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Published: September 22nd 2009
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Minas Tenis Clube
Jackie and her new hat....and face. She is not to be in the sun for three months so she is doing great job protecting herself. Saturday & Sunday
Wow, we had a great weekend. I have lots to report and pictures to share.
On Saturday we took a taxi to Minas Tenis about 9:30am. We thought that would be early enough to find nice a place to set up for a few hours with lawn chairs, table and umbrella. Wrong! On the weekends, you really need to arrive about one hour earlier to claim a spot. That‘s something that we knew before but forgot. Tomorrow when we go we’ll get there earlier. The club is spectacular. It has over 20,000 members and four locations. The club that we attend is Minas 1, the oldest and finest in my opinion, particularly with the new building. It is more about leisure than tennis, however.
We stayed for a couple of hours and then returned to Maria’s for lunch. It is traditional to have feijoada on Saturday with family and friends. The meal has four main parts: rice, black beans cooked in a pot with various meats and vegetables, and couve (a type of green vegetable) and orange slices. Jackie plans to try to cook it when we return. One thing for certain, it will fill you for the
Minas Tenis Clube
We forgot how crowded it gets on the weekends. day. It is the custom to take a nap soon after eating this dish. That’s why it is served mainly on the weekends. And after a nice visit with Maria, Gilberto, Ester, Augusto and their good friend, Edsel, we returned to the hotel and took a nap.
That evening, Maria and Gilberto drove us up the ridge to see the night lights of Belo. While there, we decided to visit a museum where two famous artists were on display: Rodin and Marc Chagall. This was a great, unexpected highlight of the day. What was unique about the Rodin work was how it was displayed. He was a renowned sculptor who lived from 1840-1917. He was one of the first ever to use photography in his work. He marked on the photos in pen and ink changes that he considered for the sculpture that he was working on. The photos are now part of the art and are considered priceless.
On Sunday, we returned for a long day at Minas Tenis. Once there I went to the spa to sign up for a massage, one of my best memories of the club. They were having a promotion with the massage and
Minas Tenis Clube
Old and young...everyone comes for a swim...Remember it is still winter here. Spring starts this week. sauna for $26 BRL or about $15! Priceless! I was so pleased and signed up for 10:30am. I could have had the famous “ducha” but I passed on this opportunity. The massage was just as I remembered: great and complete, from foot to scalp. I could hardly walk back to the pool.
Jackie was there in her new hat, which costs $6BRL or about $4, which protects her from the sun. She stayed in the shade and covered the entire time. The doctor told her to avoid sun for three months.
After Minas, we returned to the hotel for yet another nap. Later Maria picked us up for a trip up the mountain ridge again for a sunset view of the city. It is stunning how large the city is and how beautiful from the top. After that she drove us to her office at Vale, where she works. They have great views at their headquarters building there, too.
To finish the day we met Gilberto at their condo and walked to Restaurant Piu to have dinner. The weather here is so perfect for outdoor dining. It was about 75 degrees with a light breeze and low humidity. We had
Minas Tenis Clube
The club is surrounded by high rise condo and office buildings. It is like an island paradise. salad and pizza and a few more caiprinhas (I plan this drink as my signature drink in the coming months at our condo). That’s another great weekend. Tchau.
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Rich and Andrea
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We miss you guys
Looks like you are having a great time. It has been raining her non stop I think since you left. I am sure you are probably hearing about it. Jackie looks great! We can't wait to try the signature drink!