Our armchair travels have taken us to Brazil, a vast country in South America. It stretches from the Amazon Basin in the north to vineyards and the massive Iguacu Falls in the south. Our first stop will be the city of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is a vibrant financial center and is one of the world’s most populous cities. It is the largest city in South America situated on the Piratininga Plateau surrounded by rivers that flow out into the interior. The city was founded in 1554 and became the gateway to the backcountry of Brazil. Before you begin exploring the city you can get a spectacular view from the Italia Building, rising 46 floors into the sky. You can relax at the observation bar or have a meal at the restaurant on the 41st floor. The best time is in the late afternoon when the sun is setting and you can listen to live jazz while watching the sunset. The Sao Paulo Museum of Art or MASP opened in 1968 and offers an impressive collection of western art. Here you can see artwork by Impressionists and modern masters …show more content…
It is a mix of Art Nouveau and Italian Renaissance. The theater was completed in 1911. It is a major center for the performing arts in South America and has hosted performances by many famous artists. It is home to the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, the Choral Lirico or Lyric Choir and the City Ballet of Sao Paulo. Ibirapuera Park was laid out by landscape architect Robert Burle Marx. The buildings within the park were designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The park is a vast green space with monuments, museums, playgrounds, gardens, trails, lakes and performance spaces. In the park the Bandeiras Monument commemorates the Sao Paulo pioneers who opened up Brazil’s interior. It was sculpted by Brazilian sculptor Victor Brecheret with impressive heroic figures. An obelisk commemorates those who died in 1932 in the struggle for a new