Opinion – Zeca Camargo: Penny Lane in Serra Gaúcha

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I still haven’t found a barber who will show me pictures of all the heads he’s met. Nor is a fireman with an hourglass and a picture of the queen. But all the people who come and go stop to say hello to me.

I have been in Gramado (RS) for a week. I had the honor of being invited to be part of the jury of the famous film festival, and to decide the prizes for international films. And, that’s it, I’ve been here since Friday (12).

This extended stay put me for a relatively long time in a place where people usually only spend a couple of days. And that brought me a curious cognitive dissonance.

I myself had never stayed more than 48 hours here. I always came quickly to work, reporting on the various charms that make this one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Brazil.

According to the survey you consult, Gramado can occupy the first or third position among the preference of Brazilian tourists. But never below the top 5, and it’s easy to see why.

Small and charming, Gramado has built its reputation for decades. The film festival, which now turns 50, was for years its biggest showcase. But the investment to attract visitors did not stop there.

Famous for its chocolates, the region’s European heritage, Easter has always been a hot season in the city, if not in temperature, at least in hustle. More recently, the Christmas season has also become an attraction.

With the creation of an abstract event (and full of charm), Natal Luz, Gramado managed to attract the masses once again. And always with beauty and hospitality.

Almost two months before Christ’s birth, every corner here is decorated with snowmen and Santas. It’s the closest we can get to Lapland. And irresistible.

However, in addition to this calendar, the tourist always leaves with the feeling of having lived a special moment. But what is the routine like being here for a longer period?

Well I can’t complain. Every day I wake up, have my coffee, meet with my fellow judges, look for a nice place to have lunch and another for wine — and at night I watch an international film.

And, in this daily life, I created a strange intimacy with Gramado. Walking through its center, if I don’t feel exactly at home, at least I recognize something familiar in my walks.

There’s that chocolate shop on the corner. Then the knitting. Two knitwear. A house specializing in knives. A fondue restaurant that I still want to go to. A winery. Another chocolate shop. Another knife. Another fondue restaurant. Another winery.

A men’s brand from Porto Alegre has just opened in Gramado. I also discover a large stuffed animal store. Chocolates, knitwear, knives, fondues are back. And so, I cling to every corner of the city.

Where always someone nice asks me for a selfie, says something affectionate, asks me (as if I need to!) if I’m enjoying being here. Eventually they even make a quick video call to show someone who found me.

And it was in one of those moments that I remembered the Beatles classic, “Penny Lane”. His passionate description of the characters who inhabit it resonated like, um, music in my prolonged experience in Gramado.

This Saturday (20th) we will announce the winners and on the weekend I’ll be back at my house. But, in addition to fantastic films, I return with the experience of having lived intensely, even if only for a few days, in a city that belongs to everyone as if it were my own.

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