NATAL – Take it all in. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in Brazil’s northeast region.
I’m just here for a couple of days on a filming trip for the BBC, which has taken me to the far less glamorous North Zone of the city. Then I’ll head back to São Paulo and normal service shall resume.
Just thought I’d share these photos I took along the way:
The classic view across the Ponta Negra area of Natal. Photo by Ben Tavener
Natal’s World Cup Stadium – the Arena das Dunas – is, itself, pretty much done. But there is so much still being built around it – including the entrance roads. The whole area was abuzz with workers. Photo by Ben Tavener
Nossa Senhora Apresentação, in Natal’s Zona Norte, is far less glamorous and much poorer than the picture-postcard city centre, and locals say crime is common. We were welcomed into a lady’s house here to speak about an issue that has blighted the area. Photo by Ben Tavener
Ben Tavener 
The beauty of this country is something Brazilians seem to take for granted.