3/14 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and our tour to Petropolis

Arriving in Rio this morning we are totally disheartened to see the MSC Seaview, one of their biggest ships, here as well. It is there turn around day – and we know it is going to be crazy. We do our normal morning routine – with the bonus of getting a great view of Christ the Redeemer from our cabin! Didn’t even need to interrupt our workout to try to see it as we sailed in – then headed outside early to meet our tour guide Lais. Oh dear me! The people!!!! That ship holds over 4,000 people, and they are all streaming with bags in tow. Yikes! It is a huge quilombo in Argentinian Spanish!

Thank God for WhatsApp. We are waiting outside watching the madness wondering how in the world we will ever find Lais, when she calls on WhatsApp and gives us pretty explicit directions on where to meet her as she is in the traffic queue behind a yellow bus. Ok – we’re off through the sea of departing MSC people and waiting at the corner we think is most appropriate – and there she is – as promised.

We hop in and make our quick escape from that madness, beginning our 2-hour drive out of Rio and up into the mountains to the Imperial city of Petropolis. Along the way we get to know Lais better as she talks about her background and provides background to us on the history of the country. Brazil was settled by the Portuguese, which we knew, but what we didn’t know was that Rio was once the capital of all of Portugal. This is because in the early 1800’s the Royal court transferred from Lisbon to Rio in a strategic retreat to avoid being killed by Napolean who was ravaging Europe.

Lais is so full of knowledge, it is just wonderful to sit and listen to her as we drive out on the roads and up into the mountains surrounding Petropolis. She gave us the whole history of Brazilian independence, from the Royal family all the way to independence and today’s situation. We share political stories and compare situations between our government and theirs, Brazil’s current president, its past president and on and on. The dictatorships, the coffee and milk regime where power drifted between the coffee farmers and the cattle farmers, the dictatorships, the same student and academics who were disappeared as in Argentina (although not as many here, but still). The voting system, that is completely electronic, and mandatory for everyone from age 18 to 60. You’d think in America there would be a similar system! Sigh. Anyway it was a wonderful way to spend 2 hours on the road to Petropolis – and fascinating too.

As we approach Petropolis, Lais tells us that it was the first fully planned city. The city was founded by the Emperor himself, Pedro II, who was born in Rio and fell in love with the area. He decided to build a summer Palace here and in 1847 invited German and Italian immigrants to come and build the railroad and the city, which you can see in the architecture.

At the entrance to the city, we stop across from the grand hotel and casino, the Quitandinha palace, that was built in 1942, but then gambling was banned in 1944 – so the hotel lost its livelihood and popularity. There is a lake in front of the palace in the shape of Brazil, built to have a water source in case of fire. At one time it was the second most famous hotel in Brazil, following the Copacabana Palace. Today it is a mix of commercial and residential facilities. Its façade is beautiful, a tourist attraction in and of itself, and great for a photo stop!

Continuing into town, we manage to park a little way up from the Imperial Palace, our first destination, and walk back through the pretty town in much more temperate weather than down below in Rio. It’s still hot, but not as oppressively humid, and there is a lovely breeze. At the palace, we walk through the courtyard, stopping at a large display that visually explains the Imperial Family tree. Lais talks us through all the 3 Emperors, Princess Isabel and the Braganca family, all who play important roles in the history of Brazil. There is also a famous photograph of the Imperial Family from 1889, right before they were forced to leave the country (explanation below).

Once inside the palace, we are not allowed to take pictures, so we snap a few of the gorgeous façade, then proceed inside where Lais takes us on a tour through the stately rooms. We see all the portraits of the Emperors, learn about each of them and how Pedro I brought all the different sections of the country together; how Pedro II became Emperor when he was 5 after his father died and was educated and trained specifically to become the Emperor his entire life and as a result he was focused on education and technology; how charitable Princess Isabel was, and focused on equity, so much so that she was the one who abolished slavery in Brazil, which ultimately led to the proclamation of the Brazilian republic, and the exile of the royal family who returned to Portugal. Simply fascinating history.

Back outside we wander through the outdoor displays with one of the first locomotives to be used on the railroad here, then make our way to the Cathedral of St. Peter of Alcantara, the Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral built over a span of 40 years and the final resting place of Dom Pedro II and his family. An incredibly beautiful building with soaring pointed arch ceilings, fabulous stained glass windows and the tombs of the Imperial family in a chapel immediately inside the front entrance.

Historical visit complete, we now are going to the Bohemia Beer museum! Yay. As this city had a huge German population, beer is very important here. And as in Asheville, because of the mountain location and the clean fresh water, there are multiple breweries in the area. There is also a restaurant here where we have our lunch, great beers (of course) and a German Sausage sandwich for Ed, Pork “knee” croquettes for me and salad and ribs for Lais. Great way to prepare us for the tour!

Inside the museum, we wander through the displays, sampling 4 different beers at little stations strategically placed about. There are great displays about the history, of course the huge copper vats, and lots of neat displays, and a whole area where you can learn how to brew your own beer area by signing up for classes, or renting the space out for a special event. Brilliant!

After the tour, we begin our 2-hour return drive, which is stunningly gorgeous with the mountains out in the distance, reminding us so much of the Blue Ridge mountains at home. And, same as when we made our way up here, we spend most of the time chatting away and sharing stories and tales of our lives, living through the pandemic and plans for the future. An absolutely fantastic day and excellent company with Lais. We’re sorry to leave her when she drops us off at the port!

Back aboard, we have missed the B2B meeting, so after dinner we go down to GR and get our package from Marilyn, the concierge, then proceed to stand in line for the Destination Celebration, grab our traditional seats and watch the fabulous show with dancers and drummers.