Rua Uruguaiana and Confeitaria Colombo

A little gem on our way to Confeitaria Colombo was Rua Uruguaiana.  This street turned out to be a moderately busy pedestrian area filled with shopping and cafes, almost reminiscent of our trip to La Rambla, Barcelona, Spain. 

Our next stop on our walking tour was Confeitaria Colombo, a 100 year old historic and operational bakery and tea room.  It looked like an old lavish ballroom serving coffee, tea, and a huge assortment of pastries.  We were still quite full from lunch so unfortunately we missed out on tasting the beautiful pastries.

Next on our itinerary (according to Lonely Planet) were Praça Tiradentes, Centro Cultural Carioca, and Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (English translation: Royal Portuguese Library) 

We did not take any photos in this area as it was a bit deserted at the time we visited (middle of the afternoon) and they do not allow photos inside the Royal Portuguese Library.  The collection in this library was very notable in its own right.  The Centro Cultural Carioca features evening performances and since we were there during the day, it was closed as we walked by.  Praca Tirandentes was another notable city square and definitely not overrun by tourists.