The week had flown by and we only had two days left with Jen. I awoke Saturday morning feeling the effects of my celebration the night before. I am a complete lightweight when it comes to alcohol, and the caipirinhas I had consumed were definitely affecting me – I was miserable. We had planned to go to Embu das Artes, a cute town just outside the city limits of Sao Paulo, where you can find store after store of antiques, rustic hand-crafted furniture, and artisan crafts. It was a beautiful day, perfect to be walking and browsing the unique wares that called out to us – unfortunately, I was too sick to enjoy myself. Jen, on the other hand, got some amusement out of my poor condition and also found some great things to take home. Matt and the boys really enjoyed Embu as well, and we made plans to return soon. By the time we made it home, I was feeling better, and I helped Jen pack her bags in preparation for her return trip the next day.
Sunday came too quickly; I had enjoyed my visit with my sister so much, and though I knew she had a life (family, job, etc.) to get back to in Richmond, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Luckily, her flight wasn’t until later that evening, so we were able to enjoy a few more hours together early in the day. Having packed all of her suitcases on Saturday, our morning was free for some last-minute exploring. We drove into the city to a plaza that holds an artisan fair every Sunday – I was in search of a shawl for my mom (her birthday gift) and the vendor that makes what I wanted has a stand there. It was a gray and drizzly morning, and many of the vendors had not shown up; but, I was in luck and found the vendor and shawl I had been seeking – Jen also caved and bought a scarf for herself. Happy that we hadn’t wasted a trip, we hopped back in the car and headed to Jardins, a very ritzy (i.e. expensive) part of Sao Paulo. This chic (again, pronounced “sheeky”) area of the city is where the rich and famous can often be found shopping and dining (of course, we don’t really know who the famous people are, yet, so we wouldn’t recognize them if they were sitting right in front of us!).
Jen was happy to finally see a “feira”, street fair, which I had told her about before she came to Brazil. The feira, where you can find fresh produce, meats, flowers, and stands selling sugarcane juice and pastels (fried pies with a variety of fillings) comes to my neighborhood every Friday. Since we had left early to head to the beach on Friday, I wasn’t able to take Jen there. Luckily, the feira in Jardins happens every Sunday. We checked out the colorful fruits and vegetables, sampled a bit of the super-sweet sugarcane nectar, and went in search of a place for lunch. We settled on a great Italian restaurant (the same one I had planned to take Jen for dinner earlier in the week) and devoured an abundant and divinely delicious lunch.
The hours were passing quickly, and it was time to get back to the apartment, collect Jen’s bags and meet the driver who would be taking us to the airport. It was a rainy afternoon, and though it was a Sunday and traffic is usually lighter on the weekends, we didn’t want to take any chances and gave ourselves plenty of time to get there. We made it to the airport in a little less than an hour, giving Jen plenty of time to rest and read before boarding her flight. I made sure she got checked in at the right desk, and it was time to say goodbye. I enjoyed my time with her so much (I think I already mentioned that, but it’s worth saying again), and I hated to see her go. We’ve lived away from one another for five years, and our visits together always pass too quickly. It was wonderful to share a week with her, showing her my new city and exploring it together - I am grateful to her husband for sharing her with me, to our mom for going to her home and helping with the kids so she could make the trip, and grateful to her for taking the time out of her crazy, busy life to come visit us. Thank you, Jen!!!
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