Gramado in the Sun

My word was it warm.

Great! but warm.

The last time we visited the German town of Gramado, it was a touch damp to say the least. We had a wonderful time but we ended up buying gloves, hats and umbrellas. No worries this time.

Gramado borders Canela. Both are located high in the hills, a couple of hours drive outside of Porto Alegre.

As you near the entrance to the towns you have a choice...buy shoes now, or buy them later.

Outlet stores line the roads as you arrive and given that, like any guy, I wear things until they fall apart, Clarissa suggested a new pair of trainers. I got two. I know, don't go crazy there David!

After your shopping, which turned out very necessary indeed, we entered Gramado.

Everything was in bloom!

I say everything, because while basking in the spring and nearing summer, Brasilian flowers flourish and none more so than the Hortensia plants that litter the roads and make the approach to these towns as picturesque as you could ever want.

As we drove through the centre of town, it became clear, very quickly that Gramado like to celebrate Christmas as soon as humanly possibly. Driving up on the Thursday of the long weekend, we got to see the lights that would be celebrated on the Saturday, early. Not 'ON', but strung from pillar to post, tree to tree and if they stayed still long enough, quite possibly, car to car.

In Sheffield we celebrate by hanging lights too and we do it early too, but nothing like here.

I love it!

Christmas comes but once a year, so why the hell not celebrate it for a couple of months?!

It's so strange for me to be enjoying the lead up to Christmas in a climate that could easily give me sunstroke, if it weren't for the Factor 30+ sunscreen I layer upon my pasty flesh on a semi-daily basis.

Sadly I failed on this occasion to photograph the flowers or the festivities, but I did get some crackers (ha ha, Crackers) of the waterfall.

That's right folks, Gramado has a waterfall and damn, it's a long way to the bottom!

This photo was taken on the way down...there was still the return leg.

Talking of legs, mine shivered and shook like a Funk dancer (Brasilian music/dance- Google it!).

I love to walk, I'd walk everywhere if I had the chance, but I rarely use the downward muscle bits and descending over 700 steps and then ascending them...well, that was a little much for my spindly appendages.

But thankfully, I had my new shoes! Relief. They are perfect for scaling the heights and observing nature at its fullest. As with here. However, some of the ladies that ventured the distance forgot to pack their hiking gear. Some of them wore those cork-style high heels and I mush say it was with awe and hilarity that I observed some of them teeter and totter down and up the steps.

The waterfall itself...well, there aren't that many words in the English language to describe it, so I'll do my best and show you an image or two.

This is the sight from the observation deck.

This is the sight through the myriad vegetation on the decline.

and this is the sight from the bottom. You can almost feel the spray from the water.

We were in Canada recently and were lucky enough to see a waterfall there too.

It wasn't a patch on the Gramado one.

The falls themselves are located within a natural forest and nature preserve that asks you for R$12 per person to enter.

Pay it!

It's worth every penny.

We wandered, we hiked, we sweated (a lot) and we got to see some areas of natural beauty that save for the weather and waterfall, often made me pause and think of Britain.

I am so very lucky to live in this country.

This appears to be some kind of Caterpillar orgy, best steer clear of that one.

Further on from our wanderings, it'd be fair to say Clarissa and I got a touch hungry.

So, taking advantage of the town and a special price offer, we ventured to a restaurant (one of many) that specialized in Fondue (or Fondee as it's pronounced here).

Wow!

It's a revelation!

I know! I know! Fondue/dee has been around for years, but I never had it before.

But I'll tell you what, I ain't ever stoppin' now!

Look at this!

That's right folks...cheese, meat and chocolate!!!

That's an exclamation mark each.

Wow again.

I have to especially say thank you to Clarissa here, because being a vegetarian, she missed out on the middle course and even ended up doing the table-top cooking for me, as I had the enviable task of devouring all or as much of the meat as I could.

I gave it a good go, but being a self-confessed Chocaholic, I had to leave space for the third course.

The final element of our trip to Gramado and Canela I shall describe regards our adventure on the rapids below.

Clarissa, having gone before, thought it a fun idea to venture outwith the realms of casual walking and chocolate gorging and do something a little more physically exerting...off we went- rafting!

Now, those of you that know me personally and those of you that have in fact been reading this blog, will already know...I ain't that outdoorsy.

Don't get me wrong, I like it when I do it, but I tend to venture over mountains, along valleys and through the skies within the realms of a good book.

This was a first for me.

Look how smooth I look (smooth, ha ha-wet suit, ha).

This is me, paying close attention to my translators relayed instructions.

Rule 1: Don't fall in the water.
Rule 2: If someone falls in the water- laugh at them (we did)
Rule 3: Save the paddle first and the crewman/woman second.
Rule 4: Have a blast! (we did!)

I'll be honest, these were mild rapids, but when there's 7 in a boat and only the instructor, you and your Influenza stricken girlfriend are doing any paddling, it gets to be hard work.

Here is the photographic evidence.

It was great though! I can't wait to try it again.

Another massive thanks to Clarissa.

She has a habit of pushing me into things and so far, they've all worked out pretty darn well.

Cheers.