Rio de Janeiro: 2 of 2

Part of what made our Rio de Janeiro trip so great was the wonderful hospitality of our new friends Mark and Elia Hickie. Both are Olmsted scholars and also Air Force pilots. We hadn't met them prior to our Rio visit (so we didn't know we would like them so much), but the idea is that scholars travel regionally and meet up with each other. They graciously hosted us in their apartment in Leblon, and will be our first Olmsted visitors in Florianopolis next month.

We also met another Olmstead family, Kyle and Katie May and their 4(!) daughters, who were visiting from Chile.

Could she be any cuter?
 (That's not rhetorical. The answer is no.)
Elizabeth Hickie drinking
coconut water like a Brazilian.

Our hosts, Elia and Mark.

Geoff turned 35 and said celebrating in
Rio was one of his best birthdays ever.

Birthday dinner. The best sushi we've had in Brazil, delivered!

Coincidentally, one of our professors from the
Defense Language Institute in
California, Isa, and her husband, Geraldo,
were in town visiting their family.

Eri and Elizabeth went to a children's Christmas party.
Somehow this Santa knew Eri loved Polly Pocket.

Elizabeth immediately spotted the
terrible faux beard and was not happy with this impostor.

Leo was the only boy amongst six girls ...

... not that he minded. 

Yep, we thought so.
Leo, 4 1/2 months, weighs more than Elizabeth, 11 months.

Eri was impressed with Mark's portuguese,
which is almost as good as hers.

Buddies.

Leblon beach, just a few steps from the apartment.

Nice.

Elizabeth's nanny, Edna, liked to watch
"tela novelas" (Brazilian soap operas). She found a fast friend in Eri.

The Steeves, the Hickies and the Mays at the beach!

Kyle May and Leo Steeves.

Thanks Olmsted Foundation!