A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2009.
Part 34:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Indigenous headdress
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Cruzeiro supporter
Itabira (MG) – Christmas decoration
Itabira (MG) – Christmas decoration
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Indigenous headdress
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Cruzeiro supporter
Itabira (MG) – Christmas decoration
Itabira (MG) – Christmas decoration
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2009.
Part 16:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Abandoned pair of flip flops
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Tiger at the ZOO
Itabira (MG) – Pale yellow Beetle
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Yawning tiger
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Abandoned pair of flip flops
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Tiger at the ZOO
Itabira (MG) – Pale yellow Beetle
Belo Horizonte (MG) -Yawning tiger
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2009.
Part 12:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Monkey
Itabira (MG) – A cross and a tree branch
Itabira (MG) – Landscape with low clouds
Minas Gerais (MG) – Road sign along rail track
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Monkey
Itabira (MG) – A cross and a tree branch
Itabira (MG) – Landscape with low clouds
Minas Gerais (MG) – Road sign along rail track
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2016
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2006.
Part 1:
Minas Gerais (MG) – Rio Doce Valley
Itabira (MG) – Carlos Drummond House
Itabira (MG) – Carlos Drummond House
Minas Gerais (MG) – Rio Doce Valley
Minas Gerais (MG) – Rio Doce Valley
Itabira (MG) – Carlos Drummond House
Itabira (MG) – Carlos Drummond House
Minas Gerais (MG) – Rio Doce Valley
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2006, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
208. Carlos Drummond de Andrade
MAY 2009: Carlos Drummond de Andrade
Carlos Drummond de Andrade is one of Brazil’s best-known poets. He was born in Itabira, a mining town near Belo Horizonte. His works are mostly about love, writing poetry, and about everyday life. His works are a major source of inspiration for many Brazilians. In the city of Itabira, you can walk along a route over forty placards with Carlos’ poems. Also his birthplace and residence are free to visit. On top of Pico do Amor, a large hill in Itabira, is a museum with a large collection of Carlos’ life and work. Carlos himself is immortalized, seated on top of the hill, while reading, with a splendid view on the mining town.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
052. Slaves’ stairs
JANUARY 2006: Slaves’ stairs
Itabira is the city of famous Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987). The very productive writer wrote bout many subjects, mainly about everyday issues, or things from his personal environment. In Itabira, one may visit the house where he was born, the fazenda where he had lived with his family, and his house in the center. At the Fazenda do Pontal, one may travel back in time, to early twentieth century, and absorb the atmosphere of that era. The local guide told us enthusiastically about the compartments, and paid more attention to this apparently normal staircase. You might notice dark stains on the stairs. No stains due to aging, but stains of blood. Blood from slaves, who where castigated when they were forced to climb this staircase. Carlos had written a poem about this staircase.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2006, 2014
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
050. Railway
DECEMBER 2005: Railway
Brazil doesn’t have an elaborate railway system. There are only a few active railways, mainly in the south and southeast. This situation eventually will change in the coming decades, because the Brazilian government is planning to invest huge sums of money in the expansion and modernization of the railways. One of the active railways is the connection between the cities of Belo Horizonte and Vitória. A journey of almost 600 km, which takes about thirteen hours. Yes, thirteen hours! And only once a day, the train departs early in the morning. The train has to stop many times, in order to give way to a constant stream of freight trains. This railway has a branch to Itabira, this railroad follows the slopes of the mountains. Despite the long journey, it is very interesting to watch breathtaking landscapes.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2006, 2014
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
049. Dinky toy
DECEMBER 2005: Dinky toy
At first, you might think that this picture has been photoshopped. But this picture is real. The picture was taken in Itabira, a city at about 100 km from Belo Horizonte. At the city limits, mining companies exploit iron ore. Complete mountains are being scraped off by huge machines. The iron ore is destined for emerging markets, mainly China. Huge machines scrape, break, and transport tons of iron ore-containing rocks. Iron ore is then transported, 600 km away, by train to the port of Vitória, in the state of Espírito Santo. The normal-sized land cruiser is a good reference for the huge size of such iron ore transport trucks.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2006, 2014
Itabira is a mining city at about 100 km from Belo Horizonte. At present it counts a little more than 100 thousand inhabitants. Itabira is the birthplace of one of the most famous poets of Brazil: Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
Complete photo gallery (49 images): CLICK HERE
In 2009, PET-bottles were used as the basis for the Christmas decorations throughout the city. The city hall, a principal square, the lampposts in the center, and one principal avenue were the locations of these PET decorations.
Christmas bells, snowmen,trees, angels, candles, the Holy Family, and the house of Santa Claus. Thousands of used PET bottles were cut, stitched and painted to obtain surprising decorations.
Globo News: Recycled material for Christmas decorations in Belém (PA)
Related blog about PET bottles and Christmas decorations, in Recife (PE)
Current amount received: U$ 223 Thank you! 
Adriano Antoine 