"Been There" Virtual Travel Quiz? Round #6
Previous winners:
Round #1 won by MCD and cvc
Submitted by AlanS. Photo of the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, UK. First photo shows Union Jack, second is the Royal Standard, indicating the Queen is on-site. Third photo is the chapel at Eton College, where Prince Harry and Prince William attended high school.
Round #2 (A) won by Smiling Sam
Submitted by JohnS. Photo of tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by his first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum in 1569-70.
Round #2 (B) won by BKMD and travel maven
Submitted by Smiling Sam. Photo of the what is variously termed the Royal Barge or Gangaur boat, a sort of water taxi, that was used to transport James Bond across man-made (1362) Lake Pichola to the "Floating Palace" or “Taj Lake Palace,” in Udaipur City, Rajasthan, India in the 1983 movie “Octopussy” starring Roger Moore and produced by Robert Broccoli (no proven connection to the vegetable.)
Round #3 won by travel maven
Submitted by BKMD. Photo of the Dohány Street Synagogue located in Budapest, Hungary. Benefactors- Tony Curtis and Helena Rubenstein.
Round #4 won by Smiling Sam
Submitted by travel maven. It is the Chapel on Klimsenhorn, Mt. Pilatus, Switzerland, just outside Lucerne with nearby (Celtic?) cross. Once visited by Richard Wagner and Queen Victoria.
Round #5 won by Smiling Sam (we need to cut his internet feed!)
Submitted by Claudia Sails. Lions Monument in Lucerne Switzerland commemorating the Swiss guards killed in the French Revolution.
New players, please go to any of the announcements for Rounds #1 - 4 to see the rules.
Time for some fresh blood. Round #6 is now open for a submission- submit as a reply to this thread. Ready, Set, Go!!
Comments
I will be off the internet for the next 18 hours, at least. So go wild in Round 6. You crack me up AlasS.
Apart from only knowing the answer to No.1 when I couldn’t successfully log in, I’m finding I’m making myself so busy with extra projects around the house so that I don't go nuts, by the time I see the photos, someone has already given the correct answer.
What is the name of this cathedral and where is it located?
I know, but I'm not telling! I'll let cvc decide when to add a hint- maybe something like which country where it is NOT located.
AlanS Bonus question- what is the structure below the organ pipes.
I know everyone is not out doing yard work, sitting inside knitting, or building a ship in a bottle! How about some guesses?
Oh, and by the way, there are a few features in the photo that will quickly help distinguish this cathedral apse from others.
British, here is your chance!
OK - here's a hint. The cathedral was originally very simple but was redecorated in the 1660's with a goal of being as beautiful as those in Rome. The cathedral is not in Italy.
Alan, show me an animal or bird you have photographed and I might have a chance 😀
Here you go British
Round #6 is still underway and this is not an entry, but it does open up possibilities for future rounds.
These contests combine knowledge of Tauck travel destinations, powers of observation, internet search techniques, and some logic.
St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta
Bingo!
No idea on the bonus question
BKMD, you are correct! The picture is of the high altar in St. John's Co-Cathedral with gold-encased organ pipes on either side. The altar is made of rare marbles and was a gift from the Grand Master in Carafa in 1685. There is a sculpture of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus behind the candles. It was sculpted by Giuseppe Mazzuoli of Italy and made part of the cathedral in 1703. I took the picture while on a Tauck's small ship cruise which went down the coast of Italy, made several stops in Sicily and then finished in Malta. The cathedral was incredible! There is literally gold, silver and marble almost everywhere.
cvc Thanks for the entry and great follow-up (Wiki
) - perfect, all the essential elements- a bit about what you saw, where, and when!
Now for my Bonus- I can't say for sure, but, the area (cabinet) below the tall organ pipes and above what are smaller cabinets possibly holding smaller pipes (hidden behind mini-balusters), appear to be cabinets for "historic" public address speakers
These cabinets appear to be covered in speaker cloth or a fine wire mesh, none of which were available when the cathedral was first constructed or in the 17th century when the interior was re-decorated. 
As to my search method and logic- first it is obviously a grand church or cathedral. Then I looked at the style- not US, UK, etc., too much gold, too elaborate; not Germanic, again too elaborate; not Eastern Orthodox, style didn't match; not South American- too much gold and better craftsmanship (at least compared to what I saw in Lima and Cusco). So the obvious location choices are Central (including the Med) and not so much Eastern Europe. Italy is the big dog there but, in this case a red herring.
Just on a whim, to get started, I searched Google for (images of) "cathedrals" - way too many!!! Then I tried versions of that search. Outside of St. Peters in the Vatican, the stylized sunburst is not found in many cathedral apses, likewise, neither are organ pipes. So my next attempt was a search literally on "cathedral apse with organ pipes" I don't know how many I viewed, but it wasn't too many, before I found the right one. In addition to the organ pipes and sunburst there are a few other features I used when viewing images, e.g. the level of ornate detail, the scalloped green canopy, the nearness of the arches leading to the transept/aisles/side altars(?) to the nave/apse, and the painted ceiling figures, etc. There sure are a ton of incredible cathedrals out there!
FYI, I read the wiki (am a bit of a heathen), but still am still a bit unclear as to the meaning and purpose of a "co"cathedral.
Give me a few minutes and I'll open Round #7 (then I'm off the mow the yard, ugh!
Another clue - the Maltese cross on the left side near the window.
It is called a co-cathedral because it serves as the bishop’s seat even though there is another serving this same purpose in Mdina, Malta.
Oh, dueling bishops seats!
Seems the big guy in Rome could resolve that or is it kind of like dueling relics- spread the wealth?
Lilac breasted Roller, Alan, thanks, I don’t feel so dumb now!
Lilac breasted Roller, Alan, thanks, I don’t feel so dumb now!
Follow-up questions for you British- The Lilac breasted Roller is often incorrectly referred to as the "National Bird" of what country? What is the real National bird of that country?
If your guides were as good as ours (and you have a good memory) you'll know the answer without looking it up. 
It is the National bird of Kenya.
Yes it is, but my question was of what country is it incorrectly referred to as the national bird. What is the real national bird of that country.
BOTSWANA, Corey Bustard.
BINGO!
Here was my shot of the Lilac breasted roller.