Ouro Preto
We were also lucky enough to be taken to Ouro Preto for the day on the Sunday of our visit.

Ouro Preto is an old colonial town, founded in 1698, up in the hills about an hour and a half's drive from Belo Horizonte. It is a national monument set in a national park.

Translated, Ouro Preto means 'black gold', since it was the focal point of the gold rush in Brazil's golden age in the 18th century. At this time it was the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. Before being named Ouro Preto it was called 'Vila Rica' - rich town.

In fact Ouro Preto is a national treasure, both for the beauty of its surroundings and for the treasure to be found in the form of gold in its churches and in the form of gems in the local mines. It is full of cobbled streets, late 18th century buildings and baroque churches.

It is now a quiet university town, although it was not quiet on the day that we visited which was the first day of an annual music festival.

It is definitely a 'not to be missed' place if you visit Brazil and although we visited it years ago, it was wonderful to see it again.