Trout And Ring Photo

Photographer’s Note

Orval Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium and is located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey is well-known for its history and spiritual life but also for its local production of a Trappist beer and a specific cheese.

There is a legend of the abbey's foundation, purporting to explain the name '"Orval" and the coat of arms. According to this, the widowed Mathilda of Tuscany was visiting the site, when she lost her wedding ring in a spring, to her great distress. When she prayed for the return of the ring, a trout appeared on the surface of the water with the ring in its mouth. She exclaimed "Truly this place is a Val d'Or", from which the name "Orval" is derived, and in gratitude made available the funds for the foundation of the monastery here. The abbey arms show the trout and ring. The spring still supplies water to the monastery and its brewery.

Orval Trappist Ale, 6.2% ABV, is often referred to as The Queen of Trappists. It was first made in 1931, and has a complex and unusual flavor and aroma produced by a unique strain of yeast. The beer is light in color, slightly cloudy, and has a large, foamy head. There is a complex aroma of leather, horse blanket, spice, and many other earthy components.

As with all other Trappist breweries, the beer is only sold in order to financially support the monastery and some other good causes. All of the profits from the sale of the beer is distributed to charities and for community development around the region.

Source: Wikipedia

swiatopelk777, Buin, asajernigan, windosil, PixelTerror, bukitgolfb301, dareco, Graal, jhm, ellelloo, Vasa, fanni has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

danyy (68778) 2009-06-09 0:06

Bonour mon ami,
une photo où les lumières et les couleurs donnent beaucoup d'âme à ces vieux murs qui abritent un lieu très tranquille.
Pas facile de cadrer un maximum de trucs.
La couleur chaude des pierres me séduit.
Regards.
Daniel.

mesutilgim (36817) 2009-06-09 0:09

Good Morning Gunnar,
Very god pov and nice capture; teachfull as allways.
Both photographycally and informative, perfect entry.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

dta (5195) 2009-06-09 0:26

Hello Gunnar ,
Excellent framing , very natural colors , fine management of light . This presentation is very good .
Bravo
Regards

jasmis (50402) 2009-06-09 0:32

Interesting interior yard. Fine silhouette, important detailed note.
Regards.

swiatopelk777 (8510) 2009-06-09 0:48

Hi Saxo!
Wonderful church, amazing courtyard. Nice light and bright, good colors. Very good capture. Ideal contrast.
Greetings from Poland!

Buin (37656) 2009-06-09 1:00

Goodmorning, Gunnar!
What a wonderful and atmospheric place! These walls really transmit "history". You have had a wonderful (and difficult) light here and you really derived advantage from it! For me one of your best photos - in each respect, really beautiful!
Greetings from cool and wet Siegen!
Frank

snunney (34884) 2009-06-09 1:28

Hello Gunnar,
A fine composition of this abbey with its lovely golden stonework, which is beautifully rendered under a sympathetic ambient light. Excellent clarity to bring out the detail in the architecture.

aadilj (17950) 2009-06-09 4:44

Hi gunnar, this is balanced, very even and very neat indeed. I like the play of the lights and the remarkably sharp tones and textures

asajernigan (14132) 2009-06-09 6:03

Gunnar,
This is a well composed shot with the arch leading the eye through the shot. The person walking adds life and scale to the scene. The lighting and colors are fine with nice sharpness and detail.
TFS,
Asa

ktanska (16581) 2009-06-09 6:33

Hej Gunar,
Peaceful looking place full of history. Nice architecture, yellowish stones make a good colour combination on this picture. And no doubt local products taste good.
Kari

nirvana73 (8656) 2009-06-09 9:17

Hello Dear Gunnar
great architecture
i like light and texture of the wall
very interesting story Orval
thanks for sharing and explanation
best regards
Ozhan

windosil (770) 2009-06-09 10:23

Hi, Gunnar,
You have caught the early afternoon torpor of this peaceful place very well. Restful colours, even the intense blue of the sky is not strident. Very enjoyable.
TFS, Winifred

PixelTerror (86124) 2009-06-09 10:49

Hej Gunnar
Oh you managed to see Luxembourg in suny conditions, well according to my experience this is an achievement !
Nice corner of this house, luminous image and we can see how the walls are well washed by the ever pouring rain ;-)
Have a nice day JY

emka (21466) 2009-06-09 13:38

Hi Gunnar,

beautiful courtyard. Nice gate with the wisteria or other creeper. interesting legend about the ring. Splendid architecture .Wonderful ligt.

Regards

Malgorzata

Fis2 (45827) 2009-06-09 13:44

Witaj Gunnar!
Wonderful place, beautiful architecture.
An interesting courtyard.
I like the frame and colors.
Photo has climate.
Regards
Krzysztof

bukitgolfb301 (4630) 2009-06-09 14:13

Hello my dear Gunnar

What a fantastic photo !
Nice framework, sharpness, composition and color management as usual. Walking lady is a very good accent .

Congratulation on your great shot !
Thanks for sharing and best regards,

Takero

dareco (17104) 2009-06-09 19:37

A very beautiful picture. The lighting and colors are awesome! Nice colors and I love the architecture. TFS

Graal (57941) 2009-06-09 23:30

Hi Gunnar,
nice view and presentation of old monastery, good note and photojob. Fine glance on the courtyard. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

jhm (82545) 2009-06-10 4:22

Hello Hunnar,

A known place, always very nice for a visit the Orval Abbey and the very good beer.
A fine composition of this abbey with its lovely golden stonework, which is beautifully rendered under a sympathetic ambient light
You took a very nice image, very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

ellelloo (4775) 2009-06-11 7:59

Hej Gunnar,
This is truly a very attractive shot, with excellent photo quality in all aspects, control of light, colours, contrast, depth, sharpness and composition. The photo really transmits a great sense of history and your note completes that nicely. Would be nice to taste that local beer as well. TFS!
Bästa hälsningar,
Lasse

Silvio1953 (41761) 2009-06-11 11:36

Ciao Gunnar, beautiful view of lovely church, great composition with splendid light and colors, I like a lot, ciao Silvio

Vasa (5500) 2009-06-11 15:39

Between your last pictures, Gunnar, it is the most worm for my soul. The subject is romantic with the details so interesting. Nice corner for your best souvenirs. Many thanks for sharing. Friendly your,

Branko

UlfE (8978) 2009-06-13 2:44

Hej Gunnanr,

A perfect presentation of the Orval abbey both.This goes for both the photo and your note. This beer is well-known to me. The lighting is excellent and I really like the way that the sunlit fountain stands out against the shaded wall to the right. I also like that the diagonal line of the edge of the lawn starting from the bottom right corner. TFS and once again have a nice weekend!

Hälsningar

Ulf

Flavia (10202) 2009-06-13 3:41

Hi Gunnar,

Pleasent view of this Abey. The light was nice and renderend a warm color tone to the stones. Nice compo including some of the square in front of the building adding depht, good square format.

Regards,

Flavia

holmertz (9645) 2009-06-13 5:40

Hej Gunnar,
Interesting architecture, fine colours and a good composition,
Gert

fanni (8737) 2009-06-15 23:40

Hello Gunnar,
very interesting building (and the Note, too) - this monastery, and a very well composed image! Beautiful place which saw mysterious older times... Of course you were lucky that the day was sunny and so bright :) It seems like a quiet place - at least, in this photo. I wonder what that person wearing a red shirt (far in the BG) is doing?
best regards,
Elena

vmukherjee (395) 2009-06-23 21:10