Sunday March 1, 2015 - Porto Belo and Florianapolis, Brazil

Sunday March 1, 2015 – Porto Belo – Florianapolis, Brazil

We were up at 6:30 and had a light breakfast.  I got our tickets to go to Florianapolis and we were on the first bus.  We loaded up with Gabriela as our guide and set off for the hour long drive from Porto Belo to Florianapolis.  There was a fitness challenge going on at the beach in Porto Belo and these crazy Brazilians were swimming out to sea and around this huge island and back.  Unbelievable how many were doing this.

Gabriela told us about the area and gave lots of statistics.  When we go to Florianapolis we stopped at a viewing point for pictures.  Florianapolis is an island and this is where Nick Burnette from Charlotte now lives part time.  We took pictures and then headed for the beach.  Lots of people out enjoying the weather and sunning.  Tim and I walked to the rocks and watched the waves crashing onto the huge boulders.  We left there and went back to old Florianapolis and went on a walking tour to where the harbor used to be, an old park with a 200 year old ficus tree, the cathedral, customs house, and old market.  We then got on the bus and headed back to Porto Belo. 

Porto Belo, Brazil

Welcome sign to Florianapolis, Brazil

The beach at Florianapolis

Beautiful beach, surf, and rocks with crashing waves

Tim climbed up the big rock for a better view!

The crashing waves in an inlet at Florianapolis beach

Tim on the rocks

Panorama of Florianapolis Beach

Downtown Florianapolis - this all used to be part of the sea

A memorial to one of the early leaders

Beautiful park with a gorgeous tree

The tree - if a couple holds hands and walks around the tree 7 times, they will have 7 years of happiness!

The park in central Florianapolis

A government house in Florianapolis

The Florianapolis cathedral

Fountains and large sidewalks along the waterfront in Florianapolis

The old market building in Florianapolis

Sail away from Porto Belo and Florianapolis, Brazil

Panorama of the coast as we sailed away

 

I went to the Information stand to see where we might eat lunch but she told me everything was closed by 2 pm so we went back to the ship and had a light lunch.  We relaxed and read the rest of the afternoon and then went for drinks with Putu in the Lounge.  We went to the Grand Dining Room earlier tonight – about 7:30 – and got the last table for two by the window.  Tim had suckling pig and enjoyed it.  We decided to skip the show since Ray Michaels is performing again.  We can hear him through the walls in the lounge from our room and we’ll skip.  We read a while and then went to bed as we have another early day tomorrow in Santos / Sao Paulo.