Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Theme Photo: City Exchange

This photo was taken from one of my trips to Europe during Thanksgiving weekend, which is actually one of the best time to travel internationally. The airfares during that week are relatively cheap and the international airport terminals are uncharacteristically empty. You can catch a flight on Wednesday night and arrive in Europe on Thursday morning. That will give you 3-1/2 solid days to explore the city and be back home on Sunday night. How cool is that? Apparently I wasn't the only one doing it. I met a dozen or so people from the East Coast (NYC, DC, Boston) on this flight.

So can you guess where this photo was taken? I already gave you a clue. It was in Europe.

Today, there are 82 blogs participating in the photo theme: Monte Carlo, Monaco - Rome, Italy - Singapore, Singapore - Tenerife, Spain - Rotterdam, Netherlands - London, UK - Montréal (QC), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Mazatlan, Mexico - Buenos Aeres, Argentina - Manila, Philippines - Arradon, France - Madison (WI), USA - Evry, France - Seoul, Korea - Shanghai, China - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Sequim (WA), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Hamburg, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Nelson, New Zealand - Madison (WI), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Dubai, UAE - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cork, Ireland - Stockholm, Sweden - Menton, France - Tel Aviv, Israel - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Kitakami, Japan - Stayton (OR), USA - Szentes, Hungary - Stavanger, Norway - Grenoble, France - Villigen, Switzerland - Paris, France - Hyde, UK - Moscow, Russia - Joplin (MO), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Asheville (NC), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Madrid, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Oulu, Finland - Lubbock (TX), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Vancouver, Canada - Seattle (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Manila, Philippines - Lyon, France - New York City (NY), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Hayle, UK - Wailea (HI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy

26 comments:

Tomate Farcie said...

oh, that's not easy at all! OK, I'll guess ... maybe it's Eastern France (Alsace or something?) or Switzerland, or maybe even some place in Germany? Austria? am I even in the right area? :-)

alice said...

I think it's Amsterdam, come to see my choice today and give me your answer ;-)

Ben Nakagawa said...

Europe is too big, Ming.
I bet for Dublin.

Gerald (SK14) said...

A cheap transatlantic flight, cobblestones and that gothic church at the end -- my guess would be Frankfurt [via Lufthansa] or maybe Amsterdam [via KLM]

alice said...

You write on my blog you've never been in Amsterdam, so i'll try Bruges in Belgium?

Jing said...

haha..first i saw the bikes..
so isnt in China??
well....no ideas if in europe.
:))

jing
shanghai daily photo

Bel said...

I thought Amsterdam too...until I read Alice's comment! How about Prague (not that I've ever been)???

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I'm stumped by that hanging decoration that looks like a "J" with a crown on it.

Anonymous said...

I would say somewhere in Holland the Netherlands perhaps Amsterdam judging from the bicycles and the hip roof construction on the buildings. The bikes and the roof sort of give it away.

My Theme Day portrait is of the "Peashooter" and the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Hope you like flying.

Nathalie H.D. said...

The facade, the many bikes, I believed this was Amsterdam until I read Alice's comment. Perhaps Brussels ?

Kate said...

Far-fetched but London??

Anonymous said...

Somewhere in the Netherlands for sure, right? Great shot!

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

Maybe in Bretagne or Netherland (btw I love the photo).

P.S. From Rome to Torino there are 600Km (~ 372 miles) = 1 hour of plane. Useless to say you will be very welcomed here !!!!

Dsole said...

I thought of Bruges too, as Alice. it's a beautiful city indeed!

Z said...

Thought I would answer your question about wisteria here. The ones I've sniffed haven't had much of a scent, although they're supposed to.

As for this post, I would say some German speaking place because of the "Kettler Alu Rad" on one of the bikes but that's a terrible deduction given people's mobility and the globalization of business. So, I don't know.

isa said...

Love the photo - no matter where it was taken!
But I will guess Belgium, England, Czech Republic, Ireland, Germany ...just covering all my basis, you know ;-)

Nathalie H.D. said...

BTW Ming, thanks for commenting in SDS today but also mentioning my post of yesterday: Few people expressed themselves on this touchy subject, but one that also reveals a certain aspect of Australian life...

Oya said...

I go for Brussels?
Btw, thanks a lot for your comment on Istanbul Dp's 100'th post.

Jilly said...

Hmmmmm? I think this is in Germany? Maybe Austria? goodness I don't know but I'll guess Germany. Perhaps the bikes are wrong? Okay, what the hell, Belgium....

Anyway it's a northern country. Nothing Mediterranean about those roofs.

Tell us, tell us!

GMG said...

Netherlands, Belgium, Northern France. OK, let's try Antwerp...

Anonymous said...

That is difficult! It is definitely not Amsterdam as I've been there.

My first thought was eastern France or Switzerland. But I really don't know!

I like the look of it though.

kuanyin333 said...

Amsterdam, you horndog! :-))))

Happy Theme Day from Maui!

Felicia said...

I love your photo. This is tough! Give us a clue! Starts with a....

~tanty~ said...

With those bicyles people will guess Amsterdam. But since you never been there, I would go with Denmark, Copenhagen maybe?

Ming the Merciless said...

It is NOT Amsterdam.

It's a medieval island surrounded by a moat like canal.

Tara said...

I'm stumped! But I like the photo.