GUEST OF THE MONTH (JULY)

In July C38 was full of really nice guests.
It was a tuff decision.
But in the end the chosen one was Sunita Rappai.


She has been traveling for 10 months since she quit her job as a journalist in London and left behind the cold and rain in this great adventure around the world.
After Argentina and lots of steaks she flew to Rio where she supposed to stay for 3 days with her friend Daniel Tickner.
Here she fell in love for the Caipirinha and the city and ended up staying a week more.
She was trying to enjoy the most because Rio was the last stop before she goes back home.


But she wont stop, she is planing to move to Cairo to study again.
C38 team wishes you all the luck in your endless journey.

Chapada Diamantina

The Diamond Highlands is one of the most impressive places in Brasil, a sort of Gran Canyon covered of green and abundant in crystalline waters, with historic small town perfectly preserved has always a greater number of people visiting this place away from the normal touristic route.



After 6-7 hours drive from the capital Salvador, the visitor is rewarded with a rare combination of unforgettable landscapes, elegant colonial architecture and fascinating history.



Chapada Diamantina main activities nowadays are hiking, riding, mountain biking and visits to waterfalls, rivers and caves.



It s hard to imagine that almost 150 years ago, this region was the world s principal diamond producing region – economically important enough for the French to built a consulate in Lencois.



The best place to stay in Lencois is the house on the picture below. Estalagem do Alcino (http://www.alcinoestalagem.com) has the charme of an old colonial house and the comfort of the best hotels. Alcino is a great artist who has specialized in tiles and ceramics, his atelier is open for a visit and the all staff is very kind and smiley.A special mention to the breakfast, one of the best ever had, taken in a shared big table together with the other guests with Alcino himself handing the hot specialities, secret recipes and fresh coffee from the big kitchen next door.



Starting from Alcino C38 made new friendship also with Deborah Doitschinoff, great chef and owner of Etnia(eastern cusine) and Cozinha Aberta (www.cozinhaaberta.com.br)- organic and slow food and last but not least Max and Laura, from El Jamiro, a great Music bar and restaurant on the main little street of Lencois.



C38 has been able to find some old friends that like many others that came for a few days ended up settling down here. Solange and Rubens have just became parents of little Thomas while we were there. Congratulation!!

Salvador de Bahia

One of the most hot destination, after visiting Rio de Janeiro, for many of our guests has been Salvador, capital of the State of Bahia. C38 decided to check it out personally in the last weeks.
Salvador is one of the biggest cities in Brasil, counting more than 2 millions habitants and the ancient capital of the country in the 18th century. It s where you can still breath, eat and feel the African heritage and culture that has arrived during the slave trade, and specifically in this region never left.



The old part of Salvador, better known as Pelourinho has been refurbished 10 years ago and is now a days considered the heart of the city. Built on the top of a hill Pelourinho- easily reachable with the elevator- has hundreds of old churches and colonial houses, restaurants, galleries and many music events at night.
The city has many interesting areas, Itapoa, Itaparica Island, Rio Vermelho, Barra, but our favourite has been Santo Antonio, just a few steps away from noisy Pelourinho, an old neighbourhood on the hill that remind our Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro.



Here we stayed at Pousada das Flores, a charming Maison d Hotes of 3 floors, superbly run by Eric and Rose from 17 years. The room are maybe the most spacious we ve ever seen, some with a balcony, some with a little patio and other with a great veranda looking over the bay or the old roof of the city.



The staff is very kind and helpful, they have a little shop at the reception which is perfect for a gift or a last minute souvenir, and the breakfast – in the first floor terrace is plenty of tasty typical things from the region.
We felt so much at home there that we ve elected Pousada das Flores , C38’sister hotel in Salvador. Now we are looking forward to meet again Eric and Rose here in Rio, as soon as they will have some time(they will open a new gorgeous place in St. Antonio this September).



For those who like to be closer to the beach and away from the pulsing city centre, we can recommend one of the villas in Villas do Atlantico, north of Salvador. Massimo was part of C38 staff last year, is now in charge of the agency that is taking care of more than 5 different villas by the beach, all equipped with swimming pool and other comforts, where you can experience a Kite surf course nearby.

Renovation

After a long week when C38 drive to craziness the wood carpenter and other workers, with a tide schedule and a dead line set by future guests.
Now we are back to our peaceful routine.

The renovation happened a few weeks ago in a gap between the bookings.
Now castelinho has his rooms from 1866 with a new look.

The big hall on the second floor also received new painting and a brand new illumination system that put the art pieces literally in the spot light.

Those improvements intent to give to our guess a better and more comfortable stay.
Started with our bar and the next step is probably the garden that will receive some new plants to become even more beautiful.
Stay tuned for the next changes.

Puppies RR38

Castelinho38 best friends had multiplied themselves!!! Our lovely Rhodesian Ridgebacks Jazz and Zuzu, became parents for the second time. ( Last year at the end of march they had 7 wonderful puppies)



The previous saturday, 5th of July, Zuzu gave birth to 8 incredibles little ones...being 7 of them males and only one girl.
At the moment we are taking good care of them not far from C38, as otherwise we couldn t give enough attention to our guests anymore, but as they will be 45 days old they probably will settle in our garden until we ll find them a new family.



Rhodesian Ridgeback is not a very common breed in Brasil, their origin is South Africa and they are great dogs, for company, children and house watching. Jazz & Zuzu are both pedigree certified dogs from very good breeders and lines blood.
If anyone is interested... They should be ready to leave the mother by the beginning of september.

CCC 7th anniversary

Last Monday 07/07 Castelinho38 have been kindly invited by our partners CCC – Centro Cultural Carioca –to their 7 anniversary party.
CCC is a beautiful sobrado in Lapa/city Centre , one of the most prestigious places to hear good brasilian music in RIO, a cultural centre with Dance Classes, Art Exhibitions, and a fabulous authentic carioca cusine.
The encounter between CCC and C38 has been through the great mandolin master Mike Marshall, our guest of the month of December, when he performed with Hamilton de Hollanda.
Since then our tower is one of the logos among their partners in the monthly CCC Artistic Programme, so accurately prepared by Alfredo Galhoes and Isnard Manso.



Business aside, CCC is one of our favorite and most recommended place for a music night out, where recently we saw the new generation of samba like Princesess Roberta Sa, Martinalia, Leticia Tui and Teresa Cristina or Dukes Herminio Bello de Carvalho, Rodrigo Maranhao, Paulinho Moska and Pedro Miranda.



Before blowing CCC seven candles, some masters of Samba and Brasilian Music and Poetry performed on stage together with Grupo Semente: Nelson Sargento, Aurea Martins, Paolo Marques, Agenor de Oliveira, Leticia Tui and Elisa Lucinda.
“ Because Music and Poetry = Brasilan samba, the cultural mark of this country”, our friend and writer A. Riva would say.



Check the programme for the next 2 months, visiting their site www.centroculturalcarioca.com.br
Or simply go there any time, as the quality of people, music and food is excellent!

Roberta Sá & CANAL BRASIL

One more time C38 is pleased by the presence of a great artist. This time Roberta Sá shown up to shoot a program for CANAL BRASIL.
She presents a TV show called "Faixa Musical" that shows concerts from Brazilian musicians.


The young artist released her first album "Brasileiro" in 2005 and the second in 2007 " Que belo estranho dia pra ser ter alegria"
Regarding our fine musical taste, the singer was already in our playlist and is one of C38 most played artist.


Thanks a lot, Roberta & Canal Brasil team.

Arte de Portas Abertas

Last week-end, our lovely neighbourhood Santa Teresa celebrates its annual Art Festival “ Arte de Portas Abertas”, where all the restaurants, ateliers, galleries and shops take part of a Opened Circuit which gather thousands of visitors every year.



For the very first time C38 was officially part of this Festival, that among the official programme has hundreds of events, music happening and interesting spots to be discovered. We had been indicated as one of the Cultural Centres, because of the Collective Exhibition that took place in our beautiful and just refurbished main Hall, which has been already named by someone Galeria38.



We had especially prepared some creamy Brazilian Hot Soup, served with freshly baked bread and tasty cakes and pies, together with our delicious Capuccinos and Expresso Coffees. The lovely weather and good vibes have been our special guests for the weekend together with the usual friends of Santa Teresa and hundreds of new visitors that had discovered our artists and privileged place for the first time.



We d like to introduce to you one of the most interesting Exhibition we had hosted so far, which gather our friends Andrea Rausch, Eduardo Amado, Fernando SImoes and Peter Mirow together with French and almost Brazilian Pacal “Zouloup” who has a great hand and hability in the kitchen, we had the chance to experienced on Sunday. One of our next post will be dedicated to present you better their different works and technics.




We would like to present here and send our GRAZIE the other partners and friends we have invited for this special events at C38 CICLOAMBIENTAL and Isabele Delgado presented their new winter collection 2008 of original and ecologic clothes made of recycled Pet materials, FUTON with Eduardo and Virginia presenting their wide range of Bio-comfiest tatamis, futons and cushions. On Sunday we had the honour to host a stand of AZULEJARIA and the ladies, Laura, Marcia, Solange e Paola responsible for the nicest tiles – art in Brazil. Last but not least the special Brecho of vintage female second hand clothes that probably will become a monthly appointment of C38.

GUEST OF THE MONTH ( June )

For the very first time a Brazilian guest take the nomination for the month of JUNE.
Renato Mesquita from Porto Alegre has been nominated after his second visit in our premises.
He came first in May together with his partner Tania as he had some business meetings in Rio and did not want to stay in the usual hotels in Copacabana like he did in the past.
Renato couldn t believe that a big city like Rio had a very special and quite neighbor like Santa Teresa, with its little castel where he could find home away from home.


Renato, apart his business, is one of the founder of the Porto Alegre Cia de Danca, who had just presented its first show "Olhos fechados no Sol" with Tania Baumann as the first dancer in the company and Mark Sciezkarek as coreographer, especially invited from Europe. To know more about the Dance Company visit their blog:http://portoalegreciadedanca.blogspot.com/

Congratulation Renato for you title, hopefully you ll be back soon and the Porto Alegre Cia de Danca will be soon presenting in Rio.