I'LL BE BACK - It was worth it. Tato liked that I wrote a poem at Morretes' visit. I leave it here, encouraging tourists to make this trip and this visit. Morretes Morretes: small hills, simply! City end point of that train trip, That of Curitiba, brings us, on a non-urgent walk, Up to the coast of Paraná, where the Serra do Mar, too, In a kiss of love, you find the cold and beloved Ocean... And yet, in the embrace of friendship, very human! (1) It's a city founded by the Jesuits, In the mid eighteenth century... City of history, Which offers us many and varied visits, That will always enrich our memory. City between the Serra do Mar and the coast of Paraná, It is inevitable, so is the charm it gives us. (2) We found the Church of Our Lady of Porto, Church around which this beautiful city grows. There we enter, tourists, not just for sport, But to greet the Lord with all humility. We also greet, on the way, Our Lady: This is your Church, your month of October, your hour. (3) Then, from the courtyard of the church, in front of us, the sea... Everywhere the city develops and grows. It was trade yesterday, today is tourism unparalleled. In all the streets, in the restaurants appears... Behind was the agriculture of the Italian Emigration, That in the nineteenth century came here, with glory and fame! (4) As tourists we cannot forget the “barrier”, That, after all, has Portuguese origin: comes from the Azores! We do not hesitate: it is the dish by everyone very acclaimed! To him go all our wishes and praises. To finish with a small handicraft, Also of the best there is, in a drink from this place. (5) On our tour, interesting visit in all this, It was the visit to the theme park! Very interesting! For us it was something that had never been seen... We won't lose it, right now, right now. The theme park is HISGEOPAR, Where history and geography marry to enchant! (6) There we discover the entire history of the state of Paraná, In so many original miniatures, constantly moving. It's a very natural portrait, very simple and true, Of what was Paraná yesterday, in the last moment... Yes, indeed, here, curious visitors, in little space, We give the history and geography of Paraná our embrace. (7) Theophile Curitiba, October 16, 2024 1) The city of Morretes PR is rich, by the environment that surrounds it: a privileged nature, where the Atlantic forest stands out. On the way we find rivers, waterfalls and the Serra do Mar Paranaense. In this Serra, one of the most preserved stretches of Brazil, we can admire the Pico do Marumbi, with 1.539 meters high. 2) The city of Morretes PR, founded by the Jesuits in 1733, has an interesting history from the days of its foundation to the present day. It has become an eminently tourist city. Among the tourists, the majority are national. But there is always a good number of foreigners, as on the day we went to get to know more closely, the restaurants and the natural landscapes that abound there. In Morretes, there are also many ecotourism practitioners. In the city there are still many tourist attractions, urban attractions that concentrate on the street that borders the river Nhundiaquara that baths the city and its surroundings. 3) A monument that stands out throughout the village is the parish church of Morretes dedicated to Our Lady of Porto who is the patron of the village. From 1849, the Feast of the Patroeira is held on September 8, the date on which the Nativity of Our Lady is celebrated. As in many places, the guide tells us, the preparation of the Feast is made with novenas, and currently on the day of the Feast solemn mass is celebrated. After the religious part of the party, the social part begins, so to speak, where the most diverse snacks and drinks are served: salads, risotto, baked, dessert, drinks and the traditional floor fire rib, followed by the famous bingo. Obviously we did not see all this, but we entered the Church with a lot of devotion to pray to Mary, so much more that we were in October, the traditional month of the Rosary, in honor of Our Lady. For moments I and some tourists who accompany me prayed a little before the statue of Our Lady of Porto. We commission Morretes and the whole world. Our guide is Lutheran, but he has no problem giving us some time to worship Our Lady. He suspects, and does not mistake, that many tourists in the group are Catholics. 4) The village is developing today, mainly due to tourism. But it wasn't always that way. History tells us that Italian emigration played a fundamental role in its development, in the last century, despite having been through many, many difficulties. The most famous Italian colony in Morretes was inaugurated in 1877 under the name New Italy Colony. Founded in 1877, the Colonia Nova Italia was one of the first settlements of Italian immigrants in Paraná. There were 543 families, totaling 2,296 people. Times change and desires and possibilities of success change. The New Italian Colony did not have the greatest successes in agricultural matters. Today, the success of the city revolves more around the local tourism that continues to develop. 5) Practically, on the tourist day spent in Morretes, everyone assumes that they will have lunch there. But not any lunch. The lunch on this tourist day is the famous BARREADO. It is a meat cooked for hours in clay pots, which then blends with mandioca flour and rice. On top of the mixture are placed bananas. BARREADO, a typical official dish of Paraná, was created in the Azores and brought to Paraná by the Portuguese more than 300 years ago. Stays for several hours in boiling. In addition, Morretes is also the land of craft cachaça, considered one of the main products of the city. 6) One of the main attractions of Morretes is the theme park PARANÁ ENCANTADO HISGEOPAR. Cachaça was, in fact, the first thing we visited. And it's worth it. In one room only, although large we have a beautiful summary of the history of Paraná. HISGEOPAR is an interesting attraction: it is a pavilion filled with perfect miniatures that move together. There we find hundreds of animated figures that portray part of the history of the state of Paraná. We also see a train in constant motion that reminded me of our slow journey from Curitiba to Morretes. You can also see a reproduction of the Itaipu hydro power plant and the old Seven Falls. 7) The park is located at the entrance of Morretes for those who go down the Serra da Graciosa. The place is part of the Sierra Verde Express package and I repeat, it is well worth seeing. In a short time we discovered a lot of history and a lot of geography of Paraná.