San Antonio – by Gary

 

The traditional inner-city shopping area of San Antonio is located on Joana Bezerra Island, right in the heart of Old-Recife. The area is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and small squares fronted by churches, and it’s packed with shops, stalls, and roving vendors selling everything imaginable.  While the upper and middle classes have abandoned the area in-favour of flashy suburban malls, San Antonion is where the 'ordinary folks' still shop (by the zillion) - its distinctly Brazillian/Portuguese flavour is wonderful.

San Antonio is a maze of cobbled streets.  The guy in front is selling CDs, which you can sample on his ‘system’.

It’s full of shops, stalls ...

... and street vendors...

... not to mention shoppers ...

...all jostling for space.

There are many squares fronted by churches ...

.... some grand...

... some even grander.

  

... but this was my favourite.  It is, by comparison with most, tiny, and situated on a triangular block formed within the ‘y’ intersection of two narrow streets.

This is the view from just inside the door.  It only has seating for perhaps 50 – 60 people on the ground floor.

The altar has an amazing verticality for such a tiny space.

And to create some more seating (select seating for the white folks), a balcony surrounds the altar.

The charming fresco on the ceiling.

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