and the place is full of different santas.



Address:
Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana
Rua dos Andrados 736, Centro
Tel. 3221.7147
Closed on Mondays

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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