The next stop on our city tour was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. It was a very unusual structure, but still gorgeous. It reminded me of their love for football stadiums, and expected the inside to be arranged thus.
I loved the bell tower. It was similar in geometry to the main cathedral, but something about it’s uniqueness tickled my fancy.
The inside of the cathedral was gorgeous, with 4 floor to ceiling stained glass windows at each of the 4 ordinal directions.
They had this beautifully carved crucifix handing above the altar.
Loved the colors!
Can’t pass up a flag photo, with the hills it the background showing an old city wall nestled among the greenery of the city, with several types of architecture in the background.
Our next stop was the site of the infamous Rio Carnival! The Sambadrome is *THE* location where all the amazing parades and samba dance competitions occur. Less than 800 yards in total length, this is where the costumes and dance routines carry on for hours and days!
Both box seats and stands are available, but not nearly enough for all the locals who want to see Carnival or all the visitors who pack Rio every year. There are numerous street parties and local neighborhood parades for those unwilling to pay a small fortune for event tickets.
We just missed Carnival by a few weeks, and they were still cleaning and tearing down temporary stages. The area was littered with garbage, glitter, feathers and confetti. The very small museum is worth a look through, and you can take your picture in an old, smelly costume for a few dollars.
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: First day of class yesterday wasn’t *TOO* bad. Hopefully today and tomorrow will be as useful.
