July 5 and 6, 2013: Cidade de Goias

The second stop of my road trip was Cidade de Goias with the Barra family. After returning early in the morning from Paranaiguara, I set off again in the afternoon for Cidade de Goias, the old capital of the state of Goias (it is now Goiania, since the 1930s ish). I loved it! This was the weekend of the annual film festival in Goias called FICA as well as a weekend of beautiful weather. There is a lot of culture in Goias and any trip with the Barras is sure to be a great one!

This is a concert we went to in the middle of the city next to a church called Our Lady of the Rosary. It was just these two singers singing and playing their guitars but it was beautiful! And it was in a little garden of the church.

Mara, Lila, and I at the concert.

I am so glad I got to spend the weekend with Lila! She takes such good care of me, just like she was my mother.

Dr. Mauro, Lila, and I in the "front yard" of their house in Goias. They really do not have a "front yard" but the front of the house is where everyone sits at night just to talk and listen to music.

The house behind me is the house of Cora Coralina, Brazilian author and poet. Though it was not open for tours this weekend because of the film festival, I have heard that it is beautiful. The house sits right on the Rio Vermelho that runs through the city of Goias.

Our Lady of the Rosary

This is one of the main streets in Goias and you can see the spire of Our Lady of the Rosary in the background.

This colorful style of art is characteristic of Goias.

These statues of African women are classic pieces that can be found all over Goias.

This is the bell from an old church in Goias that burned down many years ago. Today it is displayed outside a museum that is where the old church was which houses pieces that survived the fire as well as other religious statues and things used for masses.

This gazebo in the middle of Goias is in a circular park where many concerts take place.

The typical architecture of Goias is old fashioned, colonial if you will, and is complemented by the street lamps like the one behind me that glow with a yellow light at night. The popsicle I am holding is a special kind of popsicle that is made in Goias with lots of coconut flakes in it! It is SO delicious!

This is another version of the architecture that is a little less colorful but just as beautiful.

The fact that my eyes are closed in this picture is a testament to the strength of the sun! It was so hot and bright during the day as you can tell by Ane and Vitor wearing their sunglasses. The building behind us is the old state prison which now is a museum.

This picture shows a fountain that is in the town but more striking is the beautiful view of the hills rolling in the distance on the other side of the city. This picture was taken standing in front of the prison as well, looking away from it. As you can see, it is one of the higher altitude points of the city.

This is the governor's palace in Goias. Now it too is a museum but the governor of the state still comes for a vacation here and spends the night in the palace once every year.

The piano inside the governor's palace was not very in tune!

The governor's garden was beautiful and even had two turtles walking about.

Our tour guide inside the governor's palace was hilarious and made the tour so interesting! He also made sure we were very well hydrated.

This street is obviously too small for cars. It is characteristically picturesque though.

The school in Goias is so Brazilian, being half inside and half outside.

Mara and I enjoying a little snack

This is a neighborhood near Goias called Bacalhau. My mother spent a little time here when she studied in Brazil when she was in highschool. For Senhor Barra, it was a trip down memory lane since my mother stayed in his home for part of the time that she lived in Brazil. He loves telling every person we encounter that I am his American granddaughter!

The film festival had films about environmentalism this year. The films were shown during the day and then at night there were concerts. Though we did not watch any of the films, we went to a concert of Mr. Gyn. He is a sertanejo-ish singer and everyone seemed to love him.

Ane, Mara and I at the concert of Mr. Gyn

I love that the windows here all have adorable shutters completing the colonial feel.

In the middle of the night, when the sun goes down and it is chilly in Goias, nothing is better than having a personal concert from singer Marcelo Barra! What a treat!

Some friends also spending the weekend in Goias came over to hear Marcelo play. I think it was about 2:00 AM when they arrived.

Senhor Barra and I on the front porch