A visit to the Museum of Art of São Paulo.

My time in São Paulo was somewhat truncated. Midway through my first week I suffered a gout flareup, which kept me at home for almost the duration of my time in the city. I made some poor life choices with respect to dining in the days leading up to it, and didn’t listen to my body when it was sending me warning signs. Lessons learned.

Fortunately, my first Sunday in the city, I decided to take an Uber to the Museum of Art of São Paulo. There were a number of exhibitions ongoing, including the first solo exhibition of Francis Bacon’s work, and a fashion exhibition of work created especially for the museum by contemporary Brazilian artists and fashion designers.

I began my visit with the Fancis Bacon. I had seen a number of his works through the years, but I couldn’t remember seeing an exhibit dedicated to him. It filled one of the floors of the museum, and I was as curious about the people who had come to view the exhibit as the exhibit itself.

I next walked up to the top floor to see the permanent exhibition. Perhaps the most striking thing about the museum is the way in which the art is displayed. They are all placed on acrylic panels facing the entrance to the gallery. Labels are posted on the back so as not to detract from the artwork themselves. It’s a unique way of presenting art, and it was fun moving between the pieces, spying other gallery-goers in the gaps.

Having visited the galleries I made my way to the exit before I realized that there were basement galleries. I tried to backtrack but was told I couldn’t. I ended up getting back in line and having my ticket scanned a second time to enter the museum. I’m glad I did as the fashion exhibit downstairs presented some beautiful pieces I would have been sad to have missed.

Back outside, Avenida Paulista was closed as it is every Sunday. I joined the crowds to stroll and listen to the bands that had set up on various street corners. The music ranged from traditional drumming to pop and rock from the United States.

In the afternoon, I walked to the Coffee Lab. As part of their menu they offer a comparison between traditional and special roast coffee. Always wanting to educate my palette, I decided to try it. The difference was like night and day; I was told to try the traditional first and then the special roast. The special roast was rounder, more flavorful, and less bitter. I ended up not finishing the traditional roast.

And that was the general extent of what I saw while in São Paulo. The night before I had had dinner at Maní (delicious), opting to do the tasting menu with wine pairing. It was an aggressive choice as the somm lined up glasses on the table, sometimes serving two wines with each course. I’d feel twinges of something coming on in the next few days, but decided to honor a reservation at Nelita (fantastic), where I did another tasting (sans wine). By Thursday it was too late to go back and after a dinner at D.O.M., I ended up spending the rest of the weekend in bed and the following week hobbling around my apartment. Thank goodness for delivery! 🇧🇷