Porto Alegre is an unassuming Brazilian coastal town. At first I thought it was dull, but I was coming from the vibrancy and energy of Rio. No, it was not dull just average. An average city of an average size - parks, sidewalks, markets, old town, new town, centro. And a soccer stadium, well two, and two soccer clubs: Internacional and Gremio.
The remodelled Beira-Rio stadium hosted 5 world cup games. We were lucky enough to be in town for two of them. Two days out from the Holland vs Australia game a green and gold army and an opposing orange army descended upon the city. Porto Alegre came alive and the locals threw a party and made the hordes feel welcome. The people of Brazil were incredibly hospitable. And despite qualms and protests regarding the world cup, Brazilians seemed to embrace the event once it actually arrived. When the party starts the politics are, for a moment at least, forgotten.
On our first night in Porto, at an average unassuming restaurant, a group of locals overheard our struggles deciphering the Portuguese menu. They ended up translating the menu for us, gave us a run down on the local beers, took us to their favourite bar, and invited us around to for a true Brazilian barbeque.
The barbeque was an evening of family and friends, good beer and even better food. Large chunks of beef and sausage dipped in rock salt and skewered on metal stakes and roasted over the indoor charcoal oven. It made me realize that in terms of barbequing Australia has got it all wrong. We like to think we're a vibrant rollicking outdoor barbequing nation. Hamburgers and breakfast sausages scattered on a metal plate heated by a gas flame. The meat is thrown on a homebrand sanga and lastly the whole monstrosity is smothered in dead-horse - the good old Heinz tomato sauce.
In Brazil - gaucho style - it's coal or open fire, salt and skewers and the right cuts of meat. I want a Brazilian butcher in North Hobart. The cuts are huge. Kilos and kilos of rib, shoulders, blade and sirloin fresh and dirt cheap. These morsels are ideal for barbequing. I'll never approach an Australian Barbeque with the enthusiasm of my pre Brazil days. At least we have backyard cricket I guess.
So we not only lost the barbequing contest, we lost the soccer game as well. But the green and gold army weren't deterred by a loss. Long live the underdogs was an undertone in all those Australian accented Gregorian chants echoing out over the Beira-Rio stadium. And the team roused and rousing played at a standard that defied their lowly ranking. The tension inside the stadium grew as the Dutch team and their supporters recognized that they could in fact lose this one.
Post game excitement erupted in a street party. An intersection in the hip and happening neighbourhood of Cidade Baixa was impassable with revellers. Locals sold cheap beers form portable eskies. We found a small bar down from the street party and drew a crowd with our dismal attempts at dancing the Samba with local ladies.
Porto Alegre (like the Australian soccer team) did not disappoint thanks to all the kind-hearted locals who welcomed us with open arms. Obrigado Porto Alegre!
The remodelled Beira-Rio stadium hosted 5 world cup games. We were lucky enough to be in town for two of them. Two days out from the Holland vs Australia game a green and gold army and an opposing orange army descended upon the city. Porto Alegre came alive and the locals threw a party and made the hordes feel welcome. The people of Brazil were incredibly hospitable. And despite qualms and protests regarding the world cup, Brazilians seemed to embrace the event once it actually arrived. When the party starts the politics are, for a moment at least, forgotten.
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| Double thumbs up at the refurbished Beira-Rio Stadium |
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| The barbeque |
In Brazil - gaucho style - it's coal or open fire, salt and skewers and the right cuts of meat. I want a Brazilian butcher in North Hobart. The cuts are huge. Kilos and kilos of rib, shoulders, blade and sirloin fresh and dirt cheap. These morsels are ideal for barbequing. I'll never approach an Australian Barbeque with the enthusiasm of my pre Brazil days. At least we have backyard cricket I guess.
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| Posing with our wonderful hosts |
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| Fifa Fanfest in Porto Alegre - Brazil v Mexico on the big screen |
Porto Alegre (like the Australian soccer team) did not disappoint thanks to all the kind-hearted locals who welcomed us with open arms. Obrigado Porto Alegre!
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