Ouro Preto | Minas Gerais | Brazil

This time last year, Felipe and I were getting ready to say farewell to Brazil. But before we left, there was one festival that we knew we wouldn't have the chance to see again: Easter in Ouro Preto. Aside from being a well-preserved architectural gem, Ouro Preto is a historical hub for the mining roots of the Minas Gerais region. The rolling cobblestone hills topped with church spires are a sight to behold.

But for Easter, this charming town pulls out all of the stops. We arose early in the morning to hit the streets to see the tapetes de serragem, or sawdust carpets, that fill the streets Easter morning.

Some religious designs, some not, these colorful patterns fill the streets to mark the route of the Procissão da Ressurreição or Resurrection Procession. Following the throngs of locals and tourists, we took in the beauty of these temporary works of art on our way to the starting church.

Every year, the main churches in the city trade off being host to the starting position of the procession and dress up as different Biblical characters to illustrate different stories. When we arrived at the church, the participants were were preparing for the walk.