Advertisement
Calculator I.1
Overall image of Calculator 1. I wanted to do something fun today so this morning I headed into Bonn. My original plan was to go to the Bonn Botanical Garden, check out the veggie/fruit markt, and maybe see about ...um... buying another jacket. Something not as cheap as 7.9 Euros, but something perhaps a bit more substantial and that I can alternate with the one that I have worn 7 days in a row now.
I arrived in Bonn and found out from the Tourist Information lady -- who was hinting that I really take the Japanse or the Korean pamphletes because they would be easier for me than English... -- that the Garden was closed on Saturdays. And I had found out from my friend/host Andreas that the Garden is free on all days except Sunday (tomorrow), so looks like I'll have to make another trip in later in the week if I want to see it. Bummer.
I asked the Tourist Information lady, so what else is free today, and there just happens to be something like "museum days" going on right now and quite a few places had open entry.
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (art and exhibition hall
Calculator I.2
Close up. Notice the Dingie sticking out near the number 4. of ermany)
and the Deutsches Museum Bonn were the two that I wanted to see. For free. And then there is the "Arithmeum", which isn't free, but being kinda of a geek, I really wanted to go!
So, first was lunch. I walked in the markt and saw a smoked fish truck. Like a burrito van/truck, but with dudes inside selling raw fish, smoked fish, and smoked fish sandwhiches. I pointed at one and said "sandwhich" (isn't that a universal word??) and out came this delicious looking bread and fish thing. Lecker! Smack! All for 2 euros. What a steal! Considering how rip off everything else is around here! And the lady who bought something right before me said to me "It's the best". I agree, and here is a sectional photo that I took when I was about 1/3 way though. Ö
I walked and ate my sandwhich around/in the Square and listened to those South American and/or Andes musicians play. No offense to South American or Andes Musicians, but they are like Mormons and they are everywhere! Uh, no offense to the Mormons, either, I saw them, too, today. They were good (both the musicians and
Calculator I.3
When I turn the crank, the number is displayed. the Mormons)... I'm not sure where I am going with this. But you know what I'm talking about, right? They've cornered the market on street performing! Not the Mormons!
So then I went into the Munster, the church. It's teeny compared to the Koelner Dom but it has a nice cloister attached to it and I did a walk in there.
* * *
Everyone tells me that I spend way too much time inside the Internet cafe (and wasting my money) so I'll just hurry up and get to the point.
The Arithmeum was A LOT of fun.
I let my inner geek child run wild!
At first I suspected that Museum was gonna be one of those stuffy places that have only managed to stay open for so long with either city or government backing. Who in their right mind would go to the Arithmeum, which isn't even free?? And just like a sad little puppy, I felt it to be my duty to visit it. :-/
Ohman, it was really cool.
5 floors of mathematical and calculatorial fun, the biggest collection in the world, starting with
Calculator I.4
Now put the Dingie onto the number 9... the abacus and clay tablets all the way up to computers. I managed to get in with the reduced student price, 2 Euros.
Quite a few items inside the museum have a little sign next to it that means "Play with me", and there were signs in German and English for everything.
There were these mechanical calculators that had gears, knobs, dials, and rods, and I got to operate them and do calculations. One really neat fact that I learned was that it was a really big deal back in the day when you can figure out and design a mechanical calculator that can carry over the 10. So in the beginning (I'm not too sure when that was) there were calculators that when you added 8 and 4, would give you 2, and then there was a "memory" knob (or some widget) you had to deal with to carry/remember the 10.
And there were these HUGE desk/table sized "calculators" that I had no idea existed! Ever!
And then there were round (think Danish cookie tin size) brass calculators that could calculate to 8 or 10 digits. All done without batteries, obviously, and the "display" is
Calculator I.5
...and turn the crank... either numbers written on pieces of rotating paper (think odometer in car), or is some piece of metal that pops up and shows the value.
Woa.
I was really impressed.
And then on other floors there were the more "modern" calculators, cash register sized and some with levers (like the one-armed bandit in a casino).
C'mon everyone, come visit the Arithmeum!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.064s; Tpl: 0.025s; cc: 7; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0307s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb