A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.
Part 26:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Birds on telephone wires
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Lizard
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Elephant
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Birds on telephone wires
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Lizard
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Elephant
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
030: Winter fires
On a very cold day in March, I walked in the cozy center of The Hague. As I was accustomed to the tropical temperatures of Belo Horizonte durign summer, I suffered much from the wintry temperatures in The Netherlands. Even as a native Dutch, I had big difficulties to adapt myself again to temperatures that were common for me when I was living there. Therefore, I had to wear several layers of shirts and blouses, covered by a thick winter coat. Most bystanders must have considered me as a foreigner, despite by light skin, brown hair, and blue eyes. For me, it was weird to notice people sitting down on madeshift windproof terraces, heated by many candles and little gas-fueled fires.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
366: Bust and staircase
Without doubt, the Municipal Theater in downtown Rio de Janeiro may be considered as one of the most beautiful monuments in this marvellous city. It is located at Rio Branco Avenue, Treze de Maio Avenue, Evaristo de Veiga Street, and Alagoas/ Marechal Floriano Square in Cinelândia District. The theater, inaugurated in 1909, belongs to the most important and most beautiful in Brazil. After the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889, playwright Artur Azevedo started a campaign for a new theater. It was major Pereira Passos who took the initiative for the construction, and his son, architect Francisco de Oliveira Passos, designed the theater inspired upon the Ópera in Paris. More than one thousand wooden poles were used as foundation for the theater. A number of prominent Brazilian artists, and some European counterparts, were invited to decorate the new theater. The bust in the picture is a good example of the luxurious decoration of this theater.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
012: Praça de Carlos Alberto
In the Medieval Era, this square was called Largo dos Ferradores (Blacksmith’s Square). It was also known as the Feira das Caixas, referring to the carpenters that produced wooden boxes for migrants heading for Brazil. In 1849, Carlos Alberto, king of Sardinia and Piemonte, stepped down in favor of his son, Vitor Emmanuel II who later unified Italy, with help of Garibaldi amongst others. Carlos Alberto settled himself in a small palace at Largo dos Ferradores in Porto, and died only three months later. Soon the square was renamed after him. His palace is now in use by the city council. The square also exhibits a monument that remembers the Portuguese that died during the Great War of 1914-1918.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2001, 2003, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
013: Namen-Jesu-Kirche
Erected between 1686 and 1717, the late-Gothic Name of Jesus Church, is widely visible becuase of the two romantic towers. According to the legend, it all started with the discovery of a piece of birchwood with the initials ‘IHS’, referring to the name of Jesus. Interestingly, even until today, there is no consensus about the meaning of IHS. the church’s interior is a mixture of gothic and baroque elements, while the facade is typically baroque. The 53 m high towers have a Romanesque base and Boaroque tower heads. The Namen-Jesus-Kirche is located between the picturesque Marktplatz (Market Square) and Beethovenhaus.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
365: Firewood stove
The 310 km² national park Serra do Cipó is located at about 90 km northeast of Belo Horizonte. Created in 1984, the park attracts many visitors that make long walks, swim in the numerous waterfalls, or just enjoy their stay in one of the many coutryhouses and pousadas. The park, of the so-called Cerrado (tropical savannah) type, is world famous for its richness in plant species. I was invited to join friends for a night’s stay in a countryhouse that belonged to the family of one of them. We went by car, and arrived there early in the evening. It was early enough to cook some hotdogs for everyone. The next morning was spent to walk around and enjoy the nature around us. It was very silent, you coulod easily hear the humming of mosquitoes. There were some simple dwellings around the countryhouse. One of them contained a traditional firewood oven, that showed stains of intensive use. Coffee was being brewed in a tradionional way, in a coffeepot.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2013.
Part 39:
Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection
Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection
Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection
Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2013, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.
Part 25:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Capybaras
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Black cormorant
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Old children’s bike
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Capybaras
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Black cormorant
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Old children’s bike
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
029: Maurits Monument
Like Amsterdam, The Hague also has a Canal District: de Grachtengordel. During the Twelve Years’ Truce (1609-1621) of the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) or the Dutch Independence War, Prince Maurice de Nassau ordered the construction of the Canal District as a defense system. However, they’ve never been used actively in the defense of the city. The Koninginnegracht (Queen’s Canal) as seen in the photograph, is one of these canals. At the Heerenbrug (Patrician’s Bridge), this monument commemorates the completion of the Canal District in 1619. The monument, inaugurated in 1932, was sculpted by Joop van Lunteren. The personages in the relief are a soldier, prince Maurice, prince Frederic Henry, probably Christian Huygens or Simon Stevin, and some builders.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
364: Wood in detail
Parque Municipal (Urban Park) in Belo Horizonte attracts many visitors that like to spend their lunch hour wandering along the ponds, to enjoy the amusement park, to watch the little monkeys that can crawl and swing on tree branches above your head, to see the colorful flowers and beautiful butterflies in the butterfly garden. There are many big trees in the park, and it is no wonder that from time to time, some trees have to be cut because of their advanced age and of the possible danger that they can collapse. The tree stems are then dried in open air, and eventually carved into elegant benches. The picture shows the core of such a giant tree stem. It is not hard to see that this tree must have suffered much during drastic climate changes: from extreme rainfall and hot temperatures to extreme drought and colder temperatures.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
019: Between the rocks
Another photograph of Bryce Canyon National Park. That day, I took many photos, all on film. If had a digital camera on that day, I would have taken hundreds of pictures, and maybe some hours of video. Now I was restricted to the use of film, I had to select my preferred compositions with care. This compostion of a indepth view between two tall rocks has become one of my favorites that day. A sunny but very cold day in May. There were still some spots of snow to be seen.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
012: Beethoven Square
Bonn is Beethoven, Beethoven is Bonn. Many sites in Germany’s former capital honour the world famous composer. You can visit his house of birth, you can find various statues throughout the city. One of the best known is the statue that is located in front of the Old Post building. The statue – designed by Ernst Julius Hähnel and sculpted by Jacob Daniel Burgschmiet -was inaugurated in 1845 to commemorate the fact that Beethoven was born 75 years before. The Old Post (in function between 1877 and 1908) was built between 1751 and 1753, and called Fürstenberg Palais.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
363: Fisherman and heron
When Portuguese navigators entered Guanabara Bay on the first of January 1502, they were convinced that they had arrived at the mouth of an immense river, which they called the January River: Rio de Janeiro. Soon, it was realized that they had arrived in a giant bay: Guanabara Bay. This bay, however, is quite polluted; it is therefore not recommended to consume fish caught in the bay. However, it is not forbidden to catch the fish. This fisherman is trying not to lose his patience, while his heron neighbor shows great patience. He might plan to attack his human neighbor’s prey.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2013.
Part 38:
Paraty (RJ) – Colonial mansion
Paraty (RJ) – Lantern and shadow
Paraty (RJ) – Colonial mansion
Paraty (RJ) – Lantern and shadow
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2013, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.
Part 24:
Caxias do Sul (RS) – Public staircase
Porto Alegre (RJ) – Airplane cockpit
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Capybaras
Caxias do Sul (RS) – Public staircase
Porto Alegre (RS) – Airplane cockpit
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Capybaras
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
028: Train at Central Station
When I was in the Netherlands in 2010, I regularly made use of public transport: trains, buses, and trams. I made long train trips from Breda to Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, The Hague, and even Groningen. When I was a student, I had the privilege to travel for free. No wonder that I had spent many hours on the train, on the bus, or on the tram. To visit the Dutch cities that I hadn’t visited before, to meet friends living in other cities, to go to the beach. Now I had planned some day trips to Amsterdam and The Hague. In The Hague, I was on the platform, wairing ofrm e train to Breda. I was about to enter this so-called intercity train.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
362: Bike park
Not only the Dutch, but also the Brazilians love to cycle. It is a cheap means of transport, it doesn’t pollute the enviroment, it might economize in transportation spendings and in transportation time, and it is very good for your health to cycle. No wonder that the bicycle is gaining popularity in the immense country. However, there are certain locations where it is hard to cycle around. Like the mountainous historic cities of Ouro Preto, Mariana, Diamantina, or even Belo Horizonte. In contrast, along the many beaches in Brazil, you will notice many people cycling, and they are not only foreign tourists. And they need to park their bike too. In Guarapari, they will meet a bike park like this one in the photo.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
011: Greengrocer
When I was walking in the historic center of Porto, I noticed many hawkers standing or sitting down at the pavement, trying to sell their merchandise. Most of them sold products, which they grew at home, or at their farm. Different kinds of fruit and vegetables, eggs, nuts. They had put their merchandise on simple crates, and some of them even made some more effort to arrange their vegetables and fruit in neat piles or pyramids. This older woman sat on the curbstones and waited patiently for her customes. A man in the corner of the photo appears to watch her.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2001, 2003, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
011: Basilica of St Martin
Bingen is a small town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Nahe River flows into the Rhine River. This confluence was an ideal location where first Gauls settled (Binge), followed by the Romans (Bingum). Here started the Roman road to the city of Trier. Bingen has suffered much from many wars and fires. However, some principal monuments have been preserved, like Burg Klopp (Castle), MäuseTurm (Mouse Tower, from where a legend tells about a cruel archbishop eaten by mice), and the Basilica of St Martin. There is proof that the Romans had their temple for Mercurius. On the same location, a crypt was built in the 8th century. In 1006, the church was mentioned for the first time in documents. Enlargement took place in the 15th century, and large-scale restoration was performed in the 19th century. The basilica became heavily damaged during WWII, and restored in 1958.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
361: Pine cone
When you think of Brazil, then you would imagine vast forests, idyllic beaches, extensive wetlands. Tropical rain forests with many exoctic, evergreen trees, plants, and colorful flowers, and large palm tree plantations. Some would think of the coffee and sugarcane plantations, but few would associate Brazil with pine trees. For those, it is quite surprise to meet the large pine trees in South Brazil, where the climate is moderate, with colder winters. In the state of Paraná, it is very common to meet the typical candelabra pine trees. Nuts from these trees are used for some local dishes. When talking about the ‘fruits’ from pine trees, you can also meet pine cones in the higher regions of Minas Gerais, like this pine cone that I found near the entrance of Mangabeiras Park.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
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