Street Smart Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile traverses the ridge of the tail of Castle Rock crag upon which rests Edinburgh Castle of Edinburgh, Scotland. Some scientists speculate that human beings have resided upon this site since the second century. St. Giles Cathedral is the central place of worship within the Church of Scotland, and its crown-topped steeple is a prominent part of Edinburgh's skyline.

The Heart of Midlothian is a heart-shaped mosaic in the street near St. Giles and represents where the Old Tollbooth once stood, a place for the administering of justice and executions. Gladstone's Land is high tenement house dating back to the seventeenth century with parts of its origin dating back to the sixteenth century. Once scheduled for destruction, it is now a tourist site with a gallery. Moubray House is even older, its foundation dating back to the fifteenth century. Holyrood Palace is, of course, the official residence of the British Monarch when she or he is in Scotland.

Answer: Fifth Avenue

Still famous for expensive shopping locations, Fifth Avenue provided for the birth of several significant stores, including not only Lord and Taylor but Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, of course. The street used to have very wide sidewalks to accommodate the parading shoppers and visitors, but these were sacrificed for wider streets to permit more vehicles.

The avenue also contains the Museum Mile section which is the home of nine different museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. St. Patrick's Cathedral is a national landmark and the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Many famous individuals, such as Andy Warhol, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ed Sullivan, and Robert F. Kennedy, have had memorial services there.

Answer: Champs-Elysees

Interestingly, not until the time of Louis IV was there anything but fields and gardens where the Champs-Elysees runs through Paris, France. Andre Le Notre, the king's principal gardener and landscape architect, created an extension from the Tuileries which would later become the Champs Elysees.

The boulevard was called the Grand Cours until it became known by its current name in 1709. By the end of that century, the thoroughfare had become home to various merchants, retailers, and fashion influences as well as private townhouses of many aristocrats.

As mentioned in the question, the route serves as the site of the annual military parade on Bastille Day. However, the Champs-Elysees served as the site of military parades of the conquering Germans in 1871 and 1940.

Answer: La Rambla

La Rambla or, as some refer to the series of streets, Les Rambles in Barcelona, Spain, is one of the most popular thoroughfares in the world. It is often quite crowded with people, street performers, cafes, and kiosks as well as the infamous pickpockets and sex workers. La Rambla lies on what was originally the bed of a stream that gathered sewage and rainwater on its route to the sea. Furthermore, many of Barcelona's historic religious buildings in this area were unfortunately destroyed by various revolutionaries, anarchists, and fascists throughout time. Nevertheless, the Church of Bethlehem from the former Jesuit College still stands. One may also visit the Virreina Palace, built in Baroque style, and the market La Boqueria. Port Vell is Barcelona's old Mediterranean port, but it is primarily used for yachting and pleasure boating. Located there, as well, are the Royal Dockyards with a maritime museum dedicated to the Mediterranean's history and with a boardwalk that extends well into the harbor.

Answer: Bourbon Street

Located within the French Quarter, which lies next to the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bourbon Street or Rue Bourbon as it originally was named, is among the oldest thoroughfares in the neighborhood. The street is usually very quiet during the day, but in the evening hours it becomes the center of New Orleans' nightlife. People can be seen walking down the street while they are drinking hurricanes, which are rum and fruit juice cocktails, as well as extra-large plastic cups of beer sold at very inexpensive prices.

The street used to be known for its brothels and prostitution; however, various mayors and district attorneys have done what they could to eliminate these activities. Jim Garrison, known for his attempts to prosecute various individuals for the assassination of John F. Kennedy, even led raids on various establishments.

Some of these brothels, however, were made famous by the jazz musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver who used to perform there to entertain the clientele. Bourbon Street is also known for its support of the gay community, and Cafe Lafitte in Exile is the oldest gay bar in the United States.

Answer: Via Dolorosa

The Via Dolorosa, which translates to "Way of Suffering" or "Way of Sorrows", is found in the Old City of Jerusalem and is believed by many to be the route Christ walked carrying the burden of a cross on the way to be executed by crucifixion. The Stations of the Cross are places along the Via Dolorosa that commemorate various events that occurred as Christ walked to his death.

There are currently fourteen stations that are recognized although originally there were only seven. Some of the stations include Jesus's condemnation by Pilate, his being burdened with his own cross, his falling on three different occasions, encounters with various individuals such as his mother Mary and Simon of Cyrene, his being stripped of his garments, his crucifixion, his death, and his burial.

Answer: Canalasso

Canalasso, or the Grand Canal, winds through part of Venice, Italy, with a length of nearly four kilometers and a width that varies from thirty to ninety meters. The palazzos were built from the thirteenth century to the eighteenth century by various noble families who attempted to demonstrate their wealth through the size, materials, and architecture of these grand buildings.

Many are now available for viewing and house museums. Some include the Palazzo Barbarigo, the Palazzo Barbaro, and the Palazzo Dario. Also along the route are beautiful churches such as the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute which was built as an offering to God for Venice's deliverance from the plague that devastated much of the city's population. Only four bridges cross the canal, and the oldest and most well-known is the Rialto.

Answer: Khaosan Road

"Khaosan" means "milled rice" and refers to the street's past, when it once served as access to one of the major rice markets of Bangkok. Over the last few decades, however, the street has transformed into a mecca for youth travelling by foot, thus its reputation as "a backpacker ghetto".

The street caters to backpackers completely by offering cheap, small overnight accommodations, shops with supplies perfect for backpacking, travel agencies that provide visas for travelling in neighboring countries, and pubs where they can drink and meet fellow backpackers from around the world. Around the time of Thai New Year in April, the street is known for gatherings of people who splash one another with water, and sometimes full-fledged water fights erupt.

Answer: Unter den Linden

The original linden trees along Berlin's Unter den Linden were planted in 1647. However, none of those trees survive as many were removed in the 1930s to make way for the S-Bahn's Nord-Sud-Tunnel and the remaining trees were cut down for firewood during the Siege of Berlin in World War II.

The trees that line the boulevard today were planted during the 1950s. The Berliner Stadtschloss or the Berlin City Palace was once used as the winter residences of the historical kings of Prussia and emperors of Germany.

The Stadtschloss (or what was left of it following World War II) was demolished in 1950. Currently, a new building, called the Humboldtforum is being constructed on the former site of the Stadtschloss. The oldest building on the boulevard is the Zeughaus, the old arsenal used for displaying the cannons used by Prussia and Brandenburg. One may also view Humboldt University, the Berlin State Opera, and a few embassies (such as those of Russia and the United Kingdom). One block north of the Brandenburg Gate sits the Reichstag.

Answer: Ulitsa Varvarka

Ulitsa Varvarka (or St. Barbara Street) is named in honor of the Church of St. Barbara, which is itself named in honor of the martyr St. Barbara, killed by her own father in the fourth century because of her Christian beliefs. The street also boasts its own "leaning tower", the bell tower of the Church of St. Maksim.

Besides all of the churches, there are many more historical sites to visit. For instance, there is the Old English Embassy, one of the oldest non-religious buildings on the street.

Originally a palace built for the powerful merchant Bobrishchev, it was eventually taken by Ivan the Terrible and given to English emissaries trying to take advantage of Russia's profitable fur trading market. Finally, there are a number of buildings that were formerly used as various warehouses and residences. Particularly famous are the palace and monastery associated with the Romanovs who lived on this street until the family moved to the Kremlin.