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floraexplorer · 5 years ago

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Discover A World of Stories at Edinburgh’s Storytelling Festival

It was a chilly autumn morning in Edinburgh, and I was late for the Storytelling Festival.

I wove my way past groups of tourists along the Royal Mile until I reached a slightly crooked corner building – painted white on one side, bare brick on the other. I rushed up the stairs of the Scottish Storytelling Centre and suddenly stood inside a warm cafe, where my glasses steamed up immediately.

I looked around and spotted a white-haired man with eagles outlined on his shirt: Robert Seven Crows Bourdon, the man I was supposed to meet. Robert, a singer, songwriter and professional storyteller hailing from Quebec, was my first introduction to the reason for me being in Edinburgh.

We were both there for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival – otherwise known as the best festival I’ve never heard of.

Wait – there’s a Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh?

You’d be forgiven for not noticing the Scottish Storytelling Centre at first glance – it blends seamlessly into the other historical buildings along the Royal Mile. But for me (and for any other story-obsessed folk), this place is a dream location.

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is an arts venue designed specifically to preserve and celebrate live oral storytelling. It’s the first place in the world to do this – and probably just one of a handful of similar centres worldwide.

Throughout the year, the centre holds numerous events – everything from spoken word performances and open mic nights to workshops and exhibitions – but each October it becomes an international hub as storytellers from all over the world flock to the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.

So what is the Scottish International Storytelling Festival?

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival began in 1989 with the intention of bringing storytellers together to share oral histories and traditions. It’s been running for the last three decades, and celebrated its 31st iteration this year.

More than sixty events take place over the twelve day festival, and although the majority are held at the Storytelling Centre, there’s also associated talks and exhibitions scattered throughout Edinburgh too.

The theme of this year’s 2019 festival was ‘Beyond Words’, which showcased how music, dance and song all share their own stories. It also focused specifically on storytellers from First Nation Canada: something of a coincidence, seeing as I’d just spent a fortnight in Atlantic Canada with First Nation Mi’kmaq people learning about their traditions.

It also meant I was fascinated to know more about how Robert’s First Nation ancestry influences his storytelling.

Read more: a fortnight spent exploring Atlantic Canada

“Storytelling performances are a big trend now,” Robert told me. He said that oral storytelling is becoming more like theatre, where the focus is on the ‘show’ instead of the rapport between speaker and listener.

At a festival, everyone’s sitting and waiting with bated breath, but the tradition he comes from treats storytelling as something effortless. Nobody has stage fright; nobody’s afraid to disappoint.

“In our world there’s dogs running around, there’s kids jumping over you, the elders are talking…It’s not a performance. I invite you into my world — but I’m not saying you must listen to me. The storyteller’s job is not to be listened to. His job is to tell.”

Over the next hour, we talked about the other storytelling festivals he’s performed at (and there are many – Robert’s been telling stories professionally for twenty years). I’ve been to a few literary festivals – the most memorable being Hay Book Festival in Wales and Gibraltar’s annual Literary Festival – but Edinburgh’s Storytelling Festival is the first I’ve heard of which explores the relationship between a storyteller and their audience.

Before I’d even attended a performance, Robert’s words were making me understand just how significant this festival was.

Read more: Sailing to the Arctic in pursuit of storytelling

Exploring Edinburgh’s literary side

The skies were still bright blue outside on the Royal Mile. I had a few hours before attending my first performance of the storytelling festival, so I decided to visit a few of the more famous literary landmarks in the city.

Edinburgh’s fame as a literary destination is unparalleled. It was deemed the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004; it holds the largest literary festival in the world; and it’s regarded by millions as the modern-day home of schoolboy magic, thanks to J.K. Rowling’s regular writing sessions in an Edinburgh cafe.

It feels like you can’t take more than a few steps through Edinburgh without passing a second-hand bookshop, a location featured in a novel, or posters like these plastered all over the bricks.

My self-guided literary tour of Edinburgh began at The Writers Museum where three of Scotland’s most famous writers are celebrated: Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Once I’d climbed up a winding red staircase in a narrow tower at Makar’s Court, I found glass cabinets filled with their childhood toys, dusty clothes, tobacco pipes, chess sets and locks of their hair.

At the National Library of Scotland, I wandered through an exhibit on how Scottish people have changed the world – and then spent ages in front of a glass cabinet filled with paper sculptures from old books.

These stunning artworks mysteriously appeared one night in 2011, left by an anonymous female sculptor in various cultural locations around Edinburgh. More sculptures were revealed over the next five years – but although the project has now come to a close, the artist’s identity still remains a secret.

I even made a quick stop at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, the namesake of which served as the inspiration for ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde‘.

A furniture maker and city councillor by day but a thief by night, the errant Deacon Brodie swung from the gallows in 1788. Some of his furniture made its way to a young Robert Louis Stevenson’s family: the burgeoning author became fascinated with Brodie’s double life, eventually incorporating the character into one of his most well-known novels.

By the time the sun had set, it was time to venture back to the Storytelling Centre for my first festival performance.

Inside the Scottish Storytelling Centre

A crowd of excited attendees were already milling around the Storytelling Court when I stepped inside. I headed for the ‘interactive storytelling wall’ – a long row of cabinet doors containing tiny, perfect models of famous stories, legends and folk tales.

After opening a few, I found a scene depicting Flora MacDonald helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to the Isle of Skye. She’s one of the famous Floras I was named after, and I couldn’t help but smile!

Just then the theatre doors were opened so I headed downstairs to the Netherbow Theatre, a small auditorium with just 99 seats, to watch as the Dancers of Damelahamid appeared onstage.

An Indigenous dance company from the northwest coast of British Columbia, they draw inspiration from their origin stories and use masks to retell traditional narratives of their ancestors. I had no idea what to expect, but from the moment their performance began I was utterly enthralled.

Their movements were quiet. Almost silent. Clean and precise, their feet tapping as they stepped back and forth to a drum beat. They uttered no words and were fully absorbed in their dance; becoming birds with beaks, then shaking wooden rain sticks and gripping animal hooves in their hands. Then suddenly:

“IT’S A SHARK!!”

A young child’s gleeful voice rang out from behind me. I felt the audience twitch and stiffen: my immediate reaction was one of annoyance, and I began mentally preparing for the constant threat of disturbance.

But that’s when Robert’s words came back to me: “Storytelling isn’t supposed to be silent or one-sided!” For him, any moment of storytelling will involve possible noise and outside activity and distraction.

And in that moment, I realised I’d been looking at this festival all wrong.

So often I think about storytelling as being something static – something to be read either on the page or a device’s screen. But in fact it’s so important to remember the live aspect of storytelling. The relationship between an oral storyteller and their audience has such power because it’s so subject to changes in timing, volume, even the dynamic between the people involved.

But everything – even a child’s excitable reactions – are simply part of the overall experience.

A spooky storytelling marathon for Halloween

The next day was the last of the storytelling festival, which also coincided with Halloween. I spent the majority of my day at the centre where a steady stream of impromptu storytellers stood (or sat) to share their words.

Just like Robert had said, the beauty of this event was in the interactive aspect. I watched a dozen different people take centre stage: a girl from Poland, an elderly Irish man, a Belgian woman, a guy in a full Scottish kilt outfit, all of whom told spooky stories.

Every time I thought of leaving, a new character appeared on stage and I couldn’t go – particularly when a group of older Scottish gentlemen arrived. They clearly spend a lot of time at the centre: there was an easy camaraderie between them borne of years in each others company, and their enjoyment of each others’ stories was infectious.

Celebrating a different kind of story at Samhuinn Fire Festival

Later that night, I wrapped myself in all the clothes I’d brought with me and trudged up Calton Hill to a side of Edinburgh which seemed lifted from the pages of a folk tale.

That’s because Halloween is celebrated differently in Scotland. October 31st is the night of Samhuinn, an ancient pagan festival which welcomes the thinning of the veil between two worlds. And each year, the Beltane Fire Society hold a festival to celebrate Samhuinn tradition with immersive performance, drumming, acrobatics and fire.

Read more: celebrating Samhuinn Fire Festival in Edinburgh

The value of storytelling

As I stood amongst the crowds and watched a grinning group of costumed characters dance and spin their way across the hilltop, I thought about how many ways there truly are to tell a story. It doesn’t prescribe to any one medium: it can be dancing or singing, drumming or speaking, full of sound or completely silent.

It’s about the rhythms they choose to use: cadence, words, the lilt of their voice. It’s about the place they decide to perform: sitting amongst their audience or standing on a stage or weaving their way through a small, tight crowd.

There is always a place for stories, and for storytellers – and in Edinburgh there’s a literal building for it. I’d never heard of Edinburgh’s Storytelling Centre before this visit, but I’m so thankful I know about its existence now. Creating a real, physical space for storytellers to gather together – not to mention hosting a festival which celebrating those gatherings, and opens them up for others – is something pretty special in my book.

Pin this article if you enjoyed it!

NB: This trip was in paid partnership with Edinburgh Festivals, who kindly invited me to the Scottish International Storytelling Festival so I could wax lyrical about stories for a weekend.

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connorrenwick · 6 years ago

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Design Milk Travels to… Miraflores, Lima, Peru

“Look at the flowers,” Ana Cecilia Vidal told me when I arrived at her hotel, the Aloft Lima Miraflores, in Peru.

“Yes, I’ve been admiring,” I assured her. After a drab Winter in New York, the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores, with its landscaped plazas, ice cream shops, flea markets, stone fountains and palm trees, seemed even more teeming with life than Manhattan. I soaked in the colors. I even put on a flowery skirt.

“It’s what Miraflores means,” she replied, “look at the flowers.”

That small conversation became a primer for how I would see this part of Lima, Peru over the next week. Miraflores, the region bordered by Barranco in the South and the Pacific Ocean in the West, is perhaps one of the affluent neighborhoods in Lima, Peru. But the reason you should visit Miraflores isn’t because it’s wealthy, its parks so trimmed: this Ciudad Heroica or “Heroic City,” a designation it earned during the War of the Pacific, is where 8.7 million people reside beside ancient ruins, modern boardwalks, open-air food courts, a park for romantics, and even the 8th best restaurant in the world.

WHERE TO VISIT

Musicians draw an enthusiastic crowd here at Parque Kennedy in Miraflores. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

At the epicenter of Miraflores is Parque Kennedy, a well-placed public space with a playground that attracts local families and a multitude of benches for elderly men and women to gather and people watch.

The park is famous for its resident cat population, but it’s also a place for social gatherings, and where musicians often rally a lively crowd. While strolling through flowerbeds, grab a churro (fried dough stick) or picarone (fried squash and sweet potato donut), or slurp on some chicha morada (a juice made from purple corn, cloves, cinnamon and sugar) from the various local food stands here. When you’re recharged and satiated, go thrift shopping for knitted sweaters, bags and scarves at the flea market which is set up daily from the early afternoon to late at night, and where local merchants are always happy to chat with you about where you’re from and what you’re hoping to see.

Larcomar, a cliffside shopping mall, along the El Malecón coastal walkway. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

There’s views of the Pacific Ocean at Larcomar and all along the El Malecón path. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

Another attraction is Larcomar, which touts itself as “the only shopping center located on a cliff with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean.” Atop Larcomar is Alfred Salazar Park and El Malecón, Lima’s scenic clifftop walkway. There are several restaurants in the region of Larcomar with magnificent ocean views, but if you’re looking for something more low-key, I’d recommend walking along El Malecón up north towards the “Parque del Amor” (Park of Love).

El Beso, a sculpture by Victor Delfin at Parque del Amor, depicts the sculptor and his wife kissing. The park is particularly crowded on Valentine’s Day and is a popular spot for locals to go on dates and even get married. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

Here you’ll find “El Beso,” a large sculpture depicting the sculptor Victor Delfin and his wife, kissing. In the name of romance, the names of famous couples are inscribed into the park’s Antoni Gaudi-like mosaic walls, such as the literary love legends Romeo and Juliet.

Along El Malecón, you might see surfers riding the waves, people playing basketball, or even paragliding above you. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

Puente “Mellizo” Villena Rey, a single arched bridge by the Pacific Ocean, links public parks in the South to the famous Parque del Amor in the North. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

The cliffside walkway, El Malecón, passes plenty of parks from Parque Domodossola in the South to Parque Intihuatana up north, many with flower gardens and sculptures by Peruvian artists. If you’re headed to Parque del Amor you’ll pass through the single arch pedestrian bridge, Puente Villena Rey.

Notable mentions: Lugar de la Memoria, la Tolerancia y la Inclusion Social (The Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion), or LUM, an exhibition space exploring the terrorist conflicts in Peru from 1980-2000 // Huaca Pucllana, the Incan remains of a seven-stepped clay and adobe pyramid from 200-700 A.D, with an on-site restaurant

WHERE TO EAT

Along with all the street food along Parque Kennedy, you can find elevated fine-dining at chef Mitsuharu Tsumara’s Maido, ranked the 8th best restaurant in the world. The colorful Peruvian-Japanese dishes are a journey through Japanese Nikkei cuisine with local infusions.

Lunchtime at Mercado Nº 28. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

We enjoyed a fresh bowl of ceviche topped with fried calamari at Agallas Cantina Cevichera, a vendor at Mercado Nº 28. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

A friendly and accessible dining option that’s perfect if you’re trying to hang out and enjoy the sunshine is Mercado Nº 28, which draws its inspiration from the well-loved Chelsea Market in New York. This open-air food court has 18 permanent food stands featuring well-known Peruvian chefs and first-time entrepreneurs, all vying to serve you everything you might want, from fried chicken to sushi to paella.

Notable mentions: Amaz for Amazonian-inspired cuisine // Punto Azul for fresh, generous servings of ceviche on a sunny family-friendly patio // Manolos for their famous churros in vanilla, chocolate or sugar frosting // Agora Arte y Café for a coffee break or casual workspace with a beautiful view of Parque Kennedy.

WHERE TO SHOP

Dédalo, a designer art and artisanal craft shop, in the nearby Barranco neighborhood, is housed in a beautiful colonial home. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

Dedalo’s gallery space also leads to a quiet, open courtyard at the back. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

On Wednesday evenings, this charming, secluded space turns into an upbeat event venue with pizza and live music. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

Dédalo, about a 15 minute walk from the centre of Miraflores in the Barranco neighborhood, is one of Lima’s most distinguished craft and design stores, with alpaca scarves and decorative pieces, kids toys and Peruvian designer jewelry. The gallery space serves as a hallway connecting the store to a serene, shaded courtyard with a cafe, where on Wednesday evenings, there’s pizza and live music.

Photos from Museo Mate.

MATE – Museo Mario Testino is a contemporary art and photography museum owned by renowned photographer Mario Testino with a design store, Bodega Mate, dedicated solely to fashion. Venezuelan jewelry designer Monica Sordo, the store’s curator, picked pieces from over 30 designers across 9 Latin American countries to showcase here.

AYNI’s showroom reflects the muted color palette of their line.

AYNI is the brainchild of two women—Laerke Skyum from Denmark and Adriana Cachay from Peru—who wanted to fashion high-end Peruvian materials such as baby alpaca wool and pima cotton into a minimalist fashion line with Danish aesthetics. They first launched in Paris in 2009 and have presented their luxury fashion collections all over the world, with a showroom right here in Miraflores.

WHERE TO STAY

Aloft Lima Miraflores is part of Marriott’s umbrella, geared towards the younger traveller. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

A King Suite at the Aloft Lima Miraflores.

The reception area and lobby at the Aloft Lima Miraflores.

At night, Bar XYZ turns the communal lobby at Aloft Lima Miraflores into a bustling entertainment spot.

We loved staying at the Aloft Lima Miraflores—at an affordable $92/night, it exudes a young, communal vibe, with people working in the hotel’s lobby in the day, and then getting a drink and winding down at night. The hotel shares the street with some of our Miraflores favorites, such as Mercado Nº 28, Puku Puku Small Batch Peruvian Coffee, and an adorable pastry shop inside a cozy white house, called Miss Cupcakes.

The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in the Barranco district bordering Miraflores is just a 15 minute walk away and well worth the visit, even if it’s just to admire the sculptures along the museum’s public walkway. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

The Plaza de Armas in Barranco, a neighborhood bordering Miraflores. Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

If you make a wish and then hold your breath to cross the Bridge of Sighs, the locals say that your wish will come true! Photo by Cullen Fairchild.

The hotel is a stone’s throw away from all of the main attractions in Miraflores mentioned above. It’s even close to the nearby Barranco district, where we spent an evening visiting the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, walking across the Bridge of Sighs (make a wish here!) and getting a burger and emoliente (an herbal drink of toasted barley, flax seeds, dried horsetail herb, dried grass, llantén or plantain leafs, lemon and honey, which we topped off with an additional scoop of sticky aloe vera) from a local street vendor. As with many things in Lima, the best part was chatting with the locals while enjoying the food that they’ve freshly prepared for us.

Final Thoughts

We’ve heard many experiences of people who stop in Lima for a day before heading to Machu Picchu. We did the same by taking a flight from Lima to Cusco and staying at the Palacio del Inka for two days to adjust to the altitude. We then drove over to Tambo del Inka in Urumamba (with the most amazing indoor pool I’ve ever seen, hidden in the trees). From there, we took the Inca Rail (the hotel has a private train station) to arrive at Machu Picchu.

While much has been said about Machu Picchu, more should be said about Lima, and in particular, the Miraflores district. We didn’t regret not seeing more of Machu Picchu, but we definitely wished we had more time to explore the neighborhoods in Lima, and to frolic in the gardens of Miraflores. There’s plenty of flowers to be seen here, that’s for sure, but if you want more to look at, there’s more Miraflores can offer: coastal bridges, sculptures, public parks, abundant street food and Incan ruins have found a way to merge seamlessly into the veins of this city. Unlike Machu Picchu, which is not in use apart from as a heritage attraction, Miraflores is very much alive. If you want to feel the Peruvian spirit, come here, and stay longer.

If you’ve traveled to Miraflores and have any favorite spots or recommendations, let us know below so we can share—and also check it out ourselves the next time we’re there!

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viralhottopics · 8 years ago

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So Paulo: Insider Travel Guide

(CNN)With all there is to see and do in South America’s largest city, the sheer size of the metropolis often stuns the uninitiated visitor.

Don’t despair — getting to the locations that showcase the best of So Paulo isn’t as hard as it might seem.

While you’re in Brazil anyway �� Rio de Janeiro: Insider Travel Guide

Hotels

Luxury

Hotel Fasano

Stepping through the entrance of the Hotel Fasano, you’re transported to the early 20th century, when a hotel experience was geared toward wealthy travelers expecting luxury.

Warm, wooden decor and a grinning bartender convince you that wherever you’d planned to rush off to can wait.

Guest rooms are no less alluring, a mix of modern and ’50s style mod, full of amenities like iPod stations, soaking tubs, towel warmers and panoramic views.

Outside its walls you’ll find all the additional luxuries of So Paulo’s best neighborhood on the famous street, Rua Oscar Freire, and surrounding roads.

Hotel Unique

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has called Hotel Unique “one of the seven wonders of the modern world.”

Is it a ship? Some kind of space vehicle?

Guests might never figure out what the massive, metallic semi-sphere is meant to be. But inside this best of So Paulo hotel there are plenty of interesting spaces in which to contemplate the question, including poolside on a rooftop deck that overlooks the lovely Jardins area of the city.

Emiliano

If you’re touring So Paulo by helicopter (which is best, considering the traffic), you’re in luck at the Emiliano; this hotel has a private, rooftop helicopter pad.

Staff will arrange for an attendant to unpack your suitcases and a chauffer to drive you around the city.

In house is the Champagne & Caviar Bar and upscale Emiliano Restaurant.

But the hotel is on Rua Oscar Freire, known for its high-end shops and restaurants, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to continue a spree once you walk outside.

Mid-Range

Staybridge Suites So Paulo

Conveniently located in the Brascan Century Plaza, which has a movie theater and a number of restaurants, the Staybridge is close to one of So Paulo’s biggest business districts.

The modern design of the rooms against a backdrop of the city skyline creates a cool, urban feel.

The Staybridge has a gym and outdoor swimming pool (unheated, so beware before you jump in during the surprisingly cold So Paulo winter).

Mercure So Paulo Jardins

This member of the Mercure chain is in Jardins Paulista, close to So Paulo’s best restaurants and stores.

Hotel amenities include a gym, indoor swimming pool, sauna and a business center.

But since you’ll spend most of your time on the streets, it works well as a comfortable place to check your emails and rest your head.

Budget

Ibis Budget So Paulo Paulista

What was formerly the Formule 1 Hotel — built specifically for guest overflow during the Formula 1 season — is now managed by Accor Hotels.

The accommodations are basic, but the Rua da Consolao location means it’s within walking distance of a number of neighborhoods and the subway.

So Paulo is Brazil’s style capital — here’s why

Dining

D.O.M.

��Restaurant” magazine named this sophisticated Brazilian eatery, helmed by chef and author Alex Atala, the sixth best in the world.

Dishes use ingredients unique to Brazil, such as mushrooms from the Amazon and the medicinal beldroega from the Northeast.

These delicacies are best enjoyed in a tasting-menu format so you can sample a maximum amount of flavors.

Make reservations as soon as possible — locals sometimes wait months for a table.

If you don’t score a table at D.O.M., around the corner you’ll find Dalva e Dito, Atala’s other restaurant.

D.O.M., Rua Baro de Capanema, 549, Jardim Paulista; +55 (11) 3088 0761

Vento Haragano

Churrasco is Brazilian barbecue, but churrascarias take this simple concept to an extreme: various cuts and categories of meat are served at your table by an endless (until you end it) parade of wandering waiters.

The prime cut is called picanha (beef) — request it before moving on to other options.

Tip: don’t be too tempted by tapas placed on your table by the restaurant’s crafty staff — save space for the good stuff.

For the meat-averse, Vento Haragano — an obvious best of So Paulo pick — has an extensive salad bar with nearly everything else imaginable, including sushi, fine cheeses and antipastos. The restaurant also has a good selection of wines.

There’s an additional advantage for those traveling with children: a huge second-floor playroom complete with monitores (baby sitters) to keep the kids occupied.

Terrao Itlia

Thanks to the large number of Italian immigrants in town, there’s no lack of cuisine from the country.

What Terrao Itlia has on its competitors in the category, however, is the best view in So Paulo.

From both the 41st-floor restaurant and the 42nd-floor bar you can see a mile past forever while enjoying the restaurant’s Tuscan fare.

A stroll along the walkway outside will show you just how massive the city is.

Mercearia do Conde

The food is as appetizing as the atmosphere.

Mercearia means “grocery” and the establishment started out as a grocery store, then eventually evolved into a full-fledged eatery.

You’ll find both familiar and unfamiliar dishes on the fusion menu. An adventurous start would be the mix de entradas da casa (appetizers of the house) as a preview of the restaurant’s eclectic options.

Feijoada da Lana

Dried meat stew accompanied by beans, rice, the root-based farofa, fried collard greens called couve and sometimes a few slices of orange makes a simple, yet surprisingly delicious meal.

Feijoada da Lana serves a top-of-the-line version of the dish buffet-style, with a variety of complimentary cachaa (sugar-cane liquor) to accompany it.

Meals start with sopa de feijo, a black bean soup to which you can add garlic, green onions, bacon and even a bit of the cachaa.

The restaurant is rustic and offers garden-style seating as well as tables indoors.

Tip: you may find yourself waiting for a seat on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the traditional days for feijoada feasting.

Bar do Man at Mercado Municipal

The mortadella sandwich is a famous So Paulo snack that uses a pile of Italian bologna-type sausage of the same name.

There are a number of places to pick one up at the Mercado Municipal, the city’s largest food market, but the most traditional is at the famous Bar do Man, a best of So Paulo establishment that claims to have been stacking these sandwiches since 1933.

The most popular version is served hot with provolone cheese. It’s customary to drink it with chopp — Brazilian draft beer.

Nightlife

Boteco So Bento

A boteco is a corner bar where you might catch a group of elderly men drinking cachaa at any point during the day.

But in So Paulo, trendy “botecos” have fabulous food, creative caipirinhas (a cocktail made with cachaa and fruit) and live music.

Boteco So Bento is one such establishment that has capitalized on the concept.

It has everything a neighborhood boteco offers, but with more selection and sophistication, and still makes for a great local hangout.

Casa de Francisca

This Jardins home-turned-art-house-music-establishment is low key and cool in the way only a place that caters to old-school, alternative Brazilian jazz can be.

With tiny tables and a limited menu, the focus isn’t on coziness and cuisine (although the food, such as house-made gnocchi, is delicious).

No, when the lights go down and this multi-level space glimmers from its antique chandeliers to its candle-lit table lamps, the mood is beyond luxurious.

Tip: If you can’t secure a reservation, you can try asking about cancellations before they open the doors.

Alberta #3

This bar is named after Bob Dylan’s cover of “Alberta” and the chill mood matches the music honored.

The place transforms from pub to nightclub as the evening rolls on.

You’ll catch the hip, indie Brazilian crowd mellowing out until the dance tunes begin.

This is one of the best places in So Paulo for balada, an all-night party destination for young paulistanos (the demonym given to local residents).

Shopping

Havaianas

This ultra-comfortable flip-flop made of rubber from the Amazon now comes in far fancier options than the ones made famous in its original line.

At the flagship store on Rua Oscar Freire, you can create a custom pair or just trick out an existing sandal.

The shop also sells custom-made socks for these stylish sandals.

Tools & Toys

Need a new yacht?

Perhaps your helicopter is out of fashion?

Located in the ultra high-end Shopping Cidade Jardins, this best of So Paulo shop has plenty of big-ticket toys to choose from.

Even if you’re not in the market for a new Sea Doo or Ferrari, it’s fun to look around.

Tools & Toys, Shopping Cidade Jardim, 3/F, Av. Magalhes Castro, Morumbi; +55 (11) 3552 4000

Boutique Daslu

If your shopping objectives include Brazilian fashion, the best place to go is Boutique Daslu, where everything “in” is in the store.

The Daslu brand’s original style reflects the high-end trends of the city.

Boutique Daslu, Shopping JK Iguatemi, Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, 2041, Vila Olmpia; see website for additional locations; +55 (11) 3152 6601

SP Night Market

Every month this shopping event brings together a number of boutique outlets in one hip, best of So Paulo location.

The theme is fashion and food, with vendors selling clothing, jewelry, accessories, art, wine, gourmet snacks, sweet treats and more.

Expect a welcome cocktail (free with admission) and some live music to loosen up your wallet.

SP Night Market, location and times vary, see website for details; R$20 ($10); +55 (11) 97962-1547

Attractions

Ibirapuera Park

Often compared to New York’s Central Park, this attraction has all you’d want from a city park, including museums, planetarium, caf, concert hall and plenty of space to ride bikes, walk and play.

Famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the buildings throughout Parque Ibirapuera, which means more than just the trees are aesthetically pleasing.

More on CNN: The legendary buildings of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer

Warning: the park gets crowded on weekends.

If you like your space, weekday or early Saturday morning visits are best.

Museum Afro Brasil

To understand the deep heritage of the Brazilian people, you must examine centuries of its history.

The best place in So Paulo to do so is the Museum Afro Brasil.

From the enchanting to the disturbing, this collection of paintings, costumes, indigenous and religious artifacts, and photography will immerse you in the story of how African and indigenous people influenced all that is today’s Brazilian culture.

It takes a couple of hours or more if you want to see it all; the museum has multiple rooms and levels, plus exhibit space.

MuBE

The Museu Brasileiro da Escultura is home to works that represent the contemporary pulse of the Brazilian artist.

Graffiti, multimedia and giant three-dimensional structures are just some of the visual sustenance you can consume at the museum.

Attached to the exhibit space, which includes a sculpture garden, is a restaurant where you can pick up some delicious Brazilian snacks or a full meal.

The museum hosts theater productions, music performances and movies.

Museum of Futebol and Pacaembu Stadium

There’s a common passion that holds the country together as a united front against all who would oppose it — futebol.

You’ll have a hard time finding a Brazilian who doesn’t follow a team.

To get to know the most important Brazilian pastime, the Museu do Futebol is the place to visit.

Inside Pacaembu Stadium, the museum hosts a number of high-tech and interactive exhibits that lead you through the history of the sport.

Coffee in So Paulo

Brazil is by far the world’s largest producer of coffee.

The development of So Paulo has been heavily influenced by Brazil’s coffee boom in the early 1800s.

Today, coffee is a big part of the social scene.

Brazilians love the drink and the city has some exceptional places to enjoy a cup.

Coffee place to see and be seen.

Santo Gro

At this popular coffee house, it’s not just about the caf, but seeing and being seen.

The shop on Rua Oscar Freire is most often frequented by high-powered executives conducting private deals and ladies of luxury taking a break from their buying sprees.

You can buy sacks of the shop’s signature beans to take with you.

Santo Gro has a light menu and delicious juices.

It also offers a nice selection of wines, which means the shop stays busy from morning until the twilight hours.

Octavio Caf

Not your typical coffee house, Octavio’s structure is expansive and shaped like a giant coffee bean.

It’s really more of a full-fledged restaurant than a caf. It even has a happy hour.

The draw is the coffee and beans that come from Predregulho, Alta Mogiana, the region that’s famous for fabulous coffee.

The seating is set up for all sorts of scenarios, including business meetings or enjoying a cup alone.

Suplicy Caf

The place to jump-start your day… or afternoon… or evening.

Founder Marco Suplicy comes from a long line of people with interest in coffee, and his pleasant shops reflect his passion for the brew.

The best of So Paulo caf in Jardins caters to visitors to the shopping district.

In addition to a cup of coffee, you can get some smoothies and juices. Menu options are limited to what is in the glass case — mostly breads, sandwiches, quiches and desserts — but the shop’s blend of Brazilian beans is so savory you’ll want to grab a bag for the road.