We have discovered a huge error.  The word 'Heaven" has been misspelled for many years. 

It is spelled "F-L-O-R-I-A-N-O-P-O-L-I-S".

Again, this trip is going so well, it almost feels like we are living a dream!

We rode into town and found a room at the "Rio Branco Apart Hotel".  The guide book stated that it is the best value in town at $100.00 to $125.00 per night.  The hotel was having a "sale" and we got a suite for $50.00 per night.

Florianopolis is on an island called Santa Catarina, which is connected to the main land by a bridge.  The island is about 32 miles long and 6 miles wide.  The metropolitan area is relatively small, but contains nearly 1,000,000 people.  The island  has over 100 beaches, all less than 20 miles from the city.

View from our hotel room in Florianopolis, Brazil.

On the fourth of April we ride the BMW to the north side of the island.

I am confused...... "Are we in Newport Beach, California?"

This is near Canasvieiras, on the north west shore of the island.

Today's ride was like riding in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Puerto Vallarta and Newport Beach.

It has the best of all those places!

This beach is just south of "Praia do Forte".

We made short stops at 20 to 30 of the many beaches on the island.

And every beach is completely different. 

Some suburban, some tropical, some remote and some are touristy!

This is Praia Brava, on the north east corner of the island. This is the view from where Sandy and I stopped and enjoyed a cup of coffee.
Another beach on the east coast of Santa Catarina Island.

We stopped for lunch at Santo Antônio de Lisboa, on the west side of the island, about 6 miles north of Florianopolis.    The view!
The restaurant.....
The water was warm, but we had no swim suits...

Downtown Florianopolis is in the background, connected to the mainland (on the right), by the Hercilio Luz Bridge.  The bridge was built in 1926, but closed in 1982, when it was condemned.

Another East shore beach.

On April 5th, we decide to ride the south end of Santa Catarina Island.   We rode to the south east side of the island, to the village of Campeche.  In the picture below is the small island of Campeche, off the shore of Santa Catarina.  It is about a mile out, and you can take a boat out there and spend the day.

This is the next beach to the south.....   Ponta da Armação
The beaches are incredibly clean and the water is beautiful!
Sandy and the bike, on the beach, in Armação.

The church in the village of Armação.

I am not a beach person, but Brazil may change me!  It is very relaxing.

This is the beach at Pantano do Sul, which is a small fishing village near the south end of Santa Catarina Island.

Pantano do Sul has the feel of some of the small fishing villages of Costa Rica.

Stopped and enjoyed coffee here, and just people watched for an hour.....

This is what the last mile of road is like near the beach at Saquinho. Hard to tell, but it was real steep!

We rode back to the village of Armação for lunch. The waiter was very friendly and funny, but when we took his picture, he put on the serious face!
After lunch we rode to the south west corner of the island and the village of Caieira da Barra do Sul.
This is also Caieira da Barra do Sul.

The shore line at Caieira.

Seems more like a lake, than ocean!

I can't tell you how much Sandy and I are enjoying Brazil....... It exceeds all our expectations.....

When we got back to the room, we prepared for dinner in Beira Mar, which feels like Miami, but better!

I have waited for this night for 40 years!  We had dinner near the beach in the picture below.  The entertainment was a flute, guitar and a female singer performing Bassa Nova's. 

After waiting for 40 years to sit on a beach in Brazil, and listen to Bassa Nova's, I came real close to having a tear or two in my eyes!  Check another thing off my "Do before you die list"!

Well, that's it through the 5th of April, 2007. 

Again, this trip is going so well, it almost feels like we are living a dream!

For "Brazil 1"  hit the "Back Button".....       For "Brazil 3"  hit the "Next Button".....