Sunday afternoon in Osasco-SP

Patricia Liberado organized a surprise birthday party for Claudia Possoni at her house in Osasco and there I went on a very hot Sunday afternoon in February 2014. Claudia's actual birthday is on the 25th which was a Saturday, but the surprise bash happened on the Sunday.

I took a Carapicuiba blue inter-municipal bus at rua Coripheu de Azevedo Marques and alighted near Comandante Sampaio station in Osasco. This is a photografic account of the walk I took from Avenida dos Autonomistas up to Patricia's condominium on rua Paula Rodrigues.

Osasco ain't no San Tiago de la Compostella with its famous pilgramage route but I will show you the way to Patty's home in a likewise way. 

Avenida dos Autonomistas in Osasco. One can see Osram's tower at the back. Look at the bright clear sky... what a scorching day!

One has to climb over and cross this bridge which is called Viaduto Presidente Tancredo Neves.

look how sharp those steps that lead up to the bridge are.

Osram's lights keep burning night and day, 365 days a year. The 'Osram' name is derived from osmium and Wolfram (German for tungsten, also used in English) as both these elements were commonly used for lighting filaments at the time the company was founded in 1919 in Munich, Germany as Osran Licht AG.

Once you're on top of the steps you turn left and start walking West-ward, passing over Avenida dos Autonomistas and the suburban railway line.

crossing the railway line one can see Comandante Sampaio station in the back.

this is what one sees after crossing Viaduto Presidente Tancredo Neves: Jaraguá's Peak, the highest point in São Paulo's metropoliltan area. Patricia's apartment is in one of those buildings on the right.

the next task it will be to cross that bridge on the right.

the best view possible of Patricia's tenement seen before one crosses the footbridge.

a quaint look at Osasco's local sports & politics. Mayor Jorge Lapas wears the local colours.

this is the footbridge on the side of the main bridge that spans over Rio Tietê.

Plodding along westward...

Rio Tietê below is a very polluted river. Local government (Governor Serra & Governor Alckimin) have promised to clean it up but after 20 years and many millions received from Japan squandered away, Tietê River is still a cesspool in the open.

Here's the once mighty and now stinky Tietê River flowing westward towards the sun...

After crossing a major river it's time to pass under a major highway: Rodovia Castelo Branco, named after a general who was instrumental in overthrowing democracy in Brazil in April 1964.

It's dark & gloomy under the bridges... even in such a bright & hot day like 26 February 2014.

this is the other side of Rodovia Castelo Branco.

Hallellujia! We're finally safe on the other side! Osasco is a city that love arches. Would it be it's got a MacDonald's complex?

We're almost there. This is rua Paula Rodrigues. It runs parallel to Rodovia Castelo Branco. Piratininga is the suburb's name. I must check it with Patricia to confirm it.

Claudia's birthday cake made by Patricia HERSELF.. rock'n'roll all the way...

Darlan, Andreia & Gi Marcondes.

Alessandro popping up a bubbly!!!

The happy couple: Darlan & Andreia (Gi looks on).

Beto Abrantes & Millene Fernandes.

Everyone ready to attack the chocolate birthday-cake. From left to right: Edu, Beto, Darlan, Stefani (Edu's daughter), Andreia, Gi & Millene.

Patricia, the host & Claudia, the birthday girl.

a little bit of Osasco's history in the popular press. 

The region where Osasco has grown to become an industrial city was rural in the 19th Century. An Italian immigrant named Antonio Agu bought a farm and built a railway station. To house the railway workers Mr Agu built a few houses around it which soon became the centre of the region. As the settlement grew they decided to name it after Mr Agu's hometown in Italy - a place called Osasco...