X'mas card from Brazil and Singapore／Carte de Noël du Brésil et du Singapour

FDC from Brazil／FDC du Brésil

Fruit Loop - Rural Tourism／
Fruit Loop - Tourisme rural


Post publicize this issue, as soon as Mercosur, the Fruit Loop, composed of ten municipalities related to fruit production, including exports, and rural tourism.

The horticulture export has been growing rapidly every year in Brazil, and also represents a huge potential to be exploited. Our primary customer is Russia, which concentrates the largest share of the volume of Brazilian exports of fresh fruits. This has promising export market as other destinations, mainly Canada, UAE, China, USA and other countries of Eastern Europe.

The Fruit Loop is a major and more well structured tour of the state of Sao Paulo. The Circuit is in strong farm, producing fruit (grape, strawberry, persimmon, peach, fig, plum, guava and cherry, among many others) and its derivatives, such as liqueurs and jams.

Also known as Polo Turístico Fruit Loop, consists of 10 municipalities (Atibaia Indaiatuba, Itatiba Itupeva, Jarinu, Jundiaí Louveira Morungaba, Valinhos and Vineyard) with traditional and diversified production in the area of horticulture. The total area of the municipalities that make up the Fruit Loop is 2383 km ² with a population of 1,030,035 inhabitants in 2008.

The region is a small paradise. Amidst the beautiful scenery, stand out in the Fruit Circuit rural tourism, fruit production, artisan production of wine and sweets and contact with the cultural and historical roots of Brazilian people.

Near the Greater Sao Paulo, the Circuit Fruit has one of the best roads in Brazil, with emphasis on the Anhanguera and Bandeirantes. It is also located close to major airports in the state, as Cumbica Airport, in Guarulhos, Congonhas in Sao Paulo and Viracopos, in Campinas. The region of the circuit began to be populated with the occupation of territory in the seventeenth century. During the eighteenth century was the Jundiaí tropeirismo warehouse and from the nineteenth century, its development was fueled by coffee.

In 1867, with completion of the railroad-Jundiaí Santos, the city became a strategic area of rail junction. There came then the first groups of Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, German, English and Arabic. With the coffee crisis in 30 years of the twentieth century, the population of the region gave impetus to the diversification of crops, to the profusion of varieties currently grown. The origin of the Fruit Loop back to the mid-'90s, when farmers in the region sought to develop rural tourism alternatives for economic viability of their properties.

In 2000, 27 farmers met for the establishment of the Association of Rural Tourism Circuit Fruit. With the organization of the movement, he joined the municipal governments of the participating municipalities, with support of organizations like the Brazilian Service to Support Micro and Small Enterprises - SEBRAE / SP and the National Cooperative Learning - SESCOOP / SP. At the same time, the interest of the state government in the development of tours provided the necessary condition for that, October 2, 2002, was officially established the Polo Turístico Fruit Loop. Since then there has been a growing number of tourists who visit and enjoy their privileged nature and flavors of the field.

FDC from Brazil／FDC du Brésil

Series Diplomatic Relations- Thailand: bromeliads of the Atlantic Forest, Orchid and Architecture／
Série Relations Diplomatiques- La Thaïlande: Broméliacées des la Forêt de L'Atlantique, l'Orchidée et l'Architecture

In this issue, Series Diplomatic Relations, the Post focus on architecture and the environment, with the Thai orchid and bromeliads of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, as well as individual buildings in these countries, recording the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, their peculiarities and importance in environmental and architectural contexts.

Orchid Rabo-de-Fox-White

In Thailand, this orchid is found in most of the territory from the eastern province of Prachinburi, thence north and passing through the provinces Nakornsawan, Loei and Chiengmai. Its name originated because of their long, thin, dense and compact bright white sheets, which amounts to about 40cm, resembling a fox tail.

Hall of the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne

The Throne Room Dusit Maha Prasat is the main building among the various buildings of the famous Grand Palace in Bangkok, built in 1789 by King Rama I, first king of the Chakri Dynasty (current dynasty). It was built in the shape of a cross with four wings covered with four tabs from the center. Its architecture is famous for being the most elegant building of the Rattanakosin Period (1782-1932).

In the past, the building was used for coronations, hearings and reviews of Buddhist scriptures.Today it is used for funeral rites before the cremation of kings, queens and members of the royal family. Has served for this purpose since the death of King Rama I. In it are carried out special events such as the annual celebration of the Coronation Day, held on May 5.

Cathedral of San Pedro de Alcântara - Petrópolis / RJ

Situated in Petrópolis, in the highland city of Rio de Janeiro, had its origin in the parish seat installed in temple adjacent to the Imperial Palace, built between 1847 and 1848 on land reserved by Major Júlio Frederico Koeler, and worked there for over 77 years . Since the inauguration of the first array, it has been thought of building another on the hill of Belvedere. Pedro II and his daughter, Princess Isabel, led the initiative. On 12 March 1876, launched the first foundation stone for the construction of the matrix cathedral, whose works were started under the responsibility of the engineer Francisco Caminhoá.

In 1884, he was released, then the second cornerstone. At the suggestion of the Princess Isabel the facade of the array is returned to the Avenida Koeler, which holds to this day, the beauty and harmony of the whole neo-Gothic architectural style. The work, paralyzed in 1901, resumed in 1914, and November 29, 1925, the new headquarters was inaugurated, although still unfinished.

In 1929, Father Francisco Garcia Costa began a campaign for the completion of the facade, the imperial chapel and baptismal and four floors of the tower. The works were completed on December 5, 1939, when he opened the tomb of the emperors. Were closed in 1969 to lift the tower and the placement of the bells, the Diocesan Bishop D. Manuel Pedro da Cunha Cintra. The cell-tower houses five bronze bells, and the largest, the "San Pedro de Alcantara", weighs four tons.