Downtown Rio, Porto Maravilha and MAR!

Downtown Rio is, during the week, maybe one of the busiest places on the planet, there are so many people, so much traffic, so much noise, that it is not really a place you go unless you have to. But the weekends are totally different, very few people live downtown, so it is extremely quiet, and it is possible to walk down the enormous avenues and narrow, old streets and actually pay attention to the buildings around you.
This morning I ventured downtown with the intention of visiting MAR - Museu de Arte do Rio - a new museum that opened up just this month. But on my way I just had to stop and take some pictures. Along Avenida Rio Branco I came upon theses doors:

Incredible, aren't they?
And further down I found these side streets:

Buildings of another time lost in the middle of the skyscrapers, a bit dodgy, but oh, so charming!
But I was on my way to MAR. As some of you might know, the harbour of Rio is going through a major refurbishing project, it will eventually become a very beautiful and fashionable area, as for now there are workers, trucks, equipment, noise...and the first project ready for the public is MAR:

It is an extraordinary project, joing two completely different buildings with a roof that resembles a wave. The modern building will be an art school, the old building will house the exhibitions. Because of the construction works going on in the area it is difficult to take pictures of the whole museum.

You enter the museum through the modern building and take the elevator to the top floor, where you will find an expectacular view.

There is also a model of the museum, in the future, hopefully, one will be able to see it like this:

The exhibition starts on the 5th floor, and you work your way down to the first! It starts with an exhibition of Rio de Janeiro, with wonderful pictures, films, postcarsd and posters of Rio de Janeiro.

It goes on to show two private collections, both of them beautiful, before it returns to Rio de Janeiro on the first floor. I was happy to see the museum bubbling with life, and on the first floor was the exhibit that everybody wanted to photograph:

Made by artists from a favela in Rio the colorful, charming model, full of details fascinated kids and grown-ups alike.

On my way out I couldn't help taking some more pictures, the museum is full of wonderful angles!

And then it was time to take the metro home. As I walked over to Presidente Vargas I came upon this church, for me: downtown Rio in a nutshell.

Back to Parque Lage

Parque Lage is one of my new favorite places. It is an incredible place, with lots of history and a green, lush atmosphere, with lots of birds and other wild animals - and what is most incredible is that you step right out of the crazy Rio traffic into this magic.

The first time I went there it was by mistake, I wanted to visit the much more famous Jardim Botanico, but I was seduced by Parque Lage. That was a very long time ago...I went back this year with visitors and was happy to see that the old Italian-villa inspired mansion now has a small restaurant and that an art school continues in the building.

Yesterday I was back with a good friend for lunch. We had a very agreeable, light lunch and then we went for a walk in the park. There have been some incidents recently on trails leading from the park into the forest, but we found the area to be very quiet and with guards everywhere.

The park is a somewhat tamed wild, with the exuberant plants of the Atlantic forest threatening to take over the European-style park. It is complete with lakes, bridges, playground for children and even a mini castle!

Here are our impressions:

"Imagine having a husband that would build you something like this!" my friend sighed. The mansion was built by Henrique Lage to please his Italian wife in the 1920's.

Rio - my way

Many have asked that I continue to write and take them along on my wanderings around Rio de Janeiro. So here comes a sequel to Two Months in Rio!
When I first came to Rio 25 years ago it was not love at first sight - the shock was too big. Transplanted from  the cold, grey, quiet, safe Norwegian countryside to the warm, green, bustling, unpredictable Rio de Janeiro it was difficult to adapt.

But over the years I have learned to appreciate Rio, the city with the most amazing views in the world! But also with old and new buildings with stories to tell, charming restaurants, and places of incredible beauty. And then there is the people...they have taught me that life is simply so wonderful it deserves a celebration and also so dramatic that small words won't do - you have to use your hands as well!

Right now there is just so much going on in Rio, the harbour area is being rethought and refurbished, the transportation system as well, the whole city is busy preparing for the big events coming up over the next years. New museums are opening, new public spaces, the city is safer and people are proud. I am happy to be a part of it, and if you want you can come along - to Rio - my way.