Getaway!

This past weekend was a holiday weekend here in Brazil. We decided it would make a good time to get away for a couple days.
Though we’ve made the trip to Campinas before, it always seemed to be hurried. This time it was more leisurely and we enjoyed the countryside which was beautiful – known as the Brazilian Highlands (I’d only heard of Scottish highlands before) – with rolling hills and lakes.
We stayed in a nice hotel convenient to the malls.

The one mall is the largest in Latin America, and we wandered until our feet hurt (although, Sue got some new Birkenstocks).

We enjoyed American restaurants and got free refills at places like TGI Friday, Applebee’s,

Burger King and Starbucks (no free refills there). We didn’t even get time to go to Outback.
It almost seemed like we weren’t in Brazil.

The malls, of course, were all decked out for Christmas with that unusual combination of palm trees and pine trees together, and snowmen that should probably be melting in the heat!

There was breakfast by the pool each day, time to sit and read a book without being interrupted by the phone...the list went on. It was just great!

Of course it was back for Sunday activities, but all in all a fine get away!