10:30 am Jose Luiz and his wife Debora, come to the Hotel to pick me up and continue my tour and education of Sao Paulo.

Unfortunately it is raining and so there will not be much walking around outside.  So they decide to take me to Independence Park (Parque Independencia) where there is a Monument, which is also a mausoleum, to Don Pedro.

The Monument/Mausoleum is built beside a river that runs through Sao Paulo.  Above is a scene on the monument depicting Don Pedro and his Army after claiming Independence. Don Pedro is in the middle. This is apparently the river Don Pedro used to sail up and spend time at this place.  There is a small house a little way from the Monument where he would meet and stay with his Mistress.  (See it's been going on for years. I'm sure if anyone made it public in those days they would have been executed.)

We walked around the monument and went inside to the Mausoleum part.

At the top end of the Park is the Paulista Museum (Museu Paulista, Universidade de Sao Paulo).  You can see how much rain we have had already today.   Debora suggest to me and Jose, that we walk up to the Museum through Independence Park and she would drive the car up and meet us outside the Museum. (Smart woman!)

We head off towards the Museum. Jose tells me that the whole area has been fenced off due to vandalism over the years and that before the fences were installed you could actually drive through the Park.  Up at the top end is an area that looked like it is or was used for live performances of Bands or Orchestras.  Jose said there used to be performances there, that included some fountains that danced to the music, but one of the Mayors stopped the funding.  So that stopped. We walked to the center of the top steps and looked back over a wet misty Sao Paulo. I turn around an take a picture of the Museum through the fence. We cross over the road and head up to the Museum.  Debora has found a good parking spot and she is stood outside the entrance to the Museum.

There are some beautiful gardens in front of the Museum as you can see here. To see all the pictures around the Park click here.

We go into the Museum, which unfortunately does not allow any photography or video filming.  I think that is so visitors buy the pictures and souvenirs.  There are two floors above ground and a basement.  If you get the chance, it is well worth a visit.

We are getting hungry so it's time for lunch at one of Jose's favorite restaurant's "ZIOVITO" (Italian family style.) I wanted the Parmigana, and Jose says it is enough for two people, so we decide to split it and Debora goes for the Buffet. There is a lot of food.  The waiter comes over to the table and lifts the lid on the Parmigana to reveal enough left for another two meals! The tab for all the food and drinks..............approximately $29.00!

Still bad whether so we head off to a Shopping Mall, I think it was called the Ibirapuera Center. Big beautiful mall, very modern. I feel like I'm back in the US of A. :)  Except for the prices! $150.00 for a pair of yellow and green tennis shoes. Electronics are approx. 50% more than in the States.  I put this down to the fact that the Customs duty is 60%!  Needless to say I didn't buy anything.

We finish up at a Coffee shop in the Mall, where they serve these wonderful cheese pastry balls a "Sao Paulo Treat" :) I believe it was called "Galeria Dos Paes" it is really nice there. Oh! and the pastry balls are good.

A long day of walking and we are all tired.  Jose and Debora take me back to the Hotel where I can kick back and relax for a while before a night cap.

Michel of ACE Models will be at the Hotel at 7:00 am to pick me up and go to Interlagos, so off to bed.

Day 4 continues...... Quick Links Back to Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6