Tag Archives: vendor

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Ginginha da Casa

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Ginginha da Casa
“Ginginha da Casa” — A man talks to a woman selling ginfinha from her home in the Alfama, Lisbon.

A while ago I shared a near-portrait of one of the Lisbon neighborhood ginginha vendors. This photograph takes in a larger perspective on one of the actual neighborhoods, this time in Alfama. Ginginha is reputedly the “national drink” of various parts of Portugal. (Yeah, I know, to some extent that may be tourism talk.) It is a sweet cherry liqueur served by the shot at sidewalk stands.

The stands are all over the place. The first one we encountered was at a stairway near the railway station in Lisbon. Another more famous one is nearby, not far from Rossio Square. But the most fascinating ones are those set up in the doorways and windows of peoples’ homes. Here a woman sells the drink from her doorway, and a passerby pauses to chat for a while.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: People, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Ginginha Vendor

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Gingihha Vendor
“Gingihha Vendor” — A woman selling ginginha from her doorway in the Alfama, Lisbon.

One can never be sure things like ginginha are tourism constructs or actual traditions — or perhaps a bit of both. (Parallels include Portugal’s pastel de nata, San Francisco’s Sourdough bread, Belgium waffles, and more.) But I understand, both from reading about it and from seeing it, that gingihna is a traditional drink in many places in Portugal. It is a sweet, cherry liqueur that is often sold on the street, either in small shot glasses or in little chocolate cups that you simply eat when you are done. (Nice way to solve the litter problem!)

You can step up to small ginginha shops and buy one all over the place. But there also appears to be a less formal sales force operating from their front doorways. On our recent visit we saw several women set up this way to sell ginginha, including this woman sitting in her doorway in the Alfama district.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Christmas Vendor, Montpellier

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Christmas Vendor, Montpeillier
“Christmas Vendor, Montpeillier” — A street vendor sells Christmas items on a narrow street with hoiday “cloths’ hung overhead.

Our December visit to Montpellier, France obviously took place during the holiday season. Although it was cold and occasionally rainy while we were there, the streets were often filled with shoppers and others out on the town. The colorful cloths tied to lines spanning the narrow streets were everywhere. I later read that these come out for many holidays and special occasions here.

Along this narrow street a nearby shop had expanded its space outside along the walkway, offering holiday cards and similar items to passers-by. It was daytime when I made the photograph, but this street is so narrow and the buildings so tall, that it felt like twilight on the walkway — except here were lights were turned on.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: People, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Vendor, Madrid

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“Street Vendor, Madrid” — A street vendor sits on his stool on the sidewalk by his wares at the El Rastro street market, Madrid.

Near the end of our December visit to Madrid we went on a long walk that took us to the famous El Rastro Sunday street/flea market in the Barrios de Embajadores area. From what I gather, this market has been going on for centuries. There is a small market square, but the main action takes place up and down nearby streets where scores of vendors are set up and thousands of shoppers completely fill the narrow streets.

If you like observing and photographing people and don’t mind working in close quarters, this event presents a plethora of visual opportunities. The market stalls are fascinating, as are the wildly diverse shoppers checking out them out. You can find almost anything here: clothes, toys, hats, cameras, phones, cookware, food, you name it. I photographed this vendor, sitting on a stool in an uncharacteristically minimalist “booth.”

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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