31.12.19 - Para fechar com chave de ouro

Halloooo, and happy New Year's Eve to one all.

We're in Ilhabela, having set off first thing on Saturday after a jolly, sleepy Christmas time. So far it's been one beach and restaurant after another, with surprisingly little intervention from work, which is ideal. 

Tonight we're off to a restaurant by the sea in the south for dinner and bubbly, then on to a beach near the hotel to see the new decade in, jump over waves, etc. Then back to work and back home on Thursday.

Elsewhere I've made my last compilation of 2019, "para fechar com chave de ouro" ("to close with a golden key"), as they say here. All the best for 2020, and speak to you soon! x

Can't Get You Out Of My Fred

24.12.19 - Papai Natal

Halloooo,

Hope all well in Antibes despite the apocalyptic scenes I've been seeing on that there internet, and you haven't all been washed into the sea. How did the gambling party go? 

Here in Brazil I've broken up for the holidays and am doing as little as possible to mark the occasion, although we've headed out a few times to see various folk around town, including a trip to the Zona Norte's newest revolving rooftop restaurant for Ridaut's birthday, which was pretty fancy.

Currently looking forward to a completely inert Christmas break followed by New Year's in Ilhabela.  I've made a compilation, and my phrase of the day is one I made up to annoy Gaby, since the correct way of saying "Father Christmas" is actually "Papai Noel" (I find "Papai Natal" is funnier - I am probably alone in this).  

Happy Christmas to one and all, and speak soon!

O Come All Ye Fredful

17.12.19 - Não esquenta cabeça

Halloooo,

Hope all well in Antibes.  I'm back in balmy Brazil after a short spell in London, a short hop to Heathrow to get the first plane out of dodge post-election, and an interminable day on a plane watching lots of mediocre films, smuggling Jaffa Cakes across international waters.  It's nice and warm, the mangos flow like wine and we had an all-truffle three-course meal last night for the price of a cheese sandwich in Switzerland, so all is well.

Otherwise we've been trying to get our house in order ahead of the Christmas lull, and catching up with various people who I haven't seen since the wedding. On Saturday we went on a Travelling Spoon recce, to have a typical Paulistano lunch cooked for us by a professional chef-slash-toxicologist, which was very nice indeed, then went on to a clothing line launch by one of Gaby's influencer chums, which was fairly amusing too.

I've made a new compilation (and another one for your gambling party!), and my phrase of the week means "don't heat your head", or basically "fugeddaboutit". Seems apt as we roll into the height of summer and Christmas festivities (assuming I get some time off).

Ciao for now,

Freddytale of New York

10.12.19 - Carro chefe

Halloooo,

Hope all well in the midst of strikes and flooding - all relatively sedate over here despite an impending election immediately followed by my jaunt in the UK coming to an end, and not a moment too soon. It's been fun hanging out with the grandparents but the time has come for me to head back to sunny Brazil, no matter how briefly.

Not much else to report: I spend pretty much every waking hour slaving over a hot computer; I might have a review scheduled for tomorrow (and definitely have a Travelling Spoon jaunt in SP scheduled for Friday); I've made a new compilation; and my phrase of the day ("the boss car") means the centrepiece or flagship of any given enterprise, which I think derives from the main float in a Carnival parade.

And on that note, ciao for now and speak soon!

The Fred Wall

03.12.19 - Pé de Fava

Hallooooo,

I'm in that there London for a grand total of one meeting, which we had yesterday under some train tracks in Camden - I'm staying at Kika's spare room in achingly hip Dalston, after a surreal, flu-ridden few days in a Heathrow hotel before Gaby went back to SP on Saturday morning. Back to Isleham tomorrow, then London again briefly, then Brazil for some sun.

I've made a compilation but due to wifi-related mishaps I haven't actually had a chance to listen through to it yet; and my phrase of the day ("beanstalk") is actually the name of a São Paulo restaurant which went viral after it was savaged by amusing French man Erik Jacquin on Brazil's version of "Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" - I recommend you watch it here in full even though it's not available in English.

That's all from now, speak soon!

For the Freddy Not the Few