Searched high and low for a Lonely Planet Portuguese phrasebook and finally got our mits on one. Relaxed with a read in the shade of the palm trees down at Flamengo Park. We were wondering why there wasn't hardly anyone around taking advantage of a beach...and then I went in the water that was a little brown with rubbish floating in it, so I quickly got out. It's cleaner over on the Ipanema and Copacobana sides where EVERYONE is. Next stop Confeitaria Colombo. We visited this old sweets restauraunt on our walking tour and had to go back. Founded in 1894 and looks like it is still the original building based on the website photos. We had a Banana Turnover, Chocolate Eclare, Lime Tart....and I ordered a Portuguese tart, but they had run out. Noooooooooo! For dinner we read a review about "A great pizzeria with home-made pizzas, in a newly renovated mansion. When we walked in they had Jazz Music playing". So we finally found it, walked in to a dimly lit room, with 1 table that was occupied with a guy and girl - not eating pizza - looking like they were doing a business deal, a guy cooking pizzas at a wood fire oven and a guy on the phone at the front desk. It pretty much looked like a crack den...so we walked backwards out of there. Got a great pizza at another place. Lady was very nice and didn't mind that we didn't speak Portuguese. Grabbed a tub of icecream on the way home!
