Today was filled with Farmers market, Cafe Expresso's and a lot of walking... and rain....

Above is a representation of the typical apartment building street front in Rio de Janeiro. Parking garage and entrance is off the front street, not in the back, there is none... It always has some sort of security gate or metal fencing up to prevent intruders and people that are unwelcome. The ground level is always faced with very nice materials such as Brazilian teak siding, marble slabs, mosaic tiling, frosted glass or what ever the owner has in their head to do. From the second level up, form follows function, the programs stacked to allow for efficiency and ease of building construction. The buildings structures are all cast in place concrete. The higher value apartments or buildings will usually have balconies for the tenant.  Street fronts are always heavily planted allowing another layer of design to the neighborhood. 

Above is a picture of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, It is an inland lake (Lagoa) that serves as their Central Park. Allowing people to ride their bikes or run all along the parks, pedestrian paths and bikes routes. Looking west you can see Christ the Redeemer Statue (Cristo Redentor.) 

These beautiful flowers fall to the ground and start to create this beautiful ground cover always landing upward, Its gives some lightness and an accent to all the green and brown that surrounds us.