Chacara Tropical

We went all Carioca and had a nice weekend breakfast at Chacara Tropical in Itanhangá (Barra da Tijuca), this morning. Our good friends R and A suggested it, and as usual, their recommendation was spot on. It was great to see them again, be over-fed (the single person breakfast could just about feed 3 people!) and look at all the amazing art and plants for sale. Highly recommended!



This lion's head, which appears to be carved out of a piece of heavy driftwood, was stunning.



Our friend A moved, just as I was taking the photo! These "bundas" are quite the theme in popular art (from the state of Minas Gerais, if I'm not mistaken).



I'm not entirely sure what these things were. Made of clay, with carefully drilled holes, they appeared to be some kind of fishing float. I loved the faded colors!



These freestanding heads were in the corner, hiding out from the more-than-life-size lions, pumas and geese. Exquisite carving work.



This guy was my favorite. I have a soft spot for artist's mannequins, and the metal wings growing from his shoulder blades just added the perfect quirky touch. No price tag, however, which is probably better for our wallets!

I have more pictures to post later. There were a few items that seemed very DIY-able that I'd like to highlight...but for now, I need to help hubby with hot pepper planting and the transplant of mint and rosemary to our hanging baskets. Tonight is the first UFC in Rio, and we're going to try to watch it at a local bar...but from the sound of things, it's going to be a sold-out event, even for people just watching the TV feed!