The Girl from Ipanema (in the Place on the Park)

Up early and out for an exercise walk along Copabana front. 

We had lunch in Ipanema in the place on the park, otherwise known as Botequim do Itahy.  We first met this waitress when she was pregnant and today she showed us a photo of her son who is now 9 years old.  How did that happen when it seems like yesterday when we were buying a wee pressie for the baby?!  We don't even know her name (shame on us) but we're always greeted with a big welcome and big smile and shown to a good table.  I remember when I was in Rio on my own for a month running a CELTA course in 2008 (?) and I came here for Sunday lunch and joined the long queue.  She saw me, took my hand and led me straight into the restaurant!  As always, we had a half portion of picanha (grilled steak) with the trimmings.  We must have been hungry as we don't usually finish it, but today we almost did!   Some things do change though and if you're eating inside you can't now grill the meat at the table yourself on the table-top grill like you could when we first started eating here.  

We then stumbled across another art fair and Bb sat down to listen to the live music while I had a wander.  

We popped into the hotel Ipanema Inn where we used to stay before we got our studio to say hello to the people there and as we were walking along the front of Ipanema, reminisced about Nidia, our Portuguese teacher from Sao Paulo, and how she loved Rio and introduced us the hotel in Ipanema where we went for years.  She's no longer with us but we often talk about her and the laughs we had in our classes and then socially as we became friends.  We still use some coasters she made, as well as a little mosaic box on my desk and my jewellery box too - all in Barcelona. 

We finished the night by having a drink in La Maison in Copacabana.  My feet muscles were sore at the end of the night and I wonder if I've overdone the walking this week - I had to stop at a chemist to buy some Cataflam gel!