Rain, rain, rain...

On Wednesday we spent the day sightseeing like regular tourists...except there were 8 of us (some of us super-sized) who were folded into a car that carried 7...and only carried 7 in product advertising. Thankfully Annie would fit in the glove-box.

We started the day with a trip to Olinda following a side-trip to Sam's. (Yes, Josh and Amanda, a trip to Sam's, now you wish you were here, don't you?) It had been raining pretty constantly for 24 hours and so we all carried our umbrellas and other rain gear; after all, there was plenty of extra room in the car, especially after that trip to Sam's.

Olinda is a beautiful city built up a hillside overlooking the ocean. It's about 450 years old and is one of those cities you see painted in a lot of souvenir art from Brazil. (I have one such painting on my dresser.) There is excellent shopping in Olinda...Amy and Nancy are excellent shoppers...we were excited about a "productive" day.

When we got to Olinda our first stop was at the oldest cathedral in Olinda (there are several) and we enjoyed a tour. After that we drove to the highest point in the city and got out just as the bottom dropped out and the rain begain in earnest. (It had been drizzling in fits and starts to that point). So we shopped in the downpour. We ate lunch at a place called "The Pumpkin House" were meals were served in a cooked, hollowed out pumpkin. Cute, but pumpkin. I much prefer a sourdough bread bowl. (Perhaps this helps explain my "super-size.) While we were eating the rain stopped and the sun came out so Nancy and Amy hurried to get back to the shops. Just as we got to the door of the restaurant the flood gates opened again with no relief in sight.

After Randy decided we had shopped enough (he was in the car blowing the horn at us) we left Olinda and headed to a Museum in Recife. It was built by one of the wealthiest families in Recife and they retain control of every piece of art housed there. It will be left to the city upon their deaths. It is primarily a historical museum of Brazilian culture. However, someone obviously loves sculpture because there are dozens of sculptures there of all types. Some original works and many copies of famous works. (Salome and Bacchus reigned side-by-side over the food court and various sculptures of Buddah sat at the feed of Greek goddesses in the garden.) Some of the other works of art were also copies while some were originals. It seemed that the idea was to showcase the Brazilian influence and from that prespective it was very interesting.

One building at the museum showcased weapons and had an amazing display of knives. I didn't see that exhibit but the men thought it was the best part. It continued to rain, rain, rain and by the time we got back to the Pousada we were drenched...literally. My jeans had absorbed water all they way up to my knees and could be wrung out. My advise to other travelers? Do NOT travel with people from Bellevue until they get over this obsession of theirs with floods.