The twin neighborhoods
bairros of Leblon and Ipanema are home to tree-lined streets full of open-air restaurants, colorful boutiques and multistory
galerias (shopping centers). Bordered by a lagoon to the north and the famous
praia of Ipanema to the south, this upscale area is a favored address for Rio's young and wealthy and commands some of the highest land prices in Latin America.
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| Meu irmão e eu, searching to satisfy a sushi* craving |
*Brazil boasts an impressive number of top-notch sushi restaurants due to the large population of Japanese immigrants and their descendants, particularly in São Paulo. (We ended up choosing Nik Sushi, a quiet spot on Rua Garcia D'Ávila.)
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| Street signs in Leblon |
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| Av. Ataúlfo de Paiva |
After lunch, we had
cafézinhos at Armazém do Café, a traditional coffee house on Rua Rita Ludolf. Here's a picture of the
irmão:
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| Ele fala português também! |
...followed by an exploration of some of the boutiques on Av. Ataúlfo de Paiva.
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| Pai e mãe |
We then refueled with juices and foccacia sandwiches at Juice Company, a stylish two-story juice lounge serving over 60 different juice concoctions.
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| O irmão outra vez |
And finally, just two blocks to the south, the
praia and the Atlantic Ocean:
