Every year this area of Brasil has a winter festival. It can happen any time between the middle of June and the first of August. I have no clue as to why particular weeks are planned one year, and not another. The last time I wrote about the festival was in August of 2008 – can you believe it – Three years ago.... I don’t know where the time goes. All I know for sure is that time flies by and I can’t begin to tell you why I have missed winter festival in Nova Friburgo the last two years.
Other years there has been a small newspaper that gives the times and places of all the activities, four or five pages of activities. This year not only are there very few activities but they seem to be more cultural: piano concerts and a ballet versus street dances and choirs singing religious music in the park. This year it also seems to be only one week, including only one weekend. I know that this is because the mayors office is short of cash, there are so many projects in place trying to get the city back to normal after the January slides. It is a shame though because the city needs its tourists, and the town’s people need to have some family relaxation – ‘kick up your heels time’. That all said I need to get to the point.
Yesterday Camillo and I went into town for one of the
‘Concertos ao Meio-Dia’ – ‘concerts at mid-day’ series. In the eight years we have lived here, we have been to maybe three other concerts. This is one of the activities that we enjoyed in Houston and I miss it. When living in the states we went about four times a year to the opera, the symphony, to a play or a musical, to say nothing about going dancing once a week, and here we just don’t seem to keep track or actively pursue these pastimes and we should.
I was totally impressed. The Municipal Theater of Nova Friburgo –
Teatro Municipal de Nova Friburgo - seats about 250 (a rough count while waiting for the concert to start) and is comfortable and has excellent sound. We were entertained for over an hour and half by Aleyson Scopel and Ronaldo Rolim, both young Brasilian pianists, playing Prokofiev’s , and Rachmaninov’s concert for piano No 2, respectively. We will go out again on Thursday. I didn’t ask to see / hear what, just said YES!
Other years there has been a small newspaper that gives the times and places of all the activities, four or five pages of activities. This year not only are there very few activities but they seem to be more cultural: piano concerts and a ballet versus street dances and choirs singing religious music in the park. This year it also seems to be only one week, including only one weekend. I know that this is because the mayors office is short of cash, there are so many projects in place trying to get the city back to normal after the January slides. It is a shame though because the city needs its tourists, and the town’s people need to have some family relaxation – ‘kick up your heels time’. That all said I need to get to the point. 
Yesterday Camillo and I went into town for one of the ‘Concertos ao Meio-Dia’ – ‘concerts at mid-day’ series. In the eight years we have lived here, we have been to maybe three other concerts. This is one of the activities that we enjoyed in Houston and I miss it. When living in the states we went about four times a year to the opera, the symphony, to a play or a musical, to say nothing about going dancing once a week, and here we just don’t seem to keep track or actively pursue these pastimes and we should.
Oh my gosh, what a gorgeous shot of the Grand piano you've captured!! We love concerts, opera and plays as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd anytime that you can go dancing with your hunnie, it's a good thing. I can't wait to go out dancing with my sweetie again.
Yes, you definitely need to get out once in a while to do and see the things you love. :)
ReplyDeleteRonaldo Rolim is my cousin, he is studying for a piano masters degree in US and came back to Brasil only a few weeks every year. I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed the concert.
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