30 day Today’s adventure is all about unusual architecture

Our BCoF people are planning our dinner this evening.

Catedral is quite stunning structurally, different than what we’ve been seeing on our trip. It was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and projected by Brazilian structural engineer Joaquim Cardozo, and was completed and dedicated on May 31, 1970. We’ve been to some unique temples, mosques and very old churches but this is the first one that I noticed captured the essence of an angel. They have an angel suspended in front of beautiful stained glass which with the light filtering gave it an eerie celestial feeling to me. The flower vendors on the sidewalk outside provided us with a sensory feeling that complimented the visual. The circular structures made me think of a flying saucer.
The Itamaraty Palace is another unusual structure but it is so much more. I was surprised to see all the water gardens and the various plants growing. It’s surprisingly peaceful inside here, there appears to be a lot of non-used space. I wonder if they hold meetings or banquets here and haul in the necessary seating. If they do what an amazing setting.
Trip Advisor had this to say about the Templo da Boa Vontade– “The Temple of Good Will (TGW) is an ecumenical monument located in Brazil’s capital. It was conceived and built by Jose de Paiva Netto, President of the Legion of Good Will (LBV), who inaugurated it in October 1989. Every year it receives more than one million pilgrims, making it the most visited place in the city, according to official data from the State Secretariat of Tourism of the Federal District (SETUR). Acclaimed by the people as one of the Seven Wonders of Brasilia, the TGW is on the official list of monuments for tourists to visit during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is part of the Legion of Good Will’s Ecumenical Complex, together with the World Parliament of Ecumenical Fraternity, the LBV’s ParlaMundi.”
It reminds me of the pyramids we saw in Eqypt except there are openings on the side allowing the light to enter. There are art exhibts, some plant displays but for me it was not as appealing inside as the Catedral or the Itamarty despite it being acclaimed as one of the seven wonders.

All it has done is remind me of the time and I’m wondering what the BCoF crew is planning for our last night in Brasilla for dinner. I have to admit I’m anxious to get to our next destination. I’ve always wanted to see Belize.

BCoF I’ve made arrangements for you to take all those Brazillian food choices to the next level. You’re putting a menu together to help this restaurant get better ratings.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g303322-d4102590-Reviews-Primeiro-…

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-foods-try-brazil

https://www.oliviascuisine.com/authentic-brazilian-recipes/

Our group is going to enjoy your recommendations this evening. Don’t be out to late we’re off to Belize next. Perfect timing Hurricane Laura has already gone past our location. Prayers for all that aren’t as fortunate.

I’m going to say the pictures of the choices look good but than as we all know pictures seldom look like what the portions really are and I was disappointed reading the reviews. Bar food seems to be the common description, what exactly does that say about the food. My personal experiences with bar food hasn’t been satisfactory so I’m biased. I think by labeling the pictures so people have a name to reference back too once they get back to their lodging and have time to review. So I think that’s one thing our group could be helpful. We’re writers after all.

One thing I did notice is Brazil and Argentina claim to be the barbecue capital of the world. I wonder how St. Louis in Kansas feels about that they make the same claim. I was reading on the Top 10 foods in Brazil. “In Brazil, premium cuts (the most popular being picanha, or rump cap) are seasoned with no more than a liberal shake of coarse salt, before being grilled to pink perfection over charcoal (or wood, if you’re doing it the old-fashioned Southern way). Home barbecues will see sausages, queijo coalho (squeaky cheese on a stick) and chicken hearts sharing space on the grill, while in churrascarias (barbecue-style steakhouses), all manner of meats on skewers – from pork to lamb and wild boar – will be sliced by waiters straight onto your plate.” –10 foods link

I’ve had some interesting steaks cooked with crushed pepper not ever with coarse salt. I’m kinda curious now. But no way am I eating chicken hearts or lamb. I’ll pass. I don’t eat beef or pig hearts either. Or for that matter liver.

I was surprised there were not more bread options, don’t get me wrong. Pão de queijo is mighty tasty but not everyone wants cheese. I have to be careful with cheese these days so I was disappointed how few options for bread they had. What do you think ladies maybe some bread with fruit like apple, blueberry or cherry or maybe pumpkin or zucchini bread.

I know I was pleased to see quindim was on the menu, I know I had it last night but it was soo GOOD but I’m ordering it again after I try these Brazilan chicken wings. I believe the waitress called them FRANGO A PASSARINHO. I didn’t want anything alcoholic since we’re traveling tomorrow so I thought I would try LIMONADA SUÍÇA, Oh my… what a surprise no lemons. There aren’t any, because Brazilian Lemonade is usually made with limes and sweetened condensed milk. It was like having a refreshing milkshake.
Now, Olyvia from the link says, “The real Brazilian Lemonade will take a whole can of sweet condensed milk. I know it might sound excessive and overly sweet, but since we leave the lime’s peel in most of the limes, it ends up being necessary so you don’t end up with a bitter drink. Another trick to prevent bitterness is to blend the limes and water for only 10 seconds. That’s it! No more. It is enough time to extract the juice and some of the bitterness from the peel. Any more than that and you won’t be able to drink your lemonade, even if you add five cans of sweet condensed milk! Also, the fresher the limes, the better. And, even though we are leaving the peel in some of the limes, you gotta cut off the white part from the inside. That’s where most of the bitterness is and it does not belong in our awesome drink.”

Olivia’s recipe is below:
“4 juicy limes
4 cups cold water
1 can sweet condensed milk
Ice to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash your limes and peel two of them. Cut them into 8 wedges. and remove the white pith.
Combine the lime wedges and water in your blender’s jar and pulse for a few seconds (10 seconds maximum).
Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the pulp to extract all the juice.
Return the liquid to the blender and the sweet condensed milk. Blend until creamy and frothy. Then, add the ice and blend again until super nice and cold! 🙂 (Too intense? Add more water or ice and blend some more!)
Serve immediately”

I will definitely be making me some when I get home again.  It was definitely like having a smoothie not sure I have room for my quindim but I’m going to do it anyway. What’s a little gluttony among friends.

“The architect’s role is to fight for a better world, where he can produce an architecture that serves everyone and not just a group of privileged people.”
— Oscar Niemeyer

“It is not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. What attracts me is the free and sensual curve — the curve that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuous course of its rivers, in the body of the beloved woman.”
— Oscar Niemeyer