Well here I am!
 
I arrived around 7 pm on Thursday nov 13, after a relax 12 hour flight with Air France. That means the plane left CDG (Charles de Gaulle) airport, which I reached with a TGV that left Brussels Midi at 7 am. The train ticket was included in my flight ticket, in fact I got my boarding pass in Brussels. My luggage though I had to register in Paris. Still, a very comfortable way to reach the airport in Paris. I love trains. Here, I could drink a coffee and see the sunrise over the fields. Think about the wonderful trip to come!
 
In the airport a little stress, because, like when I had gone to the US last winter, my return was past the normal visa three months. At that time they just did not want me to check in, so I had to buy quickly a flight from Portland to Vancouver, CA, show it at the counter and then was allowed to check my luggage. However, I remembered that at the immigration in Washington they did not even ask for this ticket! So now in Paris that man says, "since you cannot prove that you will leave the country within 3 months, it could be that they refuse you at the immigration in Brazil. Do you take the risk?" Well yes, too late for plan B, so I took the risk, and agreed, my heart was bouncing a little when showing my passport and my nicest smile. Bong bong, a few stamps, and I was in. Pfeww. 
 
Drew and Lisa will host me for as long as I want, "several months if you want to" said Drew. So nice! I have my own room, what a luxury!
 
The neighbourhood is lovely. Sidewalks are paved with white and black tiles, showing several designs, like in the old streets in Porto or Lisbon, Portugal. Pastelarias where one can have lots of delicious sweet things and a coffee, and at noon a prato de dia, simple but good lunch. I felt like in Portugal really, except that here the orchids grow just on the trees, when they find a little spot to settle. It is very tropical here, humid and warm, a little like Singapore!
No pictures, I just arrived and am not in a reporter's mood yet. Moreover, I often walk around with Lisa and then I am not that attentive to my surroundings...
 
The apartment is gorgeous, a duplex in penthouse, very close to the praia do Flamengo, and from the terrace I see the Cristo, at night it is illuminated. Three cats, a little wild, I mean shy. Smokey and Roy are now friends, but Pearl that is another story... for the moment I am allowed to stay at min 2 meters from her, otherwise she runs away. We will see when I will become the "food dispenser";-), that is when Lisa and Drew are on a holiday!