Accent Lamps - Bamboo, Hats, and Shells

There was this subtle feeling of an island in all rooms of the hotel. Natural elements like bamboo, hats, and shells mixed with hardwood became very fashionable lamps, crafted by local artists.

"A poet once described friends as the 'sunshine of life'. I myself have found that the day is much brighter when I'm sharing it with my friends."
From the book "Laughter and Latté"

Bed and Breakfast Inn - Canto de Itamambuca

This is the charming Bread and Breakfast Inn where our family stayed at the beach.

"It's beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart..."
Mark Schultz

Take a look at the ocean...

River that meets the sea and separates mountains from sand.

Our final destination? Itamambuca beach, in Ubatuba, halfway between Rio and São Paulo. Nestled between huge green mountains and over a mile of white sand, it has excelent waves for surfers and clear warm waters for families to enjoy.

"Take a look at the ocean, far as your eye can see..."
Matthew West

Does anyone like crabs?

I had never seen them live before... they run all around in the mud flats at low tide... to see them you must be still or they will vanish into their holes. Patience is what it takes to photograph crabs. And yes, we went to the beach! A beautiful place where bromellias grow naturally and exotic flowers are so abundant.

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."
Augustine

Any guesses?

I know it has been snowing some places in the Northern Hemisphere, but can anyone guess where this road led us this weekend?

Time to smell the flowers

I love to go out and smell the flowers, especially these country flowers, they give me a sense of simplicity and that reminds me, I don't even know their names! My day brightener showed this quote today when I flipped the pages: "Every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there!"
Barbara Jonhson

Take a look at the mountains - Pedra do Baú

If you like climbing this is the place to go. "Pedra do Bau" is a rocky mountain and one of the most famous climbling places with many climbing routes of all grades, located at São Paulo Mantiqueira hills, Brazil. I managed to take all the pictures, but the last one... Unfortunately I am not a climber...

Click the pictures to enlarge.

A cozy place to stay

Our hideaway at the farm, 150 miles from our home, where I take most of my pictures and enjoy nature.

Passion Fruit: from Flower to Fruit - Maracujá: da Flor ao Fruto

The Miracle of life - O Milagre da Vida

There are two ways to live your life - one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle.

Há duas formas para viver a sua vida. Uma é acreditar que não existe milagre. A outra é acreditar que todas as coisas são um milagre.

Albert Einstein