September 15, 2003

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  Another trip Embu is a charming historic city with a mountainous climate and colonial architecture situated 25 km from São Paulo. Currently, this is a center of a concentration of artists and artisans who use every weekend ateliers, galleries and open air fairs in the city to show their work. This is an excursion fit for some one who wishes to know a little bit about Brazilian art and take the time to buy some souvenirs. Full-day walk and lunch is recommended A legend tells that the Priest Belchior de Pontes walked up from Itanhaém to the plateau to find a place to found a Jesuit School. On his way, he got lost in the forest. An indian helped him and took him, uncouncious, to a hut. The indian left him to bring water and didn’t come back. Afterwards they found him dead surrounded by a big snake, called M’Boy in the Guarani language. The Priest Belchior buried the indian according to the customs and raised the Chapel Nossa Senhora do Rosário and later on the church, in that very place. The first name of the village was given after the snake: M’Boy, that turned to Embu afterwards. At the end of the 60s, Embu was the picture of the slogan „Piece and love“ from the hippie movement. Invited by the local artists, hippies craftmen started coming to the city on weekends, making ehibitions of their work on the main streets, beside the land crafts. That’s how the Arts and Craft Fair, which takes place there every weekend began, since 1969. The huge success of this fair, which attracts inside and outside visitors, thrives a permanent trade of crafts, antiques, country styled furniture shops and art galleries, which have become the trade mark of the city. In this whole day tour we will visit the main sights of the city, like the lanes and colonial houses, as well as the crafts fair.                   **PS** A student of mine has just created his weblog after I told him about mine. His aim it so practice as much English as he can, and also meet people to share his ideas with Please, pay him a visit, so that he starts blogging… Thanks you all!

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