The fish stops here.

And so do the Swedes and Cambodians, and people from over fifty countries around the planet. I don't know why, but over the past week, there have been so many new visitors to this blog. What was it? Audrey Hepburn's middle finger? I honestly don't know

I'm thrilled to have more hits, of course, but what I absolutely love is seeing the names of places from where people are connecting to me. So many are names I have heard of or read about, and a few that I've visited. But it's the ones I've never heard of before that are the most exciting. Once I've checked my Visitor's Map and then updated my alphabetical list (a most joyous task for anyone with obsessive-compulsive  tendencies), I then pick one of the previously-unknown places and google it.

Which brings me to the title of this post. Somewhere in the state of Sao Paulo, in the country Brazil, there is a city, nearly 250 years old, called PIRACICABA. They call it "the bride of the hills". I have no idea what a Brazilian bride looks like. The only Brazilian women I've ever seen were in carnival processions on TV, looking very exotic, sparkly and feathery. So I deduce that Piracicaba is a sizzling hot place, with a nice set of hills.

I found a connection, too: every year Piracicaba is host to the International Fair of Humour, where work from cartoonists around the world is on display. In tribute to my Piracicaban reader, I must dig out my favourite cartoon and post it here.

You're still wondering about the fish? Well, the city is bisected by waterfalls, and fish that swim upstream to reproduce - I'm presuming some type of salmon - can be seen here. The name "Piracicaba" is from a word in the Tupi language that means “place where the fish stops”. 

I find that delightful.


P.S. Anyone know how the name is pronounced? I'm choosing to say pee-raa-chi-KAA-ba. That's what it looks-like-it-sounds-like to me :o)