After days of rain, we luck out so grandly with clear skies and warm temperatures on the night we have tickets to the Samba Parade. The previous two nights of parades had quite a bit of rain, and besides the poor spectators sitting on cement grandstands in the rain, it pains me to think of the elaborate costumes and floats that would be drenched. What a shame. We bought transfers to the Sambadrome with our parade tickets as we had been advised that it was the safest and easie

I spend the day exploring Tijuca National Forest - which claims to be the world’s largest urban forest as it covers around 32 km squared. We are picked up in an open backed jeep, and our drive from Copa to the forest borders on frightening. Rio traffic is scary enough in a closed vehicle, but being exposed brings this fright to a new level. However, we also have really great views. As we exit one of Rio’s many tunnels, the driver points out the favela that sprawls the hill ab

On Sundays in Gloria, Rio’s oldest residential neighbourhood near Flamengo, there is a fantastic Farmer’s Market. Free Walker Tours, www.freewalkertours.com, does a guided food tour here every Sunday. It’s not free, it’s 80 reals, which is just under $20 Canadian, but it’s worth every penny and it includes all the food you eat on the tour. When we meet our guide, she hands us a menu that gives us some choice of what food we will be eating today. Our first stop is pastel and s