5th CISM Military World Games in Rio

The 5th CISM Military World Games will be the largest military sporting event ever held in Brazil. The event will take place in Rio de Janeiro from July 16th to July 24th It will bring together about 8,000 participants. There will be approximately 6,000 athletes and 2,000 delegates from more than 100 countries. Twenty sports will be played, some unprecedented in military world games such as beach volleyball.  Brazil will participate with 250 athletes.

The cool thing about the Military Games,  that starts next Saturday, are the sports. Besides the traditional athletic games, soccer and volleyball, there are some  games that we never see in the Olympic Games, such as the military pentathlon  (shooting, swimming with obstacles,  cross-country racing through fields, launching grenades and an obstacle race).

There is also aeronautical pentathlon (shooting, fencing, swimming with obstacles, basketball, evasion and as further proof, the aircraft pentathlon , an air rally in order to test the piloting skills in planning a mission,  in low-altitude navigation and the time to meet various checkpoints) . There will be also skydiving, naval pentathlon and lots of fun games!

Anyone who wants to learn more about the event,  just go to www.rio2011.mil.br

Rio 21ºC/70ºF
Beautiful winter sunny days!!

MNBA hosts the exhibition Rio: the art of animation

Who saw the movie Rio (and even those who did not see it) now have the chance to also see the exhibition . Behind the scenes of the worldwide success animation that so well represented our “Marvelous City”,  there is an exquisite creation process. And it is this differentiated experience that awaits visitors at the Rio: the art of animation exhibition , which will be open from July 8th to September 4th at the National Museum of Fine Arts. The opening show on the 7th, will be attended by the film's director, the carioca Carlos  Saldanha .

 

The exhibits range from the first pages of the script to the final film as has come to the screen. There you will be able to see storyboards , sketches of characters and scenarios, and the whole process of computer assembly, showing that the art of  computer graphics programs  join craft techniques  such as gouache, pastel, charcoal and clay modeling, that  still needed to make the quality aesthetic seen on screen.

Besides the Rio exhibition, you should take time to visit de museum. With a collection of abut 16,000 pieces, the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes MNBA (National Museum of Fine Arts) in Rio de Janeiro presents itself as the leading art museum in Brazil, notably with regard to the production of the nineteenth century.

More information: www.mnba.gov.br

199 Rio Branco ave. - Centro

Tuesdays to Fridays from 10am to 6pm

Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 12pm to  5pm.

To get there is very easy, just take the subway to carioca station!

Rio 19°C/66ºF

Cloudy!

Golf is the new olympic sport!

It is official, golf will be played for the first time since 1904 in the Summer Olympics, right here in Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games. The 2009 decision from the International Olympic Commission (IOC) came much to the delight of golf fans around the world. While the current options for golf courses are limited, Rio’s two eighteen-hole courses are top-rate and have unforgettable views of the city.

The Itanhangá Golf Club in Barra da Tijuca sits nestled between hills and the Tijuca National Park. The private country club offers memberships for those who have come to Rio for the long term, but those just passing through can buy day passes for R$250 on weekdays, or R$350 on weekends. Discounts are given for seven-day passes and to groups.

Spanning between Tijuca National Park and the beach at São Conrado, the Gávea Golf & Country Club is the city’s other golfing option. Built in 1926, the club offers a par 69 course and a clubhouse with a nostalgic ambiance of the grand old days. Visitors to the club can take-in the views of both Pedra da Gávea and the Morro Dois Irmãos hills between holes of golf. The country club offers limited memberships but golfers can buy eighteen-hole day passes for R$350 on weekdays and R$400 on weekends.

Earlier this year, the Itanhangá Golf Club and Gávea Golf & Country Club stepped forward and put their courses in the hat to host the golf tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. But the news came through that they had not won the bid. The IOC did not pick either of Rio’s existing courses, but instead decided to build a third one specifically for the Olympics near Lagoa de Marapendi in Barra da Tijuca.

Visitors to Brazil who want to get out of the busy city and try the relaxed feel of one of Rio de Janeiro State’s resort towns, should head up the coast to luxurious Búzios. The Búzios Golf Club offers day passes for R$165, or seven-day golf passes for R$808. Golfers can also save some time and money for the beaches and bars in Búzios by practicing on the driving range for only R$18.

Whether scouting locations for the Summer Olympic or just trying to work-off their handicap, golfers in Rio have some great options, each with their own awe inspiring views.

For further information:

www.gaveagolfclub.com.br

www.itanhanga.com.br

www.buziosgolf.com.br

Rio 19ºC/66ºF

Cold and rainy!!

Hitchcock Film Festival in Rio

A wave of terror has washed over the Centro Cultural Banco do Brazil (CCBB) recently Alfred Hitchcock’s film festival. Their tribute to the Master of Suspense, which began on June 1st and runs through until July 14th, will showcase a retrospective of his work and, much to the delight of film buffs and thrill seekers alike, will include 59 films, 127 television episodes, and 8,954 minutes of suspense.

All of Hitchcock’s classics will be featured, including famous titles such as Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window, and North by Northwest.

Born in the late 1800’s, the British filmmaker had a modest upbringing. He worked as a draftsman and an advertising director at a cable company before dabbling in writing. He began publishing short stories in his company’s in-house publication and in 1920, landed a full time job as a title card designer in a film studio in London.

Hitchcock helped in title design, art direction, and writing until he got his first big break when a director fell ill and he was asked to complete his film. His career rose from title designer to director and producer in a span of only 5 years, and in the 1940’s he made the move to Hollywood.

A pioneer in the filmmaking world, he crafted haunting psychological thrillers and evocative mysteries. Although his films received fifty Oscar nominations in total, including five Best Director nods, Hitchcock himself won none. He died in his sleep in 1980 due to renal failure.

The CCBB tribute is fitting for Brazil. In 1945 Hitchcock directed and produced a thriller entitled Notorious, starring actors Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains. The plot centers around Bergman, an American woman sent to Brazil to infiltrate a gang of Nazis. While awaiting assignment in Rio, Bergman falls in love with Grant, an American government agent.

When asked why his films were so popular, Hitchcock declared that, “everybody likes to be scared.”

For further information  visit the CCBB Hitchcock site at www.mostrahitchcock.com.br

Place: Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB),

66 Primeiro de Março st,  Centro

 Date: June 1st through July 14th

 Time: Tuesday through Sunday, from 9AM to 9PM

Rio 22°c/72°F
Beautiful first days of winter, lots of sun!!!