Two Cities Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Bernkastel is well known for its outstanding wine growing area. Indeed, beginning in the middle ages, the wine business and river cruising along the Mosel (meaning the taxes) helped produce the city's notable wealth. Witness to this today is the city square with its half-timbered buildings some reaching a height of five stories, as well as the city hall and the Michael fountain from the time of the renaissance (1606).

On the other side of the Mosel and connected by a bridge, lies Kues, a wine village, incorporated into Bernkastel 100 years ago. In the year 1401, Nikolaus von Kues (Nicolaus Cusanus) was born here. He was a church dignitary, universal scholar and philosopher who rose to the position of Cardinal and whose theoretical writings signaled the end of medieval thinking. His works range from mathematical problems such as quadrature (squaring) of circles, to the universal concept of a world religion in which every religion would unite around a common basis.

Very much worth a visit is the St. Niklaus hospital that Niklaus von Kues donated and to which he left his important library. This has been kept unchanged up to today.

Didi, Galmeida, alainh, HOBO, stevey, papagolf21, nwoehnl, alvaraalto, bpelvan, Rockyboy, singuanti, thohau, supereira, wilkinsonsg, Tue, chinchini, elihesamian, apazevedo, Jeppe, capthaddock, Gix has marked this note useful

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Paolo (40641) 2005-03-10 12:38 [Comment]

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Galmeida (12559) 2005-03-10 12:55

Thanks for your extensive and detailed guidelines. A very nice facade very well captured, resulting in a excelent and quality composition. Good colors, contrast and so many nice details.

Very well done and thanks for sharing.

alainh (35347) 2005-03-10 13:07

hello Hans.
it's sharp, clear, ligthning and well coloured.
a good composition and a godd note.
regards
alain

HOBO (5244) 2005-03-10 13:49

I like the half timbered houses, Hans. With the centuries they achieve their present form, the wood works as well the ground too. That's why the true horizontal and vertical lines get offset from the 90° angles.
You found a typical example, with great color 'add-ons'! To receive more surface on limited grounds, people put the next level up one meter outward from the ground plan.

papagolf21 (55956) 2005-03-10 14:55

Bonsoir Hans,
Cadrage serré sur une très vieille maison. Excellente maîtrise des blancs et de l'exposition. J'apprécie grandement les couleurs et les fleurs !
La netteté est parfaite, on pourrait presque toucher le grain du crépi. J'aime les petites fenêtres basculantes.
Enfin, j'aime tout, c'est plus simple et c'est tellement vrai !
Amitiés.
Philippe

nwoehnl (118) 2005-03-10 15:24

Hi Hans. A delightful detail view of the old half-timbered building, in which the inclusion of the flower pots and the green shades offer nice spots of colors in the otherwise b&w (brown and white) photo. The surface texture of the white walls - as well as of the wooden beams - is nice and crisp.

alvaraalto (5227) 2005-03-10 16:40

Hi Hans,
Nice picture of this "vakwerkhuis" complete with the traditional geraniums.
groetjes Rob

bpelvan (3786) 2005-03-10 17:28

Hi Hans,
First of all thanks for the note. Very well composed pic again. Well managed color, light and shadows. Half timbered architecture is always eye catching and you show it very well. Also the part of the building you chose here is very lovely with it's colors.
Very good job Hans. Thanks for sharing...

Rockyboy (20580) 2005-03-10 17:38

I like very much this one, Hans. You framed here nice details as the textures of this wall and the flower and all is very well composed. Bravo!

Leonie (8627) 2005-03-10 19:07

Hello Hans!
I know Bernkastel Kues! Very funny...I spent a week end in the youth hostel there when I was in 6th grade at school (about 12 years old..) have really funny memories of it! :-) Nice picture here,these old "Fachwerkhäuser" are lovely!

Cheers, Léonie

singuanti (15240) 2005-03-10 20:46

I like the tight composition here. It shows us a great deal of texture and details. The flowers are a great addition as they add some contrast and excellent color to the shot. Well done.

thohau (949) 2005-03-11 4:47

Hi Hans!
This is quite a nice shot. I like the green window and the red flowers in contrast with the half timbered white wall. Very interesting note, too!
Cheers, Thorsten

PS: Bernkastel-Kues is located in splendid "Rheinland-Pfalz" not in NRW! ;-))

jmdaoudal (82) 2005-03-11 5:32

Very well built from the low part of the composition which is giving the first vertical lines, then followed upper by an angle, and return to first verticality at the top. I remarq the flowers you often use as a starter in your constructions :)))
Good quality, colors and light.
I like it
Jean Michel

supereira (9576) 2005-03-11 6:19

I like the composition and prespective.I like the textures,light and sharpness.Very good colors and good contrasts.I like the flowers and the windows.Well done!

jhm (81687) 2005-03-11 7:18

Dag Hans,
Deze typische Duitse huizen heb ik altijd mooi gevonden door hun bouwstijl, het hout in samenwerking met de stuc geeft altijd een lekker beeld en zoals hier een groene deur boven aan, versierd met mooie bloemen beneden, het is een mooie foto Hans.
Groeten,
John

RGatward (19737) 2005-03-11 11:37

Fascinating note. Very interesting building you show us here. Presumably the green doors led to some storage facility.

wilkinsonsg (8644) 2005-03-11 12:23

I love it - graphic higildy pigildy beams - and no one can comment that your 'horizon' is out ;)

Tue (25608) 2005-03-11 19:29

Good picture of such a lovely house! Good light and shadow, good colours!
Just a very good picture! :-D

weswang (18223) 2005-03-11 20:24

Hi Hans, This is a simple and very colorful photo. Thanks for the story for this place. The color contrast in this picture is great.

chinchini (27305) 2005-03-12 2:12

Bonjour Hans,
Superbes détails de cette façade bien éclairée.
Les géraniums en balconnières par leur rouge écarlate agrémentent l'image.
Très jolie architecture. J'aime.
Pierre

elihesamian (26091) 2005-03-12 6:23

Great note,Hans!

and the shot,is great with two windows style and graphic wall and some lovely flower in the boxflowers in bottom,beautiful,Hans,in a great way controlled the light and excellent contrast,too,nicely done,Hans!
Yours
M

apazevedo (5469) 2005-03-13 12:52

Very nice building and excellent textures, colours, sharpness and details, Hans; I like very much the way you framed and composed this one, well done! Also a very good and elucidative note!

Jeppe (18623) 2005-03-13 16:37

Oh - I was about to write this kind of architecture could't be found near my home - but its not true - better post one of my shots when I get more time.

A fine example and one for the theme indeed - Thanks Hans, for the note to follow as well.

Steft (5962) 2005-03-15 19:59

You see this kind of style also a lot in Denmark, but than a bit different. Not so very much in the Netherlands, but maybe a bit in Limburg.

Really nice close up. I like the lines that start straight and than become more diagonal. Good composition with the windows, the flowers and the ehm "luik".

Didi (35690) 2005-04-09 7:36

Bonjour Hans
Le Crepi de la façade est parfaitement net.
La composition est très bien agencée avec une bonne maîtrise de l'exposition.

Hello Hans T
he Rough coat of the frontage is perfectly clear and sharp. The composition is very well arranged with a good control of the exposure.

capthaddock (28640) 2005-05-08 17:39

very nice detail on the facade, it is strangely both orderly and irregular at the same time, very interesting

Gix (3559) 2005-05-09 13:26

Great Hans!
The power of the simplicity! I agree even with the absence of a frame: the brown lines of the house are per se sufficient. Not only two cities, this is a double photo and very impacting.
Thanks for sharing and for the rich note!
ciao, Giorgo