Phot-o' the Day: Near the Praça da República, Belém, Brazil

Sunday in the park. In the days before enforced social distancing. In Belém, Brazil, in the area around Praça da República, Republic Square.

Belém might be the quietest, most low-key city of 1.5 million on the planet. Maybe it's the equatorial sun. Maybe it's the Amazonian humidity. Maybe it's just the way the people of Belém want it to be.

And they have the most excellent Brazil nut flavored ice cream you would ever want to taste. You know those cans of Planters' mixed nuts and the Brazil nuts would be the last ones left? Well, pulverizing those Brazil nuts and mixing them into vanilla ice cream is far and away the highest and best use of the Brazil nut, or castanha do pará. So grab a cone with a scoop or two of the castanha do pará flavor and head to the Sunday market in the park.

Visited June 2014.