Flight Savor Fare

Liza chose Portuguese over Spanish and really wanted to go to Portugal for her semester abroad, but the Euro and her Mom conspired to send her to Rio de Janiero instead! Ah, pobrecita! It wasn’t long before “Mom” decided she needed to go down to Rio and check things out and Sam came along.

We stayed at the Copacabana Palace, a beautiful old grand dame and loved everything about it, but Liza soon found that the beach favored by students was Leblon, a few miles down the boardwalk. Leblon is also the name of the most famous cachaca, both here and in Brazil. Cachaca, labeled Brazilian Rum here in the states, is the liquor you use to make Caipirinhas. That’s pronounced “kai-pur-een-ya” and while both cachaça and rum are derived from sugar cane, cachaça takes the actual cane sugar juice and ferments and distills it, while rum is derived from molasses.

With the Olympics and the World Cup choosing Rio for their games, you’re going to want to learn about Brazil and its culture.

Start by checking out Leblon’s website and get a free muddler. Watch the hang gliding video — Rio from the air — it’s beautiful.