One of D’s familly’s favorite spots to get away is the little town of Perinópolous.  This town dates back to the 18^th century, when it was popular due to gold conquests in the surrounding area.  This trade then made Perinópolous the richest city in the land.

The church

The riches didn’t stay for long.   In the following century, there was a downturn.  The work and prosperity swapped to nearby Anápolis and the population moved to be closer to work.   However, Perinópolous still existed, just without the growth.  It reminds me of our trip to Brugge with the goods & diamond trade moving to Antwerp, but Brugge still staying adorably cute.

You may or may not know that the city of Brasilia was actually built to be the capital of Brazil.   The city was planned and once completed, the capital was moved from from Rio de Janeiro in 1956.  Since the little town of Perinópolous was only two hours away, it started to rise again as a tourist destination.

Today, Perinópolous is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a wonderful weekend getaway to experience traditional Brazilian architecture, lively squares brimming with cafes and restaurants, and a gateway to the nearby waterfalls.

The streets were filled with arts & crafts shops

Lovely night scene in Pirenópolous

Lively cafes in the main drag

Just outside of the little town, D’s family rented us an adorable B & B.  There were 10-12 rooms which was great as we all could gather in the common areas and easily visit between rooms.

Cute little B & B

View from our door to the common area, complete with breakfast porch, hammocks and a pool

While the Americans were in the B & B, the rest of D’s family rented a huge party house where it seemed like dozens of aunts, cousins, and friends stayed.   The house had an indoor/outdoor kitchen area, a pool, and numerous bedrooms.  They barbecued and cooked all day and partied at night.

Someone pointed out that they were not sure that our group would be up for the all nighters and noise, so that is why they found a close B & B for us to settle.     And we heard the prediction was true – – they stayed up to the wee hours of the morning.

You see, many of D’s family and family friends have moved to nearby cities.  So these special occasions like the wedding were a fantastic opportunity for them to come together.  The weekend was a celebration of the marriage, as well as a special time to visit their closest friends, many of whom were considered (and titled) family.

And such, because our group was going to be going to nearby Perinópolous, at least half of the wedding-revelers also traveled to the city as well.   I think we were over 35 in number between the multiple homes / B & B’s rented.    What a neat tradition!

They also rented a 15 passenger van for getting our large groups around, to town, and to the waterfalls.  It made it easy to keep us in the same place.

Party bus!

We had a lovely time in Perinópolous.   Thanks to Mama I and Dashing Dad for providing us such a great experience.