Friday was the day for music, music instruction, types of music in Pernanbuco all led by Professor Carlos Sandrini at the Federal State University in Recife. There are about 400 students enrolled at the school. Carlos was ready for us with lots of YouTube examples of the different kinds of music possibilities in this state, with Afro-Brazilian nusic and brass bands, etc. He explained Frevo music and Forro music and played examples. We had a three piece band of a professor and two students who played a variety of musical styles for us with a tambourine also used as a percussion instrument, a mandolin and a 7 string guitar. I really learned to appreciate AfroBrazilian music.
Following a full 2.5 hours of music presentation, we were off to lunch at a restaurant called Parraxuxu, well known for its Brazilian specialities for the region where your food is weighed by the kilo. They had chicken in blood sauce, goat, chicken hearts, manioc cake, fried cheese, some animal's stomach in sauce but regular type food too like beef and beef ribs and sausage. So much variety. And the choices of desserts was amazing. I got little tastes of lots of things.
the day before, a few of us went to a restaurant in Recife where I had sliced beef from the hump of the cow. The hump being that of a Brahnma type cow or bull. Very tender and not totally fat filled like those prehistoric bison.
After lunch, we made an off schedule run to a music store so we could buy some CDs of hte types of music we had heard and professor Carlos went with us. The record shop owner opened the CDs so we could hear what the music sounded like. It was great.
July 9, 2011
Today, we visited a manatee center where a few baby manatee have been born in captivity. After that, we headed to the beach. I walked around looking around for shells and finding a few. Without sunscreen and just by walking around, I have a nice shade of pink on my face and chest. so now I will be using sunscreen. It was a nice leisurely day. I did spend most of my time except the twenty minutes or so shell finding, under an umbrella. We had lunch there and what chicken I didn't eat, I fed to three hungry mama dogs. By 3:50, we were herded onto the smaller bus and got home, sleepy and tired from the sun and salt air. So nice to breathe it all in.
Tomorrow is our day off and Kira and I are planning on going to Olinda for a leisurely time checking out a great church, taking pictures, and maybe doing a little shopping. Until tomorrow! I look forward to the awesome buffet breakfasts our hotel has. I have become a big fan of manioc pudding in any and all forms
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