This weekend I took a break from research (and blogging) for a few days to explore Curitiba, the capital of Paraná province and a quick bus ride from Londrina. Here are some highlights from my trip.
Curitiba University of the Environment – This was the first university in the world to be founded exclusively for environmental study. Its main structure is a multi-level treehouse with classrooms, a spiraling walkway, and a beautiful lake in the backyard. The goose started chasing me immediately after I took the picture
Oscar Niemeyer Museum of Art shaped like a giant eye (you can barely see some people on the walkway to the right for scale)
The greenhouse of the Curitiba Botanical Gardens, which houses some of Brazil’s tropical species. The architecture was inspired by the Crystal Palace in London.
The French Gardens, view from inside the greenhouse. Regret = the photo being a tiny bit off-center
Paraná Pines, a famous species in this state
The central market of Curitiba with fruits, veggies, drinks, spices, and more from all over the world. As someone obsessed with food and farming, exploring the markets of different cities has been one of my favorite parts of my trip so far. In every one I’ve looked for one thing….
…..and I finally found it in Curitiba! This is a granadilla – it’s a fruit that I loved when I studied abroad in Ecuador. It’s common in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, but I haven’t been able to find it during this trip. It was imported so it was $2 instead of $0.20 like it was in Ecuador, but was worth it.
The inside of the granadilla – the seeds are surrounded by a sweet jelly.
Now I’m back in Londrina catching up on planning, and will hopefully interview some farmers tomorrow and Friday. Stay tuned!