111op

This is the tenth thread of the European Crossword Travel/Geography/Culture game. It is a continuation of this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34530354

Here are the rules of the game (for new comers) [I've just pasted the rules from the start of the previous thread.]:

1) Whoever guesses the word correctly gets to build on THAT word to make the new word. In cases of multiple correct answers, whoever posts first is the winner and gets to choose the next word.

2) Make sure all the words are travel related somehow. Your word could be a person, a place, an event, an object.

3) State what letter you're building on from the previous word.

4) State the position of that letter in your new word.

5) State how many letters in the new word.

6) Give us a good clue!

7) Again, all words should be travel-related.

I'll give the clue shortly.

111op

Clue: This word or its variant appears in a couple of places (for example, in #1-#3 below). It's also commonly used as a first name.

1. The goddess of (6 letters) has this name (spelled usually with 6 letters).

2. It's also a city (5 letters). I've never been to this city. I'm sure it's great, but, in accordance with my own biases, please name the musician (7 letters), who gave a famous recital in this city. [One of the extended pieces offered in that recital (which was recorded) is a piece by this composer: 10 letters, 5th = "o&quot.]

3. Finally, the word appears as a word in the name of this building, which can be spelled in a couple of different ways. One way is this: 3, 5. The building was first built quite a while ago and its function has changed a couple of times over the years.

111op

I've to go now. So just carry on without me, obviously. I'll check back tomorrow morning.

Have fun.

(Just in case a hint is needed, you may be able to guess part 3 based on a careful reading of the previous thread.)

yk

1. Sophia (goddess of wisdom)
2. Sofia (musician Richter, who played Mussorgksy's Pictures at an exhibition)
3. still working on it...

TopMan

Haga Sophia????

cmt

3. Aya Sofya

rex_skidmore

3. Ona Sofa

111op

Ha. Good work. Since I wanted the 3,5 spelling for #3, I was looking for Aya Sofia. (I think that's one spelling.) It's also sometimes spelled as Haghia Sophia, I think. This church/mosque/museum is located in Istanbul, where cmt just went. It was first built in the 6th century.

Probably some variants also.

So yk and/or cmt can give us the next clue.

111op

Actually I think cmt was more accurate. And it seems like it's all one word (Ayasofya).

Granted, one can't trust Google with spellings. (Try Juilliard vs. Julliard and Fanny and Zooey and Franny and Zooey (the Salinger story) and you'll see that these are misspelled all the time.)

cmt

Yk: If you're free today, you should post the clue. (In the unlikely event that you can't post today or for several days, then I can do it on the weekend.) I never even noticed the puzzle until this a.m., so I wouldn't have gotten part 3 quickly if I hadn't seen the first two parts that you'd already figured out. P.S. This is maybe an off-the-wall suggestion, but I have an urge to go to Longwood Gardens (if weather's nice one of the next two weekends or Veterans Day), and I think you're even closer to it than I am. If you have any interest in meeting there, we could figure out some way....

111op

I think yk is no longer in Philly -- she's in Tx. now, unless I'm mistaken. So she'll have to fly to go to Longwood Gardens.

cmt

I missed that. I thought she was a "neighbor" (relatively).

111op

No. At one point in the game thread, she complained (hope that was an accurate description) about having to move to Tx (which I think happened a yaer ago). She also said that she bought tickets for Salome at the opera (which requires a two-hour drive).

But she lived in Philly and used to travel to NYC fairly frequently (and also to London, I think).

yk

It's quite funny to see how you guys discussed about me as if we all knew each other! Well, I guess after a while, we all disclosed quite a bit about ourselves (even though if it were just a few snippets here and there).

Yes, cmt, I moved from Philadelphia to Dallas over 6 months ago and still suffering from culture shock. I would strongly urge you to go to Longwood Gardens! One of my favorite places, though I've only visited it in spring time for the tulips.

All the other observations by 111op are correct.

111op

Yes, I tend to be a paranoid person, but I guess I'm loosening up quite a bit on this forum. There's no doubt that my friends, if they were reading this forum, would recognize that I had penned whatever I've written here right away.

I also write in the classical music newsgroups once in a while, but I've not recently. I once had this amusing experience there when I asked something in the opera group, and a friend asked me shortly after, "Was that you? It sounds *exactly* like you." I was completely anonymous.

But I guess I still have a few closely guarded secrets.

yk

A quick clue before I have to run to the airport to pick someone up...

This French company makes a certain food *substitute* product. Recently, this product has 5 new designs (I believe only availiable in France) on its cover by 5 famous designers.

Name:
Food substitute product: 8 ("a" = 2nd)
5 designers:
#1: 7 ("a" = 2nd)
#2: 5
#3: 9 ("a" = 2nd)
#4: 6
#5: 11 ("a" = 2nd)

"a" from Sophia

Whoever gets this clue can just carry on as I will be gone for a few hours.

111op

Don't know this one, I'm afraid.

cmt

Yk, 111op, et al.: I'm going to scan my Turkey photos this weekend and if I have time, will put them on Ofoto. If you'd like to see them, you can give me an e-mail address (one you don't mind posting here) and I'll send you the link or "invite" you. They're not "professional" looking like some people's, but they're pretty interesting, because Turkey is interesting. I took loads of pics during the balloon ride! I don't want to post the link on the entire Fodors board--a bit too public for my taste. (Though this thread is kind of private, since I think hardly anyone ever reads it except the handful of people who play.)

111op

Well, cmt, you're being cautious, and it's good, because you're naive that the thread is private. The entire Fodor's archive is searchable via Google.

For example -- try typing "1SPAM11SPAMop" in there. And also try "cmtSPAM FSPAModors."

(Take out the words SPAM. I did this to make this thread not really searchable -- or less searchable.)

You can use this e-mail address -- 111opSPAM111opSPAM at hotSPAMmail DOT coSPAMm . (Remove SPAM for correct email.) I don't use it for anything else, so I don't check it very often. Actually I've enough e-mail accounts, but I started another one so that I can get elaine's files on Paris. But then it turns out that her e-mails are rejected anyway because even 2MB is too small (well, the file is not 2MB, but Hotmail must have some restrictions).

I guess that's the reason I've multiple e-mail accounts.

I'll look forward to seeing the pictures!

111op

By the way, it's not a good idea to make e-mail addresses public. As I mentioned, I write on the classical music newsgroups once in a while. During the virus attacks a few months ago, that mailbox was constantly full (I kept getting messages over 100KB) -- and I had to delete these messages.

There must be some programs capable of scanning archives for e-mail addresses.

My latest pet peeve is that my e-mail address which I use for friends and for professional reasons is now starting to be infested with spam. I guess it's got to happen sooner or later, but I'm not amused when I get e-mails that are sent by me to myself on penis enlargement pills.

Oh well, end of complaint.