31. An old and distinguished lady

From the splendor of the past, Belém do Pará - what a beautiful name - preserves an old-fashioned charm that delights us. Like a grand lady, who despite her misfortunes, has aged gracefully.

The courteous welcome of its wide avenues, under the majestic canopy of old and gigantic mango trees with lance-shaped leaves that intercept the rays of a torrid sun, the enchantment of its large public gardens, a bit neglected, of course, with its bandstands and fake columns painted in tones of the most tender celestial blue, the old Bragança train with its faded yellow and red wagons, jolting along the avenue, hauled by an old-style locomotive, shaking as it passes bungalows that look like illustrations straight out of Jules Verne´s books, the São Braz market, a curious blend of Persian markets and the Grand Palais, all applies to please.