Deborah LeipzigerToday is Valentine’s Day and we are excited to celebrate our first full day in the island of Guarujá by the ocean, even though this holiday is not celebrated, here, in Brazil.
Our first breakfast in Guarujá consists of papaya and dragon fruit. We bought these at the outdoor market, the feira. The feirante who sold us the fruits, kept yelling: “Alegria, time” – which translates to “Be happy, team”. He is so joyful as he says these words that we cannot help but be happy.
I have brought coffee, sugar, cocoa, and milk from Sao Paulo and have located an Italian coffee maker, which rests on the stove. The only problem is that we are not sure how to light the stove without matches. I realize the urgency of finding coffee for Andy, so we head to the padaria, or bakery. Each neighborhood in Brazil has a padaria – and each one is a littler different with its own personality, although they all sell the delicious paozinho or little bread which Brazilians feast on each day.
We head to the local padaria, called Bella Guarujá, which as padarias go is wonderful. There is a spacious area for sitting and drinking coffee, and I convince the waitress to make Andy a cappuccino with extra cocoa. I order a small coffee with milk, which arrives in the adorable expresso cup and the tiniest spoons. Most padarias sell pao de queijo, which translates as cheese bread. They are small balls of bread with cheese baked into the dough, and each place puts its own stamp on this most Brazilian of dishes. Today they are warm from the oven. We also order a pao de batata, a potato bread with cheese, which I have not had before. I imagine that it will be like a knish, but it is more like a Chinese bun, with a very yeasty bun. It is also good, but huge, and we happily share it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a little girl watching us in fascination. We learn her name, Zaida, and wave and smile. Her father explains that Zaida thinks Andy is Papai Noel (Santa Claus).
After breakfast we head to the beach and walk for miles before the heat of the day sends us in doors. We delight in watching the surfers.
After writing and working, we are ready to head back out into the sunshine. We return to the beach for a delicious lunch at Tahiti, a beautiful place right above the beach. What a joy to try the fish and the maracuja juice.