Number Eight - Feira do Rio Antigo

When I moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1987 Lapa was a very rundown and rather dingy neighborhood. But over the last 20 years or so Lapa has changed and is now a main tourist attraction and a center for music and nightlife in Rio de Janeiro.

Several factors contributed to the change, but many mention the project promoted by the City of Rio de Janeiro called "Corredor Cultural" that invested in refurbishing of old buildings and public squares, street lights and security as one of the most important incentives for change. New residential projects in the area have also brought in new inhabitants, many of them eager to live closer to work and to get away from the chaotic traffic of Rio de Janeiro.

I decided to check out a Street Fair - Feira Rio Antigo - The Old Rio Fair - Which is held at Rua do Lavradio the first Saturday of every month. I walked from the metro station Cinelandia, and it was one of those clear, sunny days of May.

I passed the church Igreja da nossa Senhora do Carmo da Lapa de Desterro, from the time when Lapa was a beach called Areias de Espanha, built in 1751, and I made a mental note of visiting the church on another visit.

I continued walking in the direction of the Arcos da Lapa - the famous Carioca Aqueduct - and down Rua do Riachuelo.

A sign of the new times as a major tourist attraction -  a tourist information booth! and there was somebody actually working!

A little further I reached the street I was looking for: Rua do Lavradio and the fair:

A Happy mixture of old and new, several vendors offering handicraft, but many dedicated to antiques.

It was Saturday so many of the stores along the street were open as well, many also offering antiques or objects for decoration.

But I found the fair more interesting and amusing:

Ah, there is a house missing! It went home with me! I was delighted to finally find that someone had put the "pedras portuguesas" ,the little stones used for pavement in Rio, to good use! These little stones are forever being pulled up for some kind of construction work, or by a flooding of the streets, or...well, they are dangerous! I am always tripping over them!

There were lots of tourists and even a capoeira perfomance:

After a few hours in the sunshine I headed home, happy and with a cobblestone house, four beautiful wine glasses and two rugs! Lapa and the fair are well worth a visit!