A couple of weekends ago, looking for a change of pace and a way to get away from the line of cars trying to enter Rio’s Jardim Botânico, we decided to go to Parque Lage. You might think of it as the rougher, wilder, more artistic version of the botannical gardens nearby. Rather than carefully plotted varieties of worldy vegetation, they have stone and earth trails going through more or less natural patches of Atlantic rainforest. There’s also a lovely old colonial building with an open court yard and big reflecting pool (when it’s not covered in moss) in the center. It’s a great place for brunch, and they host cheap and free classes on various art-related subjects.

Here I am with Carolina and her cousin Camila, standing in the court yard in front of one of the student exhibits:

Appreciating the fine art. And that painting, too

And here we are in the parking lot having one last fling:

Saying goodbye is the hardest part