Imaging Brazil 384: Three Pink Roses in Petrópolis, RJ (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

384: Pink roses

When you live in the megacity of Rio de Janeiro, it is really a relief to be in a small, neighboring city for some hours. You will fully enjoy the tranquility of few people and few cars in the streets, the ability to walk around without the chance being hit by fellow pedestrians or cars. When I was in Petrópolis, I walked there a lot, also along the canals of Avenida Koeller, Rua da Imperatriz, and Rua do Imperador. You can find many interesting big houses, constructed during the imperial era, along theses canals. Along another canal, you can visit a brewery and taste a fresh beer. It was along one of these canals that I found three beautiful, bright pink roses, as seen in the photograph.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017

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Imaging The Netherlands 039: Cargo Bike in Groningen (GR)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

039: Bakfiets, a cargo bike.

With little over 200 thousand inhabitants, Groningen is the major city in the northern region of the Netherlands. The presence of a university attracts thousands of students to Groningen. The easiest way of transport in the city is by bike. Bike are found anywhere in the city, and are parked literally anywhere. Therefore, many residents have attached an announcement behind the window with a request not to park the bike against the window. You can imagine that students might lose the eye on their bikes, because of too many bikes of similar brands, shapes and colors. In order to recognize the two-wheeled vehicle with more ease, many students decorate their bikes in different colors and color combinations. But the three-wheeled cargo bike in the photograph won’t need any additional identification mark. The cargo space, most probably to carry children, is quite unique, easy to recognize.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017

Imaging USA 024: Tumbleweed in Death Valley (CA)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

024: Tumbleweed

Death Valley in the state of California was formed about two million years ago when the earth shifted by plate tectonics and opened a huge fissure that eventually formed a valley. Surrounded by mountains, hot air cannot escape from the valley, and rain clouds coming from the Pacific Ocean are blocked by the mountains. As a result, Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places on earth. And without doubt, one of the most beautiful places in California, because of the great variety of landscapes, and a broad range of natural colors of the stone formations. Because of the extreme climate, hardly anything grows in the valley. One of the few living things that you can meet in Death Valley are tumbleweeds that roll unstoppably, driven by the wind.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017

Imaging Germany 022: Burgruine Freudenberg, Freudenburg (RP)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

022: Castle ruin Freudenberg

Freudenburg is a small village – about 1500 inhabitants – at 32 km south of Trier. In the 14th century, a Luxemburg count decided to construct a castle at the foot of the Eiderberg mountain: Burg Freudenberg (‘Freyding” at the time of the construction). The castle underwent reforms in the 16th century, when an abbey acquired Freudenberg. In 1646, in a battle between the abbey and the electoral prince of Trier, the castle was destroyed completely. It never became rebuilt. At present, there is still a trench of the Gothic castle, as well as the castle gate, and the remains of a three-story quarry stone building, and of a keep. The beam holes in the walls provide some idea how the castle would have been before its destruction.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017

Imaging Brazil 383: Valentine Messages in Belo Horizonte, MG (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

383: Valentine messages

While many countries celebrate Valentine’s Day on 14 February, in Brazil people have their mind set on Carnival. Already weeks before, carnival street bands attract thousands of people during the weekends. No one will think of Valentine’s Day then. Therefore, the Brazilian ‘Dia dos Namorados’ (Valentine’s Day) is postponed to 12 June. In turn, the Brazilian Father’s Day is postponed to the second Sunday in August. As a result, the stores have one extra month to attract extra customers and gain more money. April is then the Easter month, May is the Mother’s month, and June the Lover’s Month. Many stores decorate their shop windows in order to attract the customers. The shop window of the store in the photograph invited customers to leave their love messages in the window.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017

IMAGES OF BRAZIL: SELEXION 2013 – 048

A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2013.

Part 48:
Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection


Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection

Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2013, 2017

IMAGES OF BRAZIL: SELEXION 2014 – 034

A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.

Part 34:
Sabará (MG) – Church tower
Sabará (MG) – Statue of Jesus
Sabará (MG) – Window mirror image

Sabará (MG) – Church tower

Sabará (MG) – Statue of Jesus

Sabará (MG) – Window mirror image

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017

Imaging Brazil 382: Bromeliad in Belo Horizonte, MG (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

382: Bromeliad

During my stay in Belo Horizonte, I must have visited the Botanical Garden more than ten times. This botanical garden is part of the local ZOO, and is located at the margin of Lake Pampulha. Although this garden is not as big as its counterpart in Rio de Janeiro, the garden hosts an interesting collection of a broad variety of plants and flowers. During each visit, I took dozens of photographs of the plants and flowers in various shapes and hues. When I visited the greenhouses, orchids and bromeliads attracted my attention. There are over 3400 bromeliad species, and the most familiar specie is the delicious pineapple. They are able to store water at their leaf bases. Bromeliads are mainly found in the American tropics and may host bright colorful flowers, like the red flower in this photograph.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017

Imaging The Netherlands 038: Dutch Bark in Groningen (GR)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

038: Dutch bark

Groningen is a city with a lot of history. Its origin is unsure – some even tried to refer to expelled people from Troy, led by the legendary figure Guno, that settled there. More likely, the first settlers must have arrived in the region about 1700 years ago. As happened with many historic cities in the Netherlands, Groningen gained a canal system (‘grachtengordel’) as a means of defense against invaders. The canal system in Groningen is called the ‘Diepenring’. The boat in the photograph is a Dutch bark, most probably a ‘tjalk’: a flatbottom vessel that is used for transport over the Dutch waterways. There are still many Dutch barks in circulation: some of them have been transformed into “woonboten’, barks used for permanent residence.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017

Imaging Portugal 016: Monument to Viana do Castelo

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

016: Monumento a Viana do Castelo

When are at the port of the city of Viana do Castelo, your eyes will immediately meet the shiny statue of a bare-breasted woman, apparently moving against a fierce wind, who holds a ship in her left hand, and a flower in her right hand, symbolizing protection of the sailors and welcoming them who go past her, respectively. The statue, in bronze and five meters high, was made by Manuel Rocha,. It was inaugurated on 5 October 1999, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Viana do Castelo. A legend circulates in which a young men was so deeply in love with a beautiful girl named Ana, that he enthousiastically repeated that he had seen het again: Vi a Ana! This became Viana, according to the legend. Through the names Viana de Riba do Minho, Viana do Lima, Viana de Caminha, Viana da Foz do Lima, the city eventually was named Viana do Castelo.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2001, 2003, 2017

Imaging Germany 021: Helmed Lion on Reichsburg, Cochem (RP)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

021: Helmed lion

The Reichsburg in Cochem is one of the principal touristic locations in the picturesque city of Cochem. From the historic center of Cochem, a steep 10-15 minute walk leads to the entrance of the castle. Inside the castle – over a thousand years old! – a guided tour leads you through various rooms with their original furniture and decorations. It is possible to climb to the top of the castle, from where you may enjoy a splendid view of the city of Cochem, the Mosel River, and the vineyards abundantly present in the mountainous region. At one of the cornes on the top, you will meet a strange statue, as shown in the photograph. My first impression was, that it should be a duck, but many are more convinced that it should be a frog with lion claws. However, it is not a frog, but a helmed lion that holds the coat of arms.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017

Imaging Brazil 381: Airplane Over Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, RJ (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

381: Guanabara Bay

When Portuguese explorers arrived in Guanabara Bay on the first day of 1502, they initially were thinking that they had arrived at the mouth of a big river, as the story goes. But another plausible explanation for the name Rio de Janeiro is gaining support: the word for ‘sound’ and ‘bay’ at the time of the discovery was ‘ria’. January Sound, or January Bay. Soon Ria de Janeiro became Rio de Janeiro, in order to avoid confusion between the words ‘Ria’ and ‘Rio’. The bay itself gained the name Guanabara, after the indigenous Tupi word ‘goanã-pará’, which means ‘bosom of the sea’. In the photograph, the skyline of the districts Flamengo and Botafogo is visible, as well as the mountains in the Tijuca Forest and the Corcovado peak, with the statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) on the top. At the time of the photography, an airplane flew over; most probably, it had taken off only moments earlier from Santos Dumont Airport, which is located on an artificial island in Guanabara Bay. 

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017

IMAGES OF BRAZIL: SELEXION 2013 – 047

A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2013.

Part 47:
Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection


Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection

Paraty (RJ) – Water reflection

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2013, 2017

IMAGES OF BRAZIL: SELEXION 2014 – 033

A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.

Part 33:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Raindrops in the cloudy sky
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Casa do Maranhão
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Skyline and raindrops in the sky

Belo Horizonte (MG) – Raindrops in the cloudy sky

Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Casa do Maranhão

Belo Horizonte (MG) – Skyline and raindrops in the sky

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017

Imaging Brazil 380: Two Pigeons Bathing in Belo Horizonte, MG (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

380: Pigeons bathing

When I was living in Belo Horizonte, most of the residences where I stayed were pretty close to the campus of the Federal University. During the weekends, I stayed in the campus for some hours. I enjoyed many walks along the various faculties that are spread over the vast campus area. Most of the area is forested, and many locations have restricted access. However, you can still see many savage and domesticated animals. One day, I suddenly met a giant lizard, a teiju, of which is told that it can act very aggressive. I also have observed many little monkeys there, playing with each other, high in the trees. And many pigeons, like this pigeon couple that had been taking a bath together, and were taking some rest until their wet feathers have dried. They remained unmoved when I approached them silently: they were really used to humans in their presence.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017

Imaging The Netherlands 037: Hoge der Aa, Lage der Aa and Der Aa Kerk in Groningen (GR)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

037: Der Aa Kerk

When I visited Groningen on a day in March, it drizzled all day long, but it was not necessary to use my umbrella. I was wearing a couple of shirts and sweaters, a thick wintercoat, and gloves. Many bystanders were watching me as if I were an alien. But they didn’t realize that I was used to the tropical climate in Brazil. Despite the drizzle and the cold, I really enjoyed walking around in the interesting center that exhibits many monumental buildings. Of of the striking monuments was the 76 m dark ocre yellow tower of the Der Aa Kerk (A Church). The photograph was taken from the Vissersbrug (Fisherman’s Bridge) with Der Hoge Aa on the left side, and Der Lage Aa on the right side. Originally, the chapel was dedicated to Mary and Saint Nicholas, patron saint of the fishermen. In 1247 the chapel gained the status of a church. Nowadays, the church is no longer used for services, but occasionally for events.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017

Imaging USA 023: Lone Cyclist in Death Valley (CA)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

023: Lone cyclist

it was very hot, when we were on our way to Furnace Creek, our destination of that day in Death Valley. It was later told that the temperature peaked at least forty degrees that day: ‘a cool day’, according to the locals. My friend was suffering and sweating a lot because of the heat, whereas I liked it quite well. But we both has some trouble to walk around, in the burning sun and walking a bit uphill. But it was worth the effort, we were amazed by the scenic landscapes and the few lifeforms that could be found there. To our big surprise, we encountered a lone cyclist along the highway. While our air conditioning was working full power in our car, this crazy cyclist must have been sweating a lot in the burning sun!

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017

Imaging Germany 020: Boy Hiding Behind Mosaic Wall in Cochem (RP)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

020: Boy behind Stammbaum

When you are looking for tourist information in Cochem, it is almost impossible not to see a mosaic wall near the information office. This mosaic wall, made by the artist Carlfritz Nicolay in 1982, depicts the history of the city of Cochem, and is therefore called Stammbaum (‘family tree’). The mosaic, composed of ceramic and natural stone, tells the story – with the shield of Cochem in its center – of the Roman era , the Holy Roman Empire, the Reichsburg,  the German Empire, and the German Republic. When I took this photograph, a boy was hiding himself behind the wall. Why and for who he was hiding, remains a big question.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017

Imaging Brazil 379: Beetles in Primary Colors in Brumadinho MG (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

379: Beetles in primary colors

One of the most popular attractions in Inhotim – a park that hosts various pieces of contemporary art that are harmonized with the natural environment – is Troca-Troca (‘Change-Change’ or ‘Swapping’) by artist Jarbas Lopes (2002). Many visitors love to see the beetles (fuscas in Portuguese), made from swapped body parts that are painted in red, blue, and yellow. The cars are linked to each other through a sound system. Recently, the beetles have been repainted: the dark orange color being replaced by a red hue, as requested by the artist.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017

IMAGES OF BRAZIL: SELEXION 2013 – 046

A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2013.

Part 46:
Paraty (RJ) – Wall lanterns
Paraty (RJ) – Namoradeira


Paraty (RJ) – Wall lantern

BParaty (RJ) – Namoradeira

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2013, 2017