olympics – Deborah Ives, Solo In Style

Getting back into the swing of things

August 11, 2016April 3, 2021soloinstyle

I don’t mind admitting that I’m feeling a bit flat at the moment. It’s been 3 weeks since arriving back from my trip to Brazil and I just can’t seem to get back into the swing of things.

It’s not helped by the fact that all eyes are currently on Rio for the Olympics Games. I know it’s difficult for anyone coming home after a significant time away, but I can’t help feeling that my particular situation is made worse by being able to see ‘my beach’ through the window of the Beeb’s TV studio on a daily basis: the very studios that I watched being built on the Copacabana whilst I was there. I recognise it all. The pedestrian crossing in front of the Irish bar, the Rio 2016 official merchandise store where I bought my T-shirts and Olympic Havaianas, the promenade that I walked up and down every day, the beach bar where I drank many a caipirinha, even the flags that flutter in the wind. They are all so familiar to me and they all make wish I was still there.

5 things I’ll miss the most about Rio (plus a few that I won’t)

July 19, 2016April 3, 2021soloinstyle

I love large cities by the sea and, in my humble experience, Rio is the most beautiful one that I have visited (followed closely by Sydney and Cape Town). It lived up to my expectations in every way and despite many people telling me that I was crazy to go there, ‘Rio is so dangerous’, ‘You’ll get Zika’, ‘The country is broke and the government is corrupt, it will be depressing’, I could not have asked for a better experience. It certainly has a bit of an edge about it but use common sense and leave your valuables at home and you’ll be fine.

There are many things that I’ll miss about Rio but here my top 5.

Let the games begin

July 1, 2016April 3, 2021soloinstyle

Arriving in Rio around 5 weeks ago, I could have been forgiven for thinking that the Olympic games had been put on hold. There were a few metal structures abandoned on the Copacabana beach and if you looked very hard you might see a shop selling some official merchandise, but that was about it. There was no Olympic buzz, no excitement, it all felt a bit gloomy – just like the weather. Fast forward to a week ago and it’s as if someone has turned on a switch and the city has jumped into action. There are workmen everywhere, trimming trees, replacing street lights, repairing roads, completing grandstands; the sun is shining on Rio and the games are about to begin.