Viajava is the past imperfect form of the verb viajar, meaning 'to travel' or 'to journey'. While it literally means 'was traveling', in the context of this song, it carries a more poetic and evocative sense of dreaming or being lost in thought.
Alceu Valença sings, "Mas, Belle de Jour, no azul, viajava" (But, Belle de Jour, in the blue, was traveling/dreaming). This suggests the mysterious woman was perhaps lost in her own world, or her thoughts were drifting away, adding a layer of intrigue to her character and the song's narrative.
Sun-kissed nostalgia and seaside daydreams fill Alceu Valença’s “La Belle De Jour.” The Brazilian singer takes us to Boa Viagem Beach in Recife, where he once spotted the most beautiful girl in town. Her blue eyes mirror the cloudless Sunday sky, and the whole scene becomes a vivid cinematic moment. As the chorus repeats her nickname — a playful nod to the French phrase for “beauty of the day” — we feel the songwriter’s awe freeze in time.
Valença turns this brief encounter into a lifelong memory, penning his very first blues for the mysterious Belle. The song blends upbeat northeastern rhythms with tender storytelling, celebrating how a single afternoon, a splash of ocean blue, and a pair of unforgettable eyes can inspire art and echo in our hearts long after the sun sets.