Where in the world – summer edition

We haven’t had a photo quiz in quite a while here on Sophie’s World, so here’s a little summer quiz for you, dear readers: Where in the world is this skyline?

Here’s a hint:
- It’s mostly summer all year round in this capital; well above 40°C when I visited in October a few years ago.

Think you know the answer?

The winner will be featured here on Sophie’s World and on Sophie’s World facebook page – with a link back to your site if you’re a blogger.

Update 31 July: This skyline is in Doha in Qatar

This was a difficult one, it seems. Many of you were in the neighbourhood – in the UAE, specifically. This, however, is not one of the emirates.

This skyline – shimmering in the afternoon heat – is in Doha, capital of tiny Qatar, the world’s richest country. Doha is host to numerous international events, most notably the Doha Round of the WTO. In February this year, the latest reconciliation attempt between Fatah and Hamas took place in Doha, bringing a glimpse of hope to troubled Palestine.

Another institution associated with the Qatari capital is the Doha Debates. You may have seen it on BBC World News. Eight times a year, a controversial issue is debated – a battleground where words are the only weapons. Protection of religious minorities, marriage between close family members, censorship and the arts, the position of women after the Arab uprisings and numerous other fascinating subjects have been debated. I think it’s a wonderful idea and a highlight of television.

Where in the world: Qatar is a post from Sophie's World

The skis have long since been packed away, yet winter decided to make a quick reappearance in Oslo this morning: snow! As if that isn’t enough, I’m heading north tomorrow, past the Arctic Circle!

Today’s mystery location is found on warmer shores. 21 years ago, I stumbled over this grave stone (literally).

Where in the world can you read these cryptic words? (Bonus points if you can solve the riddle).

She was a mother without knowing it – and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgences to him.

No worries about giving away the answer. Moderation is switched on, and all comments will be published simultaneously.

Tobago

Update 21 April 2012:

As many of you knew, guessed or googled, this mystery grave is found on the Caribbean island of Tobago, in Plymouth, the island’s oldest settlement. As for the riddle, well, if you expected a clear-cut answer, I’m sorry I have to disappoint you. Various theories have been put forth, and many of the comments below touch upon them. Sadly, it’s all speculation. No one knows why young Betty Stivens (23 when she died) was a mother without knowing it – or even a wife without her husband knowing it.

To see more travel photos – or to submit one of your own – head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for this week’s edition of Travel Photo Thursday.

Scarborough

Where in the World: Tobago – and a riddle! is a post from Sophie's World

Another Wednesday, another travel quiz. I’ve been playing with PhotoShop and ended up with this slightly distorted image of a famous structure.

Where in the world is it?

I’m in a good mood today, for no particular reason, so I’ll give you a first hint right away.

1. It’s in one of the world’s casino capitals.

Think you know the answer?
The winner will be featured here on Sophie’s World and on Sophie’s World facebook page – with a link back to your site if you’re a blogger.

Moderation is switched on, so don’t worry about giving away the answer if you know it. All comments will be published simultaneously. So go on, have a guess!

More guessing games? Head over to Struxtravel. Want pretty pictures without having to guess at anything? Then Travel photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox is for you.

Macau

Update 31 March 2012:
I very rarely say Oh my god! But I’m completely overwhelmed by y’all. Here I had planned heaps of clues: one about how it was a colony of a European country (Portugal) until fairly recently (1999). About how it’s now a special administrative region of a very large country (China), about how another place just down the road was in the same position (Hong Kong). One clue was going to contain just the word ‘handover’. Another was about how its name is spelled 澳門 in the local lingo, one was about how it’s one of the founding members of the WTO – and another about how it has, interestingly, the highest life expectancy in the world.

But nothing was needed. Not only did so many of you know this is Macau – and specifically the ruins of St Paul’s, but many have been there! Without further ado, the honours go to:

• Ana of Ana Travels
• Michael of StruxTravel
• Mary of the world is a book
• Michael of easy hiker
• Bob of piran café
• Vera Marie of A Traveler’s Library
• Arabesque of Mon Journal de Voyage
• Sabrina of Country Skipper
• Laurel of Monkeys, Mountains and Maultaschen
• Eduard
• Kurt of Wanderlusting
• Nancie of Budget Travelers Sandbox
• Ryan of Average Traveller
• Nate of Yomadic
• Vi of Travel tips
• Louise

Congratulations, all!

Where in the world: Macau is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this fab Art Deco building?

Hint: If you’re a mystery geek like me, you might recognize this as the residence of a famous detective.

Think you know the secret location? A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will get a mention here and on Sophie’s World’s facebook page.

Moderation is switched on, so don’t worry about giving away the answer if you know it. All comments will be published simultaneously. So go on, have a guess!

Have a look at more fun travel photos at Budget Travelers Sandbox.

Headquarters of Hercule Poirot

Update 17 February 2011
As many of you guessed, or perhaps knew, this is Poirot’s HQ in London. It’s called Whitehaven Mansions in the series, and Florin Court in the real world. My daughter is a Poirot fan and dragged us along to see it. (Rent seems reasonable, by the way).

Luckily, it turned out to be a short walk from all sorts of interesting landmarks: St Paul’s, the Gherkin and the City of London. And it’s just a minute or two down the road from historically interesting Smithfield, sight of numerous public executions. And a 12th century meat market (still in operation).

Eric of Trans-Americas Journeys, Jim of Around the World in Eighty Years, Dick Jordan of Tales Told from the Road and Mette of Italian Notes. You’re all winners! Honourable mention to Ana of Ana’s Travels.

Where in the World: Headquarters of Hercule Poirot is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this interesting and colourful house?

Think you know this week’s mystery location? A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will get a mention here on Where in the World and on Sophie’s World’s facebook page. I’ll provide a few hints before Friday.

Hint:
1. This is a traditional home in this area on this island.
2. The island is an autonomous region of a European country, one of the outermost regions of the EU.

Moderation is switched on, so don’t worry about giving away the answer if you know it. All comments will be published simultaneously on Friday. So go on, have a guess!

For more fun travel photos, go on over to Budget Travelers Sandbox.and DeliciousBaby.

Madeira

Update 14 January: Mystery location revealed
This is a traditional farmer’s house in the Santana district on the island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s an autonomous region of Portugal, and is, together with the Azores, one of the outermost regions of the European Union. Madeira is a beautiful volcanic island with rivers, valleys and rugged mountains. You may have heard of Madeira wine. The island is also famous for organising the world’s largest New Year’s Eve fireworks show (officially recognized by Guinness World Records, no less) – and for the most stunning array of flowers.

Thanks for playing, everyone! Mette of ItalianNotes, Jarmo of Arctic Nomad, Ricardo Pais, Robert, Jessica of Suitcases and Sippy Cups and Don Faust of C Around the World all knew.

Among the right answers, Robert’s was the most correct and wins this little quiz. Robert does not have a website or a blog. He is simply a guy who likes to travel – and to read about travelling. How cool is that! Congratulations, Robert!

Madeira Islands

Where in the World: Madeira is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this evocative cemetery?

A crisp autumn day three years ago, the girls and I walked through this cemetery. It was a melancholic walk past the graves of hopeful immigrants, of children, of those never found. Two questions this time: Where in the world is this cemetery and what did the people in this section – from several countries and all walks of life – have in common?

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here on “Where in the world?” and on the Sophie’s World Facebook fan page with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio.

Moderation is switched on, so don’t worry about giving away the answer if you know it. All comments will be published simultaneously on Saturday. So go on, have a guess!

Looking for more travel quizzes? Have a look at Budget Travel Adventures. More travel photos? Have a look at Budget Travelers Sandbox and DeliciousBaby.

Hint 1:

Hint 2: (for the film fans among us):

The Titanic Graves

Update 29 October:
This mystery location is in Canada: Fairview cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As one of you spotted, it looks like the grave stones are set up so as to resemble the bow of a ship. Although that wasn’t intentional, it’s somehow fitting, as these are the graves of victims of the RMS Titanic, one of the most fatal maritime disasters in history. 333 of the more than 1500 victims were recovered and brought to the closest city, Halifax. The majority were buried at this cemetery.

Here’s a list of Titanic victims buried at Fairview. Grave no 227 is that of one Joseph Dawson. After the film Titanic, broken-hearted teenage girls have wept at his grave, with their minds firmly on Leo di Caprio. The real J. Dawson, however, was a crew member from Dublin. He was a trimmer (one who channelled coal to the firemen at the furnaces) and though he hasn’t much in common with James Cameron’s fictional vagabond charmer, the history of the real J. Dawson is interesting in its own right.

Quite a few knew or guessed the answer, including Jenny of Devour the World, Nancie of Budget Travelers Sandbox, Mette of Italian Notes, Vera Marie of A Travelers Library, Sherry of Colorful Footsteps, Angela of Chasing the Unexpected, Lisa of Gone With the Family and Alouise of Traveler Ahoy, Isobel (via e-mail) and Judy of Road Stories (via facebook). Well done, everyone!

Among the correct answers, I chose Jenny Kayano as this week’s winner. Jenny runs the deliciously named blog Devour the World, all about living the experiential life, devouring the world, one bite at a time! Follow her on twitter and have a look at Devour the World on Facebook. Congratulations, Jenny!

Halifax

Where in the World: The Titanic Graves is a post from Sophie's World

This spectacular natural phenomenon occurs along a 5-kilometre-stretch of coastline in this little country. There you are, walking along the beach, when suddenly a series of jets rises before you. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Ocean water moves through tunnels in the coral reef, finally surging up and whistling as they go. At high tide, the cascades rise 30 metres into the air.

Update 22 September:
Hint: The country was once famous for having the world’s chubbiest head of state.

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio – and on the Sophie’s World Facebook fan page

Moderation is switched on, so don’t worry about giving away the answer if you know it. All comments will be published simultaneously on Saturday. Go on, have a guess!

Looking for more travel quizzes? Have a look at Budget Travel Adventures. More travel photos? Check out DeliciousBaby.

Update 24 September:
The answer to this little quiz is the Mapua ‘a Vaea Blowholes on the island of Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga. King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who died in 2006, had the somewhat dubious honour of being the world’s heaviest monarch.

Quite a few knew or guessed Tonga, including Cole and Adela of Four Jandals, Sandra of 59 North and Lisa of Gone with the Family. Well done, everyone!

However, Mette of Italian Notes had the most correct answer and is this week’s winner. Mette Vaabengaard is a Danish freelance journalist (MA) with a passion for Italy. She has travelled extensively throughout the country and acquired a piece of land with a slightly pink tuffi house, a trulli style potting shed and 23 olive trees around the point where Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce intersect in Puglia. Dividing time between work in Copenhagen and the house in Puglia, Mette still finds new places and aspects of Italy to explore. Follow her on twitter and have a look at Italian Notes on Facebook. Congratulations, Mette.

Where in the World: Tonga is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this?

This scenic valley isn’t first and foremost on the minds of its visitors. Though not yet formally recognized by the Vatican, this week’s mystery location is where six kids spotted Virgin Mary 30 years ago. The little town draws thousands of eager pilgrims every year, many on their knees up the steep and painfully jagged hill. Where in the world?

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here on “Where in the world?” and on the Sophie’s World Facebook fan page with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio!

Last week’s competition:

Last time we were in Lisbon, specifically Torre Belém and the winner was Jeremy Branham, author of Budget Travel Adventures as well as initiator of these little Wednesday guessing games.

Update: The answer to this week’s little quiz is Medjugorje in Bosnia & Hercegovina, as many correctly surmised. Among those, I chose Michael Figueiredo as the winner, simply because I liked his answer. Michael is author of Strux Travel. After graduating from uni, Micahel backpacked across Europe. Ever since then he’s had an insatiable passion for traveling, learning about other cultures, geography, and world history. He aims to see at least one new country every year. Will it be Cuba in 2011? Michael enjoys learning new languages as well, and with a name like Figueiredo, you won’t be surprised to hear Portuguese is top of the list. He also plans to open a web-based travel agency. Follow him on Twitter and have a look at his Facebook page. CONGRATULATIONS, MICHAEL!

If you would like to be informed of updates to this blog please sign up via Feedburner here.

Visit DeliciousBaby for PhotoFriday fun.

Where in the world: Medugorje is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this tower?

A UNESCO World Heritage Site this week as well. This one was built to commemorate the fantastic voyages of a 16th century explorer. Walking along the loggia of the tower, looking out from the bastion onto the river, well… it’s exhilarating. Good thing we weren’t here on a certain All Saints Day in the middle of the 18th century. At 9:40 on that Saturday morning, the city was hit by one of the deadliest earthquakes in history. 40 minutes later, a tsunami rushed up the river.

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here on “Where in the world?” and on my Facebook fan page with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio!

Last week’s competition:

Last week we were in San Marino, the world’s oldest republic. The winner was David Bennett, author of the Quillcards blog. David runs the wonderful Quillcards Ecards and Art Prints along with his wife Tamara Colloff-Bennett. He is the photographer and she is the designer behind the great art work. They even offer free Ecards for you to try.

Want more guessing games? Have a look at all the players over at Budget Travel Adventures here.

Don’t worry about spoiling the fun if you know the answer – just shout it out. Moderation is turned on for the competition, meaning only I can see your comment for now. I’ll publish all the comments simultaneously.

Torre Belém

Update 24 June 2011: The correct answer is Torre Belém – or Belém Tower – at the mouth of the River Tagus (Tejo) in Lisbon, built to commemorate the expeditions of Vasco da Gama. Loads of right answers this week as well. I love having such well-travelled and well-read readers.

The winner this week is Jeremy Branham who knew the specific location as well as details of the earthquake. Jeremy has a passion for his family, sports and travel. He is the author of Budget Travel Adventures, where he shares his adventures, lessons learned, and tips on travelling. Follow him on Twitter and check out his facebook page for heaps of great travel tips and stories. CONGRATS, JEREMY!

If you would like to be informed of updates to this blog please sign up via Feedburner here.

Lisbon

Where in the world: Torre Bélem is a post from Sophie's World

This is the most famous image of the national capital. (Sadly, this photo doesn’t quite do justice to this fairytale panorama, as I’m stuck using a tired old point-and-shoot for now). Perhaps you have already guessed? If not, here are a few hints: This tiny country has been a sovereign state since 301. No, you didn’t misread – not 1301, but 301. Naturally, its ancient capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rightly so.

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here on “Where in the world?” and on my Facebook fan page with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio.

Last week’s competition:

Last week we were in Denmark, at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, perhaps better known as Elsinore – and home of Shakespeare’s protagonist Hamlet. The winner was Katherina, author of 100MilesHighway. Katherina was born with a German passport and a Spanish heart – and is currently enjoying life as an expat in Switzerland! She has had the travel bug ever since she had spaghetti ice cream, got lost in a toy shop in New York and played the piano in a hotel bar in Rio, all before the age of 8! Follow her on Twitter and enjoy her Facebook page.

Can’t have enough guessing games? Have a look at all the players over at Budget Travel Adventures here.

Don’t worry about spoiling the fun if you know the answer – just shout it out. Moderation is turned on for the competition, meaning only I can see your comment until Saturday. I’ll publish all the comments simultaneously.

San Marino

Update 20 June 2011: Sorry for the late update. I’ve been completely offline for several days! The answer to last week’s little quiz is the ancient land of San Marino, the world’s oldest republic. I received so many right answers, in the comments, on twitter and facebook and even through StumbleUpon. Only one can win though, and the lucky winner is David Bennett, author of the Quillcards blog.

David runs the wonderful Quillcards Ecards and Art Prints along with his wife Tamara Colloff-Bennett. He is the photographer and she is the designer behind the great art work. They even offer free Ecards for you to try. Have a look at their Facebook fan page and follow them on Twitter. CONGRATULATIONS, DAVID!

City of San Marino

Where in the world: San Marino is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this castle?

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also haunted! Strategically situated between two rough weather seas, it’s just minutes away from another country. Once these two countries were enemies, fighting brutal battles. Today, relations are very friendly. You can even live in one and have your daily job in the other. The castle has played an important part in military history then, yet it’s most famous for being the home of a legendary prince immortalised by the world’s most famous writer. We do not have to go to Wittenberg, but where are we?

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here on “Where in the world?” and on my Facebook fan page with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio!

Want more guessing games? Jeremy at Budget Travel Adventures started this weekly series. Have a look at all the players over at Budget Travel Adventures here.

Kronborg Castle, Hamlet’s castle in Elsinore

Update 10 June 2011: As many of you guessed (or knew), this is Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark – perhaps better known as Shakespeare’s Elsinore, home of Hamlet, that notorious Prince of Denmark. This week’s winner is Katherina, author of 100MilesHighway. Katherina was born with a German passport and a Spanish heart – and is currently enjoying life as an expat in Switzerland! She has had the travel bug ever since she had spaghetti ice cream, got lost in a toy shop in New York, played the piano in a hotel bar in Rio, stopped by Disney World in Florida and fished in a private lake in Belgium – and all before the age of 8! Do follow her on Twitter and enjoy her Facebook page. CONGRATS, KATHERINA!

Helsingor

Where in the world: Kronborg Castle, Elsinore is a post from Sophie's World