Pearls in the Wachau (8)

BROUGHT WITH ME FROM AUSTRIA, LAST FALL (2020)

" 

Uns ist in alten mæren 

wunders vil geseit von helden lobebæren,

von grôzer arebeit,von fröuden, hôchgezîten,

von weinen und von klagen, von küener recken strîten

muget ir nu wunder hœren sagen.
"

OPENING OF THE C-VERSION OF THE NIBELUNGENLIED 

PROBABLY THE FIELDS AND HOUSES OF SPITZ DÜRNSTEIN

(more about this village here) 

DRAWN ON LOCATION

IN MY SKETCHBOOK

29,7 / 21 CM

Het Donaudal gezien vanaf de Ferdinandwarte gelegen in de Nibelungengau te Kremstal

Wie goed luistert, hoort het Nibelungenlied  in de verte klinken...

The Danube Valley seen from Ferdinandwarte situated in Kremstal (Nibelungengau)

Those who listen carefully can hear The Nibelungenlied sound in the distance...

Parels in de Wachau (7)

Vorig najaar (2020) meegebracht uit Oostenrijk ...

 

 ONCE THE HOME OF CARTHUSIAN MONKS

DRAWN ON LOCATION
IN MY SKETCHBOOK
15/21 CM

Parels in de Wachau (6)

Vorig najaar (2020) meegebracht uit Oostenrijk ...

 

ABDIJ VAN MELK

WATERVERF-  EN GRAFIETSCHETS

MET NOTITIES UIT MIJN REISDAGBOEK

GEPENSEELD OP LOCATIE

21 / 15 CM

Few things enchant me more than ancient libraries, old books and manuscripts.
Each year we passed Melk, traversing Austria on our journeys to Hungary, Slovenia or Csech Republic I wished we had time to stop and visit the famous library of the abbey.

This year I finaly had the opportunity to pay a visit. Though it was beautiful, my expectations obviously had grown far too high...

A few years ago I saw the library of Panonhalma Archabbey near Györ in Hungary and in comparison, that one is far more intresting, as 360,000 books in its collection – top to bottom on two floors are accesible and many manuscripts - among them the calligraphed abbey’s charter, from 1055 -  are exhibited in display cases, while only a small collection of the library of Melk abbey is open for public and from the books shown there, we could only see the back.

Can you blame me for feeling like I was leaving a little empty-handed...?

Nevertheless, the Abbey itself  made up for that, by offering me this magnificent view to paint ...