Imaging Germany 005: Rheingrafenstein, BAD MUENSTER AM STEIN (RP)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

005: Giant rock with castle ruin

Recently, Bad Münster am Stein – Ebernburg became part of the municipality of Bad Kreuznach. The spa town (recognized as mineral spring spa and climatic spa) already was named in the twelfth century. The village was founded below the colossal, 136 m high Rheingrafenstein rock, which is rich in porphyry. In 1050, Rheingrafenstein Castle was built on top of this rock; according to a local legend, it was built by the devil overnight. During the Middle Ages, the castle was inhabited by the knights of Lowenstein and the Rhinegraves. in 1689, the castle was destroyed by the French troops of King Louis XIV, but the ruins still exist. It is possible to visit the ruins by taking a hand-driven ferry over the Nahe River, and then climb a steep path to the top. The castle ruin is hardly visible in this picture.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1991-2001, 2017

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Imaging USA 012: Red Rock, Valley of Fire

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

012: Valley of Fire

After having spent a day in Zion National Park, our next destination in our round trip was no less than magical Las Vegas. We left the state of Colorado, and entered the state of Nevada, on the Interstate I-15. From Zion, it’s about 165 miles, equal to 265 km. We got up at seven in the morning, as usual, and at about eight we were already driving. We were told that it could be very hot on the way, so we took extra water with us. The first part of the track was going down the slopes of Zion, to the flatness of the desert. At about eight km from Las Vegas, we came along the Valley of Fire area. Even in early May, it was quite hot there, probably more than thirty degrees. We didn’t follow the track to the state park, but we could aready have some impression with the impressive and beautifully colored rock formations along the road, like these yellowish-orange loose and steady rocks in the photograph.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017

Imaging USA 007: Three Sisters Butte in MONUMENT VALLEY (UT)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

007: Three Sisters Butte 

Following Grand Canyon, Monument Valley was the next stop in our round trip through South-West USA. The distance between the Canyon and the Valley was a three-hour drive over a distance of almost three hundred km. The thirteen square km Valley is part of a Navajo Tribal Park. It hardly every rains in Monument Valley, but we were confronted with a rainy day there. Instead of the sun shining abundantly, with a lightly clouded sky, the sky was covered with heavy clouds. We saw a scenic panorama that was very different from the standard images that we were used to see in touristic folders or magazines. We were toured around the valley by a Navajo guide. The picture shows the Three Sisters Butte, three thin pinnacles that are eroded remnants of a narrow ridge. The heavy clouds provided a different image of the rock formation: darker, deeper colors, against a bluish-grey sky.  

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017

Imaging Brazil 313: Cactus Plants at Morro da Pescaria in Guarapari, ES (2011)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

313: Cactus plants at Morro da Pescaria

Guarapari is a popular beach resort in the state of Espirito Santo, at a distance of about fifty kilometers south of the capital Vitória. Especially among the mineiros (inhabitants of the neighboring state of Minas Gerais) Guarapari is very populair. Guarapari boasts some beautiful beaches, of which Praia dos Namorados and Praia do Morro are the most famous. Not far from Praia do Morro is a natural park, which is currently managed by the municipality. For a small fee, the visitor can follow a path of little more than one kilometer to a beach surrounded by natural vegetation, Praia do Ermitão. From this beach it is even possible to swim to Ilha da Raposa (‘Fox Island’). The park hosts original Atlantic Forest type and the so-called restinga type vegetations. The cactus plants on the photograph were located on one of the rocky slopes.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017

Imaging Brazil 081: Skank in Belo Horizonte, MG (2006)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

081. Skank

OCTOBER 2006: Skank

Belo Horizonte is the cradle of several pop musicians and groups. The most famous pop groups from this city are Jota Quest and Skank. Skank, pronounced like Skaankie, is also slang for weed and might cause some confusion in the United States. The pop group Skank has nothing to do with weed, and manages to attract thousands of enthusiastic fans during their shows. The band of singer Samuel Rosa was founded in 1991 and has produced more than ten albums, of which more than six million were sold. I have attended two concerts of Skank in Belo Horizonte. The first was a three-hour show in a large indoor hall. One year later, I managed to hear them play again, at the large Praça da Estação, for free. This concert was on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of Brazilian oil company Petrobrás. Skank? Eu vou!

 

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2006, 2014