We're in a Recife state of mind

Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco and is situated in the northeast of Brazil. Originally Recife was the harbour of the Portuguese city of Olinda. When the Dutch West India Company defeated the Portuguese in 1630 they burned down Olinda and settled in Recife. The city remained under Dutch rule until 1654. The city experienced a prosperous period during the reign of Maurice of Nassau, from 1636 to 1643, which is remembered with nostalgia to this day. During this period the first bridge of the Americas was build to connect the harbour to ‘Mauritsstad’ (nowadays São Antonio) that still has a recognizable Dutch urban outlay. The city is protected by an elongated black reef (in Portuguese ‘recife’) and lies in the delta of the rivers Beberibe and Capibaribe. Recife is known as the ‘Venice of Brazil’ because of the great many bridges over these two rivers in the city centre.