Something Old and Something New

Today, we all gathered in the lobby and prepared to set out on another long day of exploring Rio. Outside the hotel, everyone was relieved to see that we had once again been graced with the luxury of a private, air-conditioned tour bus. It is much more comforting knowing you always have a comfy, reclining chair waiting for you, rather than standing up and losing ten pounds of sweat on a local bus.

Our first stop was the Niterói Museum of Contemporary Art, or the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niteró. This structure was literally out of this world. Situated on a cliff side overlooking the beach, the museum resembled some sort of UFO with its saucer-shaped modernist design. Inside, we viewed two floors of beautiful artwork. The first floor was dedicated mostly to photography, while the second housed many unique and abstract paintings and sculptures. We all scattered around the museum and proceeded to complete three sketches of our choice. It was extremely relaxing to sit down and work in such a tranquil environment.

After boarding the bus and eating a quick snack, we were dropped off at the grand Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, or Catedral de Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro. This church is the seat of the archbishop of Rio and is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro. Located in the center of the city, this conical structure is another architectural marvel. We were all blown away by its four rectilinear stained glass windows, which stretch 210 feet from floor to ceiling.

Last, we set out for the neighborhood of Santa Teresa. This small neighborhood is famous for its winding, narrow streets and beautiful buildings. Instead of walking, we all paid sixty cents to board the Santa Teresa Historic Tramway. These old carts looked like trolleys you would see in the U.S. and shuttled us up the hill. The ride was anything but smooth and some students were a little alarmed when we crossed the Carioca Aqueduct high above the streets. After getting off the tram, we all wandered a bit before splitting up into smaller groups to eat a quick lunch at one of the many restaurants. It was a great way to end the day.