I am traveling

For the first time, I am traveling to Brazil by myself. I was not able to return to the country from 2021 until 2025, when I finally visited with my husband and took him to see where I grew up. We spent some time in Sao Paulo, then boarded a plane to a very small airport in the southern part of Brazil. In the agricultural area where no tourists are in sight, I introduced him to all my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and thousands of other people I had no wish to see but ended up encountering somehow... small town. In 2026, I am taking a different route and spending some much needed sister-time with my sister in Curitiba, Parana, where she has been living (on and off) for a few years now. 

When I planned our visit to Sao Paulo last year, I knew we would be able to find amazing restaurants to go without much research needed, Sao Paulo being the most diverse city in Brazil. We ate at Helena Rizzo's Michelin star restaurant, Mani; had some good coffee (and some not-so-good coffee as well); spent time with friends; went to a popular bar, got drunk and had pizza afterwards. All that was expected of Sao Paulo. 

Now, in Curitiba, I did not have great expectations when it came to eating out. I knew the city was known for being a "good place to live" and for its capybaras lounging everywhere. So, I am very happy to say I ate amazing foods while visiting - from brunches to pub foods (the Brazilian "bar" way) - nothing I tried disappointed me. No regrets. 

One of the places I visited with my sister was a bookstore & cafe crossover with Japanese-focus foods. We ordered iced coffee, iced tea & a couple of sweet treats - a matcha 'rolled' cake filled with sweet cream and green grapes; a fruit bowl with a vanilla curd, berry jam and mini croissants. I was skeptical of the latter; however, it was insanely tasty - the croissants were so tiny, crunchy and sweet. While waiting for our food, we were free to browse the books, which we did happily. 

Being back at a Brazilian bookstore was a very interesting experience; this store in particular did not have the expected separation of genres, they had sections called "not so popular books by a famous author" and "books you've heard about but never read", which I thought was cool and made the browsing a true exploration. 

A lot of English titles do not "make sense" in their Portuguese translated version, and many times have very different covers too, so it was always a surprise to see a completely different cover and not-literal-translated title to a story I had already read. It felt like I had read a faraway version of the book and somehow it was transformed itself, making the story different too. 

But seeing Brazilian authors' work and Brazilian Portuguese literature was a good refreshment for me. Latin American literature is so rich and diverse, and I read mostly American authors nowadays, which makes me realize I need to diversify my To-Read list in other directions, not only different genres. Plus, reading my home country's literature is healing. That being said, I purchased a couple of books, and I am looking forward to reading them (and having them beautifully placed on my home bookshelf). 

Next steps on my trip include a stop at the beach to see my childhood best friend and eat some mind-blowing sushi (as her partner put it). And after that, I will be visiting the family in my (small) hometown.  I will be spending time with my grandmother and eating some not-so-healthy (but soul nourishing) foods & I am already expecting a lot of questions about why I am traveling without my husband.