Feiras and Calhetas

 In Sao Paulo, during each week there are several outdoor markets on different streets on different days. They are called Feira Livres. (Pronounced Fay-duh leevree). At the markets, they sell flowers, produce, meat, and sometimes other very random things such as bras and hair bows. It is the best place to get your produce for the week as it is usually very fresh and usually a better deal than at the grocery store. We took the kids to the one by Ibirapuera park (the biggest park in Sao Paulo) the other Saturday. Clara got to ride in the carrier since it was about a mile walk.

 We got so many looks! A few people even stopped and took our picture. Hilarious!

 I forgot to mention one of the best things they sell at these--fresh sugar can juice and fresh coconut juice. SOooo delicious. They also sell these yummy fried pockets of meat and cheese called pasteis. The girls love to stop and get them.

 They shut down the entire block for the Feira and they are always full of people. The vendors are always offering you samples of their goods and once you try one, they will get you to try some of everything. The other day, a vendor even offered me some of the beer he was drinking!

 So you know now that my double stroller has bit the dust, and with Charlotte's school a mile walk away, it has been an interesting adjustment. We have compromised some and fold down the back of our single stroller and the kids sit together. They are such troopers and generally get along great!

Movies here are most often shown in English with Portuguese subtitles, except for kids movies, which are dubbed. We were really lucky and since Cinderella was a live action movie, it was shown in English for a few weeks. We took the kids to see it and the theatre even had a coach for them to pose in.

Easter was fun and low-key, but we definitely missed family. Charlotte's school brought a live bunny into all the classes, and Charlotte loved it! We had to adjust our traditions a little bit, but it was still fun. 

 Easter weekend we went to a beach called Calhetas, which is a locals beach. It is close to Isla Bella, which is an island off the coast here that is supposed to have some of the best beaches. We did an AirBnb because there weren't a lot of hotel options, and it had a really good description. The lady said we would have no problem with beds for all four of us. We were a little surprised when we got here and realized the "house" consisted of one room, one bathroom, and an outdoor kitchen!!
However, the location was amazing, and we walked to one of the coolest beaches I've ever been to.

 Here was the bedroom that was meant to sleep 4:

To keep the beach as clean and pure as possible, they keep the land down to the beach wild and you have to hike down a ways. It was a beautiful hike!

The water was amazing, and the view was stunning. There were no waves and it was as warm as a bath! There were probably only 25 people there all day.

 The only downside to this beach was the biting flies. No matter how much bug spray we put on, those little guys did not leave us alone! (What was kind of funny about this, so every lady here wears a thong, and you could see bug bites all over their buns!)

 One thing we've heard a lot of expat families say is how much the living abroad experience has brought them closer as a family. Lately the girls have been playing together a lot, partly because they have no other choice. They also know that the other will always understand them (as opposed to other kids that don't speak English).  Also, all of our free time is spent together, and it has been amazing. It really is a neat experience and I do feel like our family is closer because of it.