Holy Water

 Venice Quiz 

Fortunately for Pope Benedict, his job description as the Vicar of Rome doesn't include emulating any of the water based greatest hits of his employers. But while the Pontiff isn't required to walk, part or even turn it into wine, this weekend his duties require him to glide across some water in a gondola during his visit on Sunday to Venice. Obviously Papa B 16 is no ordinary tourist, so that members of the Bancali Society of Oarmasters, the trade union of Venice's 425 gondoliers, has announced it will be waving its members' normal ninety euros fee. This is just as well for Vatican coffers as the Pope will be ferried in a large dogaressa gondola which requires the muscle of four gondoliers to propel. What remains unclear is whether the four strong crew will include Giorgia Boscolo, who last year became the first ever female licenced Venetian gondolier. Delighted by the prospect, Highly questionable has taken Venice as the theme of today's quiz.

 Venice Themed Quiz Questions 

 1  What is the name of the title character in Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant Of Venice'?

 2  After which famous traveller is Venice's airport named?

 3  What was the title given to the most senior elected official in Venice during the period of more than a thousand years in which the city was a powerful independent state?

 4  Which English actor starred as the lead protagonist in the film 'Death in Venice', which was based on the novella of the same name by Thomas Mann? 

 5  Who wrote the opera 'The Gondoliers'?

The answers to our Venice themed quiz will be published along with the next Highly Questionable blog post.

 Colour Green Quiz Answers 

The answers to the Highly Questionable colour green themed quiz are:-

 1  The US Masters is the prestigious annual golf tournament which culminates in the presentation of a green jacket to the winner of the event.

 2  Denmark was the country from which the United States offered to buy Greenland following World War II. 

 3  Science & nature is the name of the category for which a player secures a green wedge after successfully answering a question in the board game Trivial Pursuit.

 4  Libya is the country whose current national flag consists purely of the colour green.

 5  Copper objects turn green over time. 

The author of the Highly Questionable? quiz and trivia blog, Harry Reid, is a freelance question setter, writer and blogger. He can be contacted at harryreid@btinternet.com