Elmo Eagerly Explores England Trivia Quiz

Elmo, the charismatic, bright-red furry muppet, is having a blast while eagerly exploring England. Elmo's travels took him to London, the capital of England. As is the case in many national capitals, there are many places to get to know and sightsee: the Tower of London, the London Eye, the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Trafalgar Square are just a few examples. Certainly, London's iconic bright red buses and phone boxes also got Elmo's attention! This time, Elmo was getting in touch with his artistic side and decided to catch a show at the Royal Albert Hall.

The venue, inaugurated in 1871 by Queen Victoria as a tribute to her deceased husband Prince Albert, can fit thousands of people and has hosted concerts by artists as renowned as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and The Who. For many years, artists performing at the Royal Albert Hall struggled with uncomfortable echo/sound issues caused by the massive, concave-shaped domed glass roof. After decades, the issue was fixed by installing fiberglass "mushrooms"/"flying saucers" acoustic diffusers, which greatly improved the sound experience for both performers and concertgoers. The red color on the outside of the structure comes from the red bricks and terracotta blocks used to build the hall.

Bert, the somewhat serious but practical yellow muppet (and Ernie's best friend), is using his energy to discover everything Brazil has to offer. From gazing at the beautiful Iguazu Falls to taking a tour of the Amazon Rainforest, Bert is making his trip to the South American nation worthwhile. After spending a few days at Brazil's capital city, Brasilia, Bert decided to explore one of the country's most popular cities: Rio de Janeiro. Rio hosts the "Carnaval do Brasil" (Carnival of Brazil) every year, and is also home to popular landmarks such as the Christ the Redeemer statue, a beautiful botanical garden, and the legendary Maracana football/soccer stadium (where the Brazilian national team painfully failed to conquer the World Cup in 1950, an incident known as the "Maracanazo").

One other popular hotspot in Rio de Janeiro is the "Escadaria Selaron", also known as the Lapa Steps because they are located in the Lapa neighborhood of the city. The colorful stairway was painted by Chilean artist Jorge Selaron over a nearly 15-year period. The project began with Selaron renovating the steps near his house, which soon grew into a larger endeavor when he took an interest in creating a work of art using ceramic tiles that matched the colors of the Brazilian flag. Though colors such as blue and green are visible in the now-iconic steps, the bright yellow stairs stand out in any picture of this hotspot.

The upbeat and at times mischievous Ernie chose to enthusiastically examine Egypt and its history-filled wonders. In the home of one of the world's oldest civilizations, Ernie learned about how ancient Egyptians created a civilization in the Nile River valley, how they wrote in hieroglyphics, and how they worshipped gods such as the sun god Ra. Since Ernie wanted to learn about archaeology, he knew that the city of Giza and its Giza Plateau were the place to be. Ernie took pictures of several tall pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza.

While he was there, the orangish reflection of the Great Sphinx of Giza also caught his attention. The Sphinx is made of limestone and is considered to be one of the world's oldest statues. The majestic structure stands out for its unique combination of a human head with a lion's body. It is believed that the Sphinx was made for an Egyptian monarch, possibly Pharaoh Khufu or his son, Pharaoh Khafre. However, the true origin or meaning of the Sphinx is not completely clear despite the many theories that have evolved about this structure.

Oscar the Grouch found yet another reason to be grumpy when he realized there are not too many countries that share the first letter of his name. Indeed, there is only one: Oman. As Oscar ominously observed this country, he found out that the Sultanate of Oman is in the south-eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, in West Asia. Its capital is Muscat and its official language is Arabic. Oman is ruled by a monarch (a sultan), though the nation also has a legislative arm through its Council of State (upper house) and Consultative Assembly (lower house). While in Oman, Oscar visited sites like the Nizwa Fort and Muscat's Royal Opera House.

Oscar was becoming irritated as he could not find any landmarks in the country that matched his signature green color. He was somehow relieved when he arrived at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and saw all the stunning greenery surrounding the structure. The project began in 1992 at the direction of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, and was finished in 2001. Located in the capital city, the mosque contains several distinctive features, such as one of the world's largest single-piece carpets and an Italian-made giant chandelier.

One of the most loved "Sesame Street" characters, the Cookie Monster wanted to share his love of cookies with as many people as possible. Hence, he traveled to Asia and curiously consulted one of the most populous countries in the world: China. Cookie Monster could not wait to tell everyone in China about all the kinds of cookies he likes, but his constant craving for cookies was becoming a distraction. Happily, he was pleased to discover that buttery almond cookies are popular in the Sinic nation, especially around the Chinese New Year.

Having eaten all the cookies he could, Cookie Monster made his way to the modern city of Beijing, where he was able to admire the imposing Temple of Heaven, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built during the 15th century, this cultural landmark was initially developed during the reign of Zhu Di, or the Yongle Emperor. His successors continued to build, renovate, and improve the temple over time. The Temple of Heaven is not a single structure; rather, it is a huge complex that includes the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (pictured) and the Imperial Vault of Heaven. Cookie Monster was happy to photograph the deep blue roof tiles in both buildings.

The gregarious and goofy Grover was very excited to go to Germany and meet Samson, Tiffy, and Rumpel of "Sesamstraße", the German version of "Sesame Street". Having explored Hamburg, Dortmund, Stuttgart, and Munich, Grover's traveled to the capital city, Berlin, where he gazed at the famous Berlin Wall and the Brandenburg Gate. He also took some time to solemnly observe the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a sombre memorial of thousands of concrete slabs to remember the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime in the Holocaust.

From Berlin, Grover moved south and arrived in Dresden, a city nicknamed the "Florence on the Elbe" because its Baroque architecture and rivers look like those of the Italian city. Dresden may also sound familiar from World War II, because British and American forces bombed the capital of Saxony in February 1945, killing tens of thousands of civilians. Having learned about so much sorrow and grief, Grover needed a new reason to smile and chose to visit the Zwinger Palace. The palace was built in the 18th century and is a huge complex where visitors may visit museums, gardens, fountains, and galleries. The palace also stands out for its blue decorative elements and blue-hued windows.

You can always count on Count von Count to be carefully counting chattels. Or commodities. Or coins. As the "Sesame Street" official website puts it, he "enjoys counting anything and everything." His obsession with math is no coincidence: it comes from "counts" in medieval Europe who were tasked with managing land, maintaining records, and collecting taxes. This is why his name fits perfectly, and why he is so obsessed with counting whatever comes his way. The Count chose to visit Europe to learn more about those like him. After stopping by Romania, Hungary, and Serbia, the Count took time to check out Croatia's wonders.

One of the sights that Count von Count cautiously contemplated during his Mediterranean/Balkans trip was the Church of St. Blaise in Dubrovnik. The church has a long history: after Dubrovnik was struck by the Black Death pandemic, the then-governing body of the Republic of Ragusa (called the Great Council) decided to build a Romanesque church to protect the populace. The structure that stands today was built in the 18th century, also dedicated to Saint Blaise. Blaise of Sebaste was a bishop who was killed because of his Christian beliefs. Local legend says that Saint Blaise warned Dubrovnik of an impending attack, and he is venerated in the region ever since. Indeed, Dubrovnik celebrates a major holiday named the Feast of St. Blaise in his honor. The church is usually white, but Count von Count's presence must have made it look purple in our picture!

Rosita is relishing her remarkable ride across Russia. The shiny turquoise muppet couldn't find enough time to explore all of Russia's historical sites: from the Red Square in the capital city of Moscow, to Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus. Of course, Rosita was unable to sightsee the entire country; in fact, it would take several days and thousands of kilometers of travel to cross the whole nation from one side (Saint Petersburg) to the other side (Vladivostok).

While Rosita was in Saint Petersburg, she took a guided tour of the Hermitage Palace Museum at the Winter Palace and marveled at the majestic Peterhof Palace. She learned that the city's name changed to Petrograd in World War I, then became Leningrad following the death of Vladimir Lenin, and then was restored to Saint Petersburg in 1991. But despite the enormity of this city, Rosita was struck by how the bright turquoise domes of the Trinity Cathedral matched her fur's color almost exactly. The Trinity Cathedral was built in the 1800s as a Russian Orthodox church and has survived numerous events: a flood in 1824, looting in the 1920s during the Russian Revolution, and a fire in 2006 that severely damaged the cathedral's main dome. The turquoise hue is not random; it is very common in Russian Orthodox churches to represent purity, heaven, and a connection to the Virgin Mary.

Zoe's zany zeal for adventure took her all the way to the south of Africa, to the landlocked country of Zimbabwe. Filled with natural wonders like the Victoria Falls, the Mana Pools National Park, and the Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe was the perfect place for Zoe to see elephants, crocodiles, and hippos. After taking a helicopter tour and canoeing in the wild, Zoe spotted some odd rock formations that intrigued her.

Sure enough, Zoe learned that the rock formations she was looking at are very famous. Located inside the Matobo National Park in Bulawayo, the Matobo Hills rock formations were formed by wind, water, and erosion billions of years ago. A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Matobo National Park also boasts a diverse wildlife that includes leopards and rhinos. The reddish-orange granite shapes also stunned Zoe because of the incredible artwork depicting humans, giraffes, and other shapes that she was able to see painted and engraved into the rocks.

Big Bird bravely breezed by Belgium, a small country in Europe in terms of land area, but huge in terms of its importance to continental and international affairs. Important institutions like the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament are all located in this nation. Belgium also serves as the headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is why when international politicians from a NATO country are "headed to Brussels", a likely reason is that they are going to the capital of Belgium to attend a NATO meeting.

After snacking on Belgian frites with mayonnaise, followed by some sweet Belgian waffles, Big Bird took a long stroll along Brussels' Grote Markt or Grand Place, and was amazed by the shiny gold facades and details on the buildings. The very picturesque square lent itself very well for Big Bird to take many pictures, shop in local cafes, and visit nearby museums. Grote Markt was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 for both its architectural and historical significance.