Recommend June 2011 - (Page 40)

BRAZIL The curtain’s going up on Brazil in 2014 for the World Cup matches in 12 cities. Let’s have a look at those special places that millions of viewers will be tuning into on televisions worldwide. Clients may want to get ahead of the games in one, two or all 12 of Brazil’s game host cities—and the regions around them. The Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecide in Brasilia. Lights! Action! Central West Brasilia FLY: To Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport, eight miles from the city-center and served nonstop from the U.S. by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and TAM. City Airport Code: BSB SEE: City Sights: Brazil’s inland, futuristic capital was carved out of nowhere in the 1950s, a stark, modernist and purpose-built city, and the only one in the world built in the 20th century that achieved UNESCO World Heritage site status. This honor does credit to architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, all of who designed and built the city in just ve years. They divided the city into zones, separating the commercial, administrative and residential area. For the best view of it all, take the elevator to the top of TV Tower, then make sure to see the essentials below. The top attraction is the Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida, a Niemeyer masterpiece—this subterranean church is awash in light, while above B4 june 2011 ground the cathedral resembles a crown of thorns. Also commanding are Congresso Nacional, the presidential Palacio do Planalto with its changing of the guard, and Palacio da Justica, all grouped around the Plaza of the Three Powers—a vast expanse of pure white stone. The Palacio do Itamaraty (Foreign Ministry) is one of the most impressive buildings of all: a series of arches towering over a re ecting pool and oating gardens. Niemeyer is also responsible for the Memorial JK, a beautiful architecture salute to former president Juscelino Kubitschek, and the Museu Nacional, a hemisphere-shaped design with a long, grand ramp leading to its gaping entrance. City planners left room for leisure and green spaces, such as the Parque da Cidade, with jogging and cycling paths, and outside the city limits, the Parque Nacional de Brasilia, which has natural swimming pools and is home to a number of endangered animals such as deer, giant armadillos, anteaters and maned wolves. Useful for sightseeing around the capital is Brasilia City Tour, a double-decker, hop-on/hop-o tourist bus that covers the main tourist destinations along the Eixo Monumental. STAY: The Setor Hoteleiro is the zone for most of the high-rise, chain hotels. One of the newest is the pleasant and comfortable Sonesta Brasilia. Out of the hotel zone, the Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada is the capital’s most stylish hotel, a horseshoe-shaped complex overlooking Lake Paranoa. Guests enter a futuristic, open lobby, and enjoy such amenities as spacious rooms, a large pool complex, spa, tness center and shuttle service to the city-center. DINE: There are many ne restaurants in the capital, accustomed to welcoming mostly business travelers and diplomatic guests. Some choices might be Corrientes 348 for some of the nest steaks in town; great Middle Eastern fare at Lagash; Alice Brasserie for superb French home cooking; and Patu Anu, a 30-person aerie hidden away in a forest overlooking Lake Paranoa. WORLD CUP VENUE: Estadio Nacional de Brasilia (capacity: 71,500)

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend June 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Club Med Weddings by Imagine
A Perfect Honeymoon
Super-Sexy Voyages by Sea
Home-Based Happily Ever Afters
Kiss & Tell
Saying "I Do" on an Island
The Best Beach Honeymoons
Brazil Travel Planner
Say "I Do" to Central America
Steamy Love in South America
Finding Honeymoon Gems in Europe
Mesmerizing Retreats
Exotic Africa—The Perfect Honeymoon Haven
Five Fiery Honeymoons in Mexico
Mexico Says "I Do" to Destination Weddings

Recommend June 2011