January 19, 2020



Rio de Janeiro



My first excursion of the cruise was to Petropolis.  It is about 40 miles outside of Rio.  The royal family of Portugal moved its court to Brazil in the early 1800s.  In 1821, Joao VI became King and moved back to Portugal leaving his son, Pedro I, in charge in Brazil.  Pedro I, sided with the rebels and became Emperor of the Republic of Brazil in 1822.  His son, Pedro II, became the last emperor of Brazil and the Brazilian monarchy was abolished in 1889.  It was Pedro II who built the Summer Palace in Petropolis that his father had envisioned.



Our tour started at 9 am when we met outside the terminal.  The drive took a little bit over an hour and our first stop was at Palácio Quitandinha.  It was built in the early 1940s as a casino/hotel.  The interior designer, Dorothy Draper, designed the interior.  Many famous people have stayed there including Carmen Miranda, Bing Crosby, and Eva Peron.  The casino closed in the 40s and the hotel in the 60s after which it became condos and is now a major tourist attraction in Persepolis.

After our visit, we ate on the side of the man-made lake (in the shape of Brail beside Palacio Quitandinha.  It was a churrascaria (steak house) and we had numerous side dishes as well as different meats.



We then went to the Imperial Museum of Brazil housed in the Summer Palace of Emperor Pedro II.  We toured through the various rooms but photography was prohibited. 



Short stops were made at The Cathedral of Saint Peter of Alcantara and the Crystal Palace (that was neither crystal nor a palace).  Our final stop was at the Cervejeria Bohemia Brewery, which was the first one in Brazil.  We had a tour of the brewery and tasted three different beers.



We arrived in Rio at about 6:50. I had dinner in the Lido where they were having a “Gaucho Dinner”.  Music trivia was at 8:30 and I joined a team (there were only three teams).  Afterwards I spent some time out on the deck looking at the lights of Rio. 



As I have been typing up today’s blog, I have been watching/listening to the movie “Judy” playing on the TV.  What a sad story.



We have another day in Rio and I have nothing planned.

one of Rio's numerous favelas

at Palacio Quitandinha

 large empty pool in the shape of a grand piano

child's playhouse

Lago Sul Churriscaria

 Ever seen mouthwash and dental floss in the bathroom of a restaurant?

Museum

photo of the last Emperor of Brazil and his family

the former Summer Place

a royal coach

the cathedral

the Crystal Palace

 at the brewery

at one point in time almost all beer was made by monks

Street scenes in Petropolis

Smooth sailing until next time!