Abby, Zoë and Enzo

Nonno Ernie Treated us to dinner tonight.  This time we tried one called Giramundo right on the beach.  We got settled with menus and were happy to see they had many many pictures.  Abby and Zoë had both chosen plates from a photo that looked good to them, and it happened to be the same thing, so we got that for them to share.  It was a plate with eight mini sausages, different types, with fries and veggies.  Nonno Ernie ordered a shrimp appetizer that came with caramelized onions and it was really tasty.  For dinner he had some sort of sausage and french fries.  Laura just asked the waiter what was good and not spicy and went with his recommendation, which ended up being two pieces of steak (very well done) with some flavored butter over top, along with veggies and french fries.  I was in much need of some greens and ordered a plate with a salad and one chicken and one meat skewer. 

To drink we got a jar of juice pulp made with mineral water, then during dinner we got another jar (750 ml) for R$6.00.  The first was Goiaba and the second was Cajá, they were very good.  After dinner we walked a few blocks and saw a little ice cream place (Sorveteria e Pastelaria Fika Frio) so we stopped in.  It was self serve, so we grabbed a cone for each of the girls, got them each two scoops of their choice and then brought it up to be weighed.  Nonno Ernie got a couple of scoops of something like sherbet and had his in a waffle cone type dish.  All three ice-creams came to a total of about R$7.00.  Very reasonably priced compared to prices at home.

We've been having issues with the telephone here in the apartment.  To start off, we didn't have one at all.  The first phone that Vanda brought by ended up not being able to dial, something was wrong with the buttons.  When someone would call here the connection was awful.  We let Vanda know this and so she brought a new phone, but we still couldn't dial out.  However, when we got a call in, it sounded fine.  Vanda had a technician come out to check the lines.  She just made the call today and we didn't expect to see the guy until sometime tomorrow, but he showed up late this afternoon. 

I was in the apartment alone with the girls, as Chris and Ernie were out getting some things, when the guy downstairs called up to say that the phone man was here.  I didn't understand exactly what the security guy downstairs was saying, and I asked him if I needed to go downstairs and he said yes so I grabbed the girls and locked the door and started towards the elevators.  When we got to them I saw that someone was coming up and it ended up being the service guy, so back to the apartment we went.  He checked out the phone, and I used the computer set up to call Ernie's cell phone and tell him that the telephone man was here, luckily they were in the garage on their way up.  I told the service guy that my husband was on his way up and asked if he could wait a moment.  He said something about just needing to go to the garage and then he'd be back.  It didn't take all that long, although the DSL went out and then came back a couple of times while he was working in the basement, but he determined that the line was fine and it was just the phone so we yet again had to have Vanda bring us a different phone.  The new phone should be here tomorrow morning.

Do not flush the toilet paper at all, for anything.  At first we thought maybe it was just our apartment, that the land lady didn't want us blocking up the system or something.  Then we noticed out at some public restrooms that there were trashes beside the toilets, which were filled with toilet paper.  Laura asked Raissa about it and she said that it was normal for everyone not to put toilet paper into the toilet... ever. 

You would've thought that the girls would've been used to this, since we have old pipes at home and haven't been throwing toilet paper in the toilet for tinkles.  They forget at least once a day though. 

The toilet paper isn't soft and thick.  We looked at the Hiper store for something more comparable to what we get at home, but we were not successful in finding a solution.  The paper here is very expensive, thin and has the texture of almost like pastry tissue.  The tissue paper you get when you self sever pick out bagels or pastries at the supermarket.  It is so thin it is almost translucent.  I am surprised with the lack of bidets.  My solution is to take a nice relaxing shower afterward.