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Culture/Arts

Virtual cruise from Mainz along the river Main

(337 Posts)
StarDreamer Fri 01-Jul-22 22:04:27

The suggested format is that this is a discussion thread about the places along the route, links allowed in moderation, any food mentioned is vegan. Sort of like a treasure hunt for information, yet no teams, people sharing what they find.

StarDreamer Fri 01-Jul-22 22:07:23

Welcome to Mainz.

You have arrived at the railway station.

The cruise is due to depart along the river Main on Monday.

LINK Please enjoy a walk around Mainz

MissAdventure Fri 01-Jul-22 22:13:08

I shall. smile

MissAdventure Fri 01-Jul-22 22:24:32

10 ish minutes in. smile
I feel as if I'm strolling along, taking in the sights.

Hope I can click back onto it now.

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 01:00:18

Mainz is the city where Johannes Gutenberg printed in the mid 1400s.

Today there is the famous Gutenberg Museum in Mainz.

Here are links to two videos that each include a demonstration using a reproduction printing press of the style used by Gutenberg.

LINK > Gutenberg's Press - A Demonstration (5 minutes 12 seconds)

LINK > How Gutenberg's Printing Machine Works @ Gutenberg Museum, Mainz (15 minutes 30 seconds)

LINK > Gutenberg Museum website, English

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 09:20:20

In the linked video at 1 minute 20 seconds, if one stops the video, a typecase can be studied.

In printing with metal type, each individual piece of metal type is known as a sort.

Please note that in the typecase, the compartments are not all the same size.

This is because in each collection of sorts of metal type, known as a fount (note the spelling, differing from the font of computer fonts) there are more sorts of the letter 'e' than of the letter 't' than of the letter 'a' and so on.

With computer fonts, one gets one of each sort, because as many as one needs can be copied electronically, but with metal type the number in each fount varies depending upon which letter it is.

The letters used more often in text not only have a larger compartment in the typecase, but the compartment tends to be nearer to the centre of the typecase.

LINK > Gutenberg Museum in Mainz (2 minutes 29 seconds)

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 09:23:48

I watched the first one.
Enjoyed just taking in the sights, and how their was little pockets of activity, with market stalls.
I must have found it relaxing- I fell asleep! smile

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 09:24:20

There... not their.

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 09:58:34

Yes, I found it relaxing too.

The journey as it happened, continuous, unedited. Great.

Here is a link to another walk around Mainz, this time the video is with leaves on the trees.

Please note the Gutenberg Museum at around 8 minutes 40 seconds.

The large building just before that is Mainz Cathedral.

LINK > Walking in Mainz (59 minutes)

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 10:12:22

Thank you. smile

The buildings are beautiful, I noticed, in the first video, and wanted to see more of them.

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 19:32:08

I found it interesting that in the second video the walk goes where I had not virtually "walked" before, then suddenly, a bit after 18 minutes in, a sort of "Aha" moment as I recognised the location from having "walked" there previously in the first video, then off again to somewhere "new to me".

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 19:35:49

I need to catch up!
Have been trying to do some bits of housework, and can only use my phone when its charging.
Rotten thing! It's a short charger, so it means I'm 'trapped' if I want to watch something lengthy.

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 19:41:40

Isn't everywhere spotless?
The roads, pavements, markets. smile

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 19:46:43

I meant to say, the lovely veg on display in the market inspired me.

I asked my neighbour to get me a big bowl of colourful salad, and I've just had it with lemon couscous and some veggie sausages. smile

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 20:33:29

MissAdventure

I meant to say, the lovely veg on display in the market inspired me.

I asked my neighbour to get me a big bowl of colourful salad, and I've just had it with lemon couscous and some veggie sausages. smile

Excellent.

Which colours did you get in that please?

A no gluten alternative to the lemon couscous is lemon-flavoured Basmati rice.

It is interesting that the imagery in the area around the Gutenberg Museum is different in the two walking videos. The first on a market day with no leaves on the trees, the second no market and the trees in leaf.

There is an interesting sequence at 52 minutes in the second walking video, nine chunky sculptures in around 30 seconds.

I wonder if they are functional as traffic bollards as well as being works of art.

I am wondering if we can find out more about them. They are close to the Gutenberg Museum and some of them look as it they might be inspired by printing.

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 20:41:32

In my salad there was rainbow, almost.
Red, green, purple, yellow.

I have some basmati rice in my cupboard, and some lemon juice.
I should be able to make some lemon rice tomorrow with the rest of the salad.

I have been living on a shamefully limited diet, because of how things have been health wise and money wise.

I feel a bit more positive now.

Anyway, yes, the sculptures - very interesting.
I'd like to know more about them.

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 20:59:54

I have found this.

LINK > Stone sculptures of printers’ blocks, part of a monument to printers' type, outside the Gutenberg Museum, Mainz, Germany.

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 21:44:47

That first one is what used to be on 'World in action' when I was a child.
At least, i think that is what the programme was called.
I know nothing about the figure with all the arms.
Is that from a piece of art?

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 22:06:23

MissAdventure

That first one is what used to be on 'World in action' when I was a child.
At least, i think that is what the programme was called.
I know nothing about the figure with all the arms.
Is that from a piece of art?

Yes, it is from a drawing attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.

LINK >> Vitruvian Man

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 22:08:56

Aha!
I just looked it up and was coming on to post that and pretend I knew smile

StarDreamer Sat 02-Jul-22 22:16:35

You can post it anyway if you like.

Or you could choose a YouTube video on the topic and post a link to the video.

Or both. smile

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 22:23:35

There are lots on YouTube!
All kinds of connections to pyramids, the Da Vinci code, and so on.
Vitruvian man is based on Vitruvius, the ideal proportions of a man, so it says.

youtu.be/MqeRe2S0Duw

MissAdventure Sat 02-Jul-22 22:25:00

I just posted that because it was pleasing to watch, but I'm interested now in knowing more.

StarDreamer Sun 03-Jul-22 13:29:58

The first walking video showed a faux train with wheels to run on the road. It is called the Gutenberg Express.

LINK > Gutenberg Express website

LINK > Gutenberg Express in motion (17 seconds)

LINK > Road journey on the Gutenberg Express (3 minutes 22 seconds)

MissAdventure Sun 03-Jul-22 13:32:51

Do you know anything about the silver sculpture in the first video, which had water pouring out from it?
It looked as if it was made from cutlery or something, to me. smile
I couldn't really make it out on my small screen.