A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2008.
Part 50:
Praia do Francês (AL) – Ice cream seller
Bahia (BA) – Truck on a truck
Bahia (BA) – Mountain
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Yellow tree blossom
Praia do Francês (AL) – Ice cream seller
Bahia (BA) – Truck on a truck
Bahia (BA) – Mountain
Belo Horionte (MG) – Yellow tree blossom
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2008.
Part 49:
Praia do Francês (AL) – Bicycle on the beach
Praia do Francês (AL) – Painting a tile
Praia do Francês (AL) – Beach towel sellers
Praia do Francês (AL) – Painting a tile
Praia do Francês (AL) – Bicycle on the beach
Praia do Francês (AL) – Painting a tile
Praia do Francês (AL) – Beach towel sellers
Praia do Francês (AL) – Painting a tile
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2008.
Part 48:
Alagoas (AL) – Palm tree plantation
Alagoas (AL) – Palm tree
Alagoas (AL) – Horse along the beach
Praia do Francês (AL) – Sea urchin
Alagoas (AL) – Palm tree plantation
Alagoas (AL) – Palm tree
Alagoas (AL) – Horse along the beach
Praia do Francês (AL) – Sea urchin
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2009.
Part 22:
Praia do Francês (AL) – Beach sign
Maceió (AL) – Beach vendor
Praia do Francês (AL) – Beach sign
Maceió (AL) – A boat and two chairs
Praia do Francês (AL) – Beach sign
Maceió (AL) – Beach vendor
Praia do Francês (AL) – Beach sign
Maceió (AL) – A boat and two chairs
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2009.
Part 21:
Tiradentes (MG) – Pink and white flower
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Raul Soares Square
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Confins Airport
Praia do Francês (AL) – Crab on the beach
Tiradentes (MG) – Pink and white flower
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Raul Soares Square
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Confins Airport
Praia do Francês (AL) – Crab on the beach
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
249: Coconut handicraft
The famous Praia do Francês is located at about thirty kilometers south of Maceio. It is easily accessible by bus or by a van. The wide beach and the calm and shallow sea water are perfect for the entire family to spend a wonderful day on the beach. Dozens of beach pavilions offer a wide range of meals, snacks and drinks, albeit at high prices. If you walk just a few hundred meters behind the pavilions, you can encounter little restaurants serving simple but tasty meals for a reasonable price. At such popular beach, you inevitably meet many vendors trying to sell their merchandise. Like this friendly vendor, who proudly shows one of his creations, made from a coconut.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
223: Transport of chairs
AUGUST 2009: Transport of chairs
Marechal Deodoro – not far from the popular beach of Praia do Francês – is a small town located about thirty kilometers south of Maceió, capital of the small state of Alagoas. In 1611, the town was founded with the name Vila Madalena the Sabaúma. Little more than two hundred years later, in 1817, it became capital of the Alagoas province under the name of Alagoas da Lagoa do Sul, until 1839, when Maceió became the new capital. In 1939, the town was named after the first president of Brazil, who was born there. Marechal Deodoro is home to some historic buildings and churches and has a simple street life, which you often find in smaller towns in Brazil. When I was in Marechal Deodoro, I encountered this man who carried dozens of plastic chairs in a creative way on a small handcart.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
212. Selling hats
AUGUST 2009: Selling hats
Praia do Francês is a popular beach near the city of Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas. Many tourists that visit the city, also will visit the beach. They can make use of the transport facilities offered by the hotels or travel agencies, or by public transport. My travel to Maceió was organized by a travel agency, and a trip to this beach was included. On the very first day, and was followed by a short city tour in the capital. Our local guide wanted to keep all of us as close as possible to his preferred beach barrack; probably he gained some commission with each snack, meal or drink sold to his tourist group. He told us of the big dangers we would meet if we were wandering too far from the barrack. Despite his warnings, I wandered around, since I have been here one year before, with some friends, and we hadn’t met any problem then. One the way, I met various people selling various kinds of merchandise. Like this boy, who was selling straw hats.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
204. Cotton candy
AUGUST 2009: Cotton candy
You see them often on the Brazilian beaches: hawkers. With a wide array of merchandise. They tirelessly scour the beaches looking for buying-eager beachgoers. Sometimes it can be quite annoying when you are trying to relax on the beach, a beach hawker loudly proclaims his merchandise. Besides, their shuffling over the loose sand is not always appreciated. On the other hand, such a beach hawker may be very useful in case you’ve forgotten something, like sunburn cream. Or when you are in desire of some snack or drink, such as a cocktail, a can of chilled beer, or a shrimp skewer. Or, as the picture shows: cotton candy. This beach hawker was active on the Praia do Francês – not far from the city of Maceió – in the state of Alagoas.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
199. Cocktail seller
JULY 2008: Cocktail seller
You can enter any Brazilian beach and you certainly will meet them: ambulant hawkers. These vendors evoke mixed feelings among the beachgoers, but they are usually respected and even appreciated. A small minority among the beachgoers consider them as intrusive and annoying, especially when they loudly shouting offer their wares as they shuffle through the loose sand. But in general, the vendors are appreciated, mainly because of the convenience: the beachgoers need not to leave their chairs or towels for a snack, a cheap souvenir object or a tube of sunscreen. Especially sellers of simple snacks and (alcoholic) drinks do good business. But it is certainly not an easy life, as seen in the photo. This vendor of tropical cocktails waits patiently for his clients, while he is using a homemade crutch to support his healthy leg. Hats off to this man ….
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
157. Shallow pool
JULY 2008: Shallow Pool
Praia do Francês is a popular beach near Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas. The beach – literally translated as ‘The Frenchman’s Beach’ – is located at about thirty km south of the capital, near the city of Marechal Deodoro, named after the first president of Brazil. The wide beach attracts many Brazilian and foreign tourists. Numerous barracks host various restaurants and bars. In addition, ambulant vendors stroll along the beach, sometimes meandering between the people, in their hope to sell their merchandise, that range from cold drinks and seafood to sunburn cream and souvenirs. At the moment of this picture, two children were enjoying the shallow pools, left behind by the retreat of the Atlantic Ocean after high tide.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2015
Praia do Francês is one of the most popular beaches in Alagoas. The beach is located in the vicinity of the small city of Marechal Deodoro, the birthplace of the first president of Brazil. It is a calm, wide beach with many barracks. The numerous bars and restaurants offer a diversity of local (sea)food and drinks. On the beach, there is a great number of ambulant vendors that try to sell a surprising large variety of merchandise. From painted tiles to bamboo hats to newspapers to peanuts to sunburn cream to shrimps to coconut carvings to pirate DVDs. The vendor in the photograph is trying to sell cotton candies. Cotton candies are very popular in Brazil, where it is called algodão doce.
The original picture was taken in July 2008.
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