My tribute to the birthplace of two

My tribute to the birthplace of two of the great names in Brazilian music and poetry: Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. lza De Rio de Janeiro

lza De Copacabana, one of Brazil’s most famous beaches, is considered the cradle of “bossa nova”, as reported by Ruy Castro in his book "Chega de Saudade " (Enough of Longing)

lza De Cristo Redentor - Christ the Redeemer - one of the New 7 Wonders of the World announced during the official declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 07, 2007.

lza De By day or at night, Copacabana is known as Little Princess of the Sea for its poetic aura in the 30 s, 40 s and 50 s, that gave origin to many songs, books, paintings and photographs. .

lza De Our Lady of Copacabana Avenue and its parallel beachfront Atlantica Avenue, are so famous that some say that here one hears the romantic heartbeat of Rio de Janeiro. . .

lza De The famous Copacabana Palace remains one of the most important hotels in town and of Brazil, constantly elected the best of South America by World Travel Award.

lza De In the sand or at sea in Copacabana Beach, proofs galore that not only the girls from Ipanema have golden sun-tanned bodies. . .

The Cipriani Restaurant, which follows the pattern of the homonymous matrix in Venice, lza De Italy, remains one of most sophisticated of the City. To crown all its luxury, the external view is the legendary pool of Copacabana Palace Hotel.

lza De Port of Rio de Janeiro - one of the busiest in the country. Iron ore, manganese, coal, wheat, oil and gas are its main shipped products.

lza De Moorisch Palace – or Fiocruz Castle – a beautiful piece in neoislamic architecture style, is the headquarters of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, dedicated to research in public health.

lza De The Catete Palace, while the seat of the Presidency until 1960, was scenery of remarkable events, culminating with President Getulio Vargas’ dramatic suicide in 1954.

lza De Rio-Niterói Bridge – officially President Costa e Silva Bridge – had the beginning of its construction celebrated with the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It has a total length of 13. 29 km, of which 8. 83 km over water, and maximum height of 72 m.

lza De Museum of Modern Art has a privileged look of Burle Marx gardens integrating the Flamengo Park - all by the seashore of Guanabara Bay.

lza De. . . and it's exactly to these gardens of the Flamengo Park that the MAM's ones are integrated in. . .

lza De Besides the headquarters of the largest Brazilian corporations, Rio’s Downtown also houses the most important cultural institutions of the Country.

lza De National Library of Rio de Janeiro - considered by UNESCO as the 8 th national library of the world and is the largest library in Latin America.

lza De Brazilian Academy of Literature – at the inaugural session Machado de Assis was acclaimed its first President. A replica of the Versailles’ Petit Trianon houses its headquarters.

lza The old and famous Carioca Aqueduct – known as the Arcos da Lapa - opened in 1750 to De supply water to the city. It is 64 meters high and 270 long on 42 arches. Since 1896, the Arcos da Lapa serves as support to Santa Teresa streetcar way.

lza De . National Museum of Fine Arts - Its collection includes approximately 16, 000 pieces of Brazilian and foreign artists.

lza De Cathedral of Saint Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro, designed by vanguard architect Oscar Niemeyer.

lza e D Pedro Ernesto Palace, seat of Rio Municipality’s Legislative, houses works of internationally recognized great painters. The triptych by Eliseu Visconti, in the lobby of the Noble Salon, is the most glamorous work.

lza De Confectionery Columbus, with 116 years of tradition, located in the historic city center, is one of the main touristic points of Rio de Janeiro’s Central Region.

lza De Tiradentes Palace - housed the Brazilian National Congress between 1926 and 1960. At present is the place of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

lza De Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet – the largest library of works of Portuguese authors outside Portugal and the only library outside the Portuguese territory that receives a copy of all works printed in Portugal.

lza De In this church Our Lady of Lampadosa Machado de Assis helped at Sunday mass; and on April 21, 1792 Tiradentes asked to commune before he was hanged 50 meters ahead.

lza De With design inspired by the Paris Opera, the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro displays works by renowned Brazilian artists at the time of its construction, with predominance of Eliseu Visconti’s paintings.

lza De Fiscal Island – became famous for having housed a famous ball - the last big party of the Empire, six days before the proclamation of the Republic.

lza De Sambadrome of Marquês de Sapucaí St. - is the area where the Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro parade and compete during the Carnival, attracting thousands of tourists from around the world.

lza De Allegorical wagon of a Samba School parading in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome

lza De Luiza Brunet, an internationally famous Brazilian model, each year gives her prestige to the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro – she will never lose her majesty as Queen of Samba School Battery.

lza De View encompassing the Corcovado, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon with Gavea Hippodrome at right and Ipanema beach in the background.

lza De The Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is connected to the sea through the channel of the Garden of Allah, which separates Leblon from Ipanema. .

lza De By Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, the Gavea Hippodrome, in Louis XV style, housing up to 80, 000 people and has 3, 000 seats.

lza De Dusk at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, that shows the largest floating Christmas tree in the World.

lza De The night falling over the Lagoon and Christ the Redeemer, lit on Corcovado’s top

lza De Laranjeiras Palace - has hosted distinguished visitors such as Charles de Gaulle from France, and Harry Truman from the United States

lza De. Guanabara Palace - belonged to Princess Isabel and her husband Count D'Eu until the proclamation of the Republic. In 1922 it hosted King Albert of Belgium and from 1960 onwards became the seat of the State Government of Rio de Janeiro.

lza De After extensive reforms in 1999, the Maracanã stadium has reduced its capacity to 103, 022 people, loosing its position as the largest stadium in the world,

lza De Yacht Club’s Marina - in the background Praia de Botafogo, and Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Hill.

lza De Dusk – Botafogo beach in the background, the Yacht Club’s Marina and Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Hill.

lza De From Marina da Glória sets off Pink Fleet, Eike Batista’s yacht, for a sightseeing tour with lunch in a ravishing sea cruise that reveals, from sea, the most beautiful landscapes of Rio de Janeiro’s coast.

lza De Between the Fort of Copacabana and Ipanema beach, the Arpoador beach is an ideal place to enjoy the beautiful spectacle of the Sun setting behind the hill of the Two Brothers.

lza De – noble district that, all year along, remains crowded with national and foreign tourists. Its Ipanema luxury commerce encompasses the headquarters of major jewelry networks and stores of famous international brands.

A small palace built in the early 20 th century in Flamengo serves as scenario for an exquisite temple of flavors: the House of Art and Culture Julieta de Serpa, inaugurated in 2003 to be a center of art, culture and cuisine. With an acclimatized wine cellar, with over three thousand bottles, the refinement of the space is up to the highest Brazilian and international society, including heads of state - royalist or not - in any of its halls: the Blason French restaurant, the BS Bistro, the Salon D'Or or Tea Salon or the J Club piano-bar. Salon d’Or - Where tea is served on nineteenth century silverware in vermeil, Limoges china and refined crystals. Richly decorated with mirrors, artwork, chandeliers and Baccarat crystal appliqués, Versailles style, the Blason Restaurant can be compared in style, to the world's best restaurants, serving sophisticated French cuisine accompanied by fine wines. lza De (Click)

With a concentration of hotels less dense than in Copacabana - that has more than eighty - Ipanema is also a neighborhood with a good hotel network, where stands out the Fasano Hotel. lza De In it sits the elegant and popular restaurant Fasano al Mare.

lza De Niemeyer Avenue, the nicest way to get to the beaches of Sao Conrado and Barra.

lza De Joatinga Channel – here begins the Barra, in a total area of 165. 59 km² - slightly larger than the size of Miami City.

lza De The proximity of the luxury of Saint Conrado district and the Rocinha Slum’s poverty marks a sharp contrast in the urban landscape.

lza De View from the Intercontinental Hotel in Saint Conrado - in the background, the Rocinha slum, with an estimated population of about 120, 000 residents; commercial establishments totaled 6, 500.

lza De Barra da Tijuca – large companies have migrated their headquarters or subsidiaries to Barra, including Shell, Esso, Vale do Rio Doce, Vivo, Michelin, Nokia, Tim and Unimed.

lza De The Chopin Monument by sculptor Zamoiski, donated to Brazil by the Polish is located in the romantic Red Beach, Urca - perfect frame for the master of romanticism.

lza De Panoramic view from the top of Sugarloaf shows the side of the Guanabara Bay where stands out the Rio-Niteroi bridge; Santos Dumont domestic flights airport; Flamengo Beach; on this side Urca district and beach; afterwards Botafogo Beach and Yacht Club’s Marina; Red Beach and, behind the cable car, the view brings us, again, Copacabana.

. . . . . You, Copacabana More than any the arena Where the poet fought the invisible And there at last found his poetry lza De Maybe little, sufficed To justify an existence Her without incomprehensible Vinicius de Moraes – EUA Los Angeles, 1948

Photo imagery : from Internet, with credits to authors Music: “Samba do Avião” by Tom Jobim – (edited) with Danilo Caymmi, Banda Nova and Tom Jobim at piano and choir Creation, research, compilation and formatting : Delza Dias Ferreira delzadfer@hotmail. com English version: Flavio Musa de Freitas Guimarães Poetry of Vinicius de Moraes – Poetical version by Flavio M. F. Guimarães Collaborator: Claudia Ricci lza De Brasil – São Paulo, I - 2011 www. culturesandart. com

Samba do avião – sing Tony Bennett How my heart is singing I see Rio de Janeiro My longing, lonely days are ending Rio, my love, there by the sea Rio, my love, waiting for me See the cable cars that sway above The bay of Guanabara Tiny sailboats far below Dance the samba as they go Shining Rio, there you lie City of sun, of sea, and sky Mountains of green rising so high Four minutes more we’ll be there At the airport of Galeão Rio de Janeiro (4 x) lza De Statue of the Savior With open arms above the yellow sea shore Sugar loaf in majesty Climbing from a silver sea Dark eyed girls who smile at me City of love and mysteries Fasten seatbelts, no smoking please Now we’re descending and everything’s rushing And now the wheels touch the ground