Plant kingdom

May 19, 2012 | He points out the baru tree, whose protein-rich seeds are served as a snack, and the jatobá-da-mata tree, its engorged seed pods resembling aubergine-hued sausages. Workers on his own farm, Fazenda Toucan Cipó, turn knobbly fruits of unappetising appearance – the ceriguela, a tomato-like fruit that tastes like plum, and the jaboticaba, which grows directly from the tree’s trunk – into delicious puddings and... When we resume our climb, Frewen stops occasionally to indicate the unusual bounty that nature has deposited on his land: the twisted stem of an endemic cactus, a rare fruit resembling a scaly brown ball or a plant whose tiny lilac flower opens... Around 8am, as the burning sun’s rays pick out tiny quartz crystals embedded in the limestone crags lining the path, I rest under a dazzling cloud of lilac blossoms of a Sucupira preta tree. “Emilia, our cook, makes the most wonderful ice cream from fruits that are unknown outside this area,” Frewen says. Read more »

Take week to spice up decor

Nov 01, 2009 | "Create a seasonal centerpiece by using a vast cluster of candles or a grand candelabra." She even suggests a glamorous chandelier in the bathroom.