02/06/2025
Days after we bought the tickets, Lara started her daily countdown. Every morning she'd wake up and ask "Maria Fumaça today?" with those hopeful eyes. 🚂
Finally, the morning came. We spent it watching trains on TV while Lara bounced with anticipation.
She only napped for a short time before Ka said "let's go see the train!"
Lara's response was immediate: "Okay, 1, 2, 3 let's go!"
We almost missed the train, but managed to get our tickets and board just in time. At the station, a guy was playing Italian songs that set the perfect mood for our adventure. 🎵
Then we were actually on the train and Lara's eyes went huge. She pointed at everything. The vintage seats, the windows, the vineyards rolling by.
The sound of the steam whistle made her jump at first. But then she giggled with pure delight.
When the ladies started dancing and singing Italian songs onboard, she was a bit afraid at first, clinging to me. But soon she was clapping along to every song, absolutely mesmerized by the performances. 👏💃
The 23-kilometer journey through Serra Gaúcha was perfect for her attention span.
Between clapping for the dancers and sipping her grape juice 🍇, she watched everything with pure wonder as we rolled through the countryside she sees every day from a completely new perspective.
On the bus ride home, Lara was resting. It had been a big adventure for her.
The rest of the day she spent watching her train videos, reliving every moment. Now, days later, she keeps asking to see the photos and remembering her train adventure day. 📸
