Got Some Trivia For This Week's Fast Five! Did You Know...

 

1.  Did you know that approximately 3,000 euros a day of coins are tossed into Trevi Fountain in Rome?

How can that be and why?

Well, this fountain is an icon in Rome.  It was built in the 1700's and is still gorgeous today.  It's marble, it's 86 feet high and it's just perfect for Rome where everything is over the top and beautiful.  Designed and built by Salvi and Pannini, it is one of the places that you see often in pictures and one of the things that just says Rome.

Why are there so many coins adding up to so much money in that fountain?  Legend says that if you toss a coin over your left shoulder, you'll get another trip to Rome in the future.  That would make a lot of people toss a coin over their shoulder.  However, if you toss two coins over your left shoulder, reportedly you'll find love and romance.  Another good incentive.  It continues.  If you toss three coins over your left shoulder you'll get married.  That all leads to a lot of coins in the fountain.

Between 10 and 12 million people visit the fountain every year.  Roughly 1,200 per hour.  That's a lot of people looking for love and luck and a whole lot of coins.

Where does all that money go?  It goes to Caritas Rome; a charity that helps people with food and shelter in the city.

https://www.turismoroma.it/it/luoghi/fontana-di-trevi

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187791-d190131-Reviews-Trevi_Fountain-Rome_Lazio.html

https://www.rome.net/trevi-fountain

https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/landmarks-monuments/trevi-fountain-unique-facts-history

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome

2.    How big is the country of Monaco?  It's tiny; we all know that.  They don't even have an airport and you can walk across the country in a short amount of time.

Actual size?  2 square kilometers.  That's it.

Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world, but not the smallest.  That's Vatican City.  Monaco comes in second and is one of the richest and most expensive countries in the world which is why people want to live there.  They are known as a tax haven and a place where there are no taxes levied.  They have great social programs for health and education; retirement and such.  

It blows the mind that this tiny country; once part of France is what's called a principality and is governed by an actual Prince of Monaco.  Albert II is the current Prince.  I actually saw a video where people walked up the mountain, across this tiny country by using elevators and escalators to get through the dense settlement.

Monaco fascinates me.  Home of a world famous Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo Casino; there's a remarkable amount of things to see and do in a country so incredibly small.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/monaco

https://www.monaco-tribune.com/en/about-monaco/

https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2025/monaco

https://www.visitmonaco.com/en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhLYlBGSAHI

3.    How many Emirates are in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)?

A lot of us don't even understand this place.  We've all heard of parts of it.  Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  Why are they united?  Why are they not separate countries?  Why is it that they laid claim to being the safe way to travel to the Middle East for many years?  It's a mysterious part of the world to us westerners.

There are seven Emirates in the UAE.  Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.  Each is a city state which combined and united makes up the third largest economy in the entire Middle East.

The UAE is friendly with the United States, just in case you were wondering; partnering in many industries.  Abu Dhabi is the richest of the city states because if its oil reserves.  The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is in Dubai.

https://u.ae/en#/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14703998

https://www.emirates.com/us/english/discover-dubai/uae-sightseeing/

https://www.emirates.com/english/destinations/flights-to-united-arab-emirates/

https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/plan-your-trip/essential-info?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22233762713&gbraid=0AAAAADl2Ym1TKd3nu-yXu7QFYNhovqy6s&gclid=CjwKCAjwi4PHBhA-EiwAnjTHuSCt8YpnuhFNCJkq0qa7qvmQ-sFIepEmPR0ub4S61ReuDvTs6uE9VhoC50wQAvD_BwE

4.    Where does cheesecake come from?

You might be surprised to find out that the origins of cheesecake run deep and go back to ancient Greece.  That's right; Greece.  Crete is cited as the source of one of my favorite desserts.  It's not the kind of cheesecake that we're used to with Philadelphia Cream Cheese and all, but it is the origin of the dish.

Greeks still make cheesecake all over today.  It's normally made with yogurt and mild cheese and cream and all sorts of goodness.  Honey and grains are a large part of the flavoring as well.  I've had a Greek cheesecake before and I must tell you that the fruits used were completely different, the other elements were largely different and it wasn't nearly as sweet as the ones here in the states; but I promise you it's cheesecake and it's delicious.

https://www.cheesetique.com/news-item/a-brief-history-of-cheesecake-from-ancient-greece-to-modern-confection/

https://www.cheesecake.com/History-Of-Cheesecake.asp

https://chefhdelgado.com/post/the-original-cheesecake

https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/crete/

https://www.discovergreece.com/crete

5.   Did you know that swimming with pigs is actually a tourist activity in this country?

On Big Major Cay in the Bahamas this is a tourist activity.  Go figure.  Growing up in the Midwest; I would imagine that there are several places in the world where you can swim with pigs.  I just didn't realize anyone wanted to.  But here it is.

Big Major Cay is only accessible by boat, so you'll have to figure that out.  There are charters and water taxis.  I'd probably sign up for a tour somewhere.  The little group of islands in the Bahamas is known as the Exumas.  This is where you'll find Pig Beach on Big Major Cay.  You can swim with the pigs and they'll appear to enjoy your company.  Be polite to the pigs and they'll be polite to you.  Golden rule people.  Also you can feed them.  They are pigs.

So, if you ever wanted to try something different than swimming with sharks or rays or manatees; this could be for you.  I promise you, this is a place on Earth where it's touristy to swim with pigs.

https://www.bahamas.com/experiences/official-home-swimming-pigs

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147432-d5489633-Reviews-Pig_Beach-Staniel_Cay_Out_Islands_Bahamas.html

https://www.fodors.com/world/caribbean/bahamas/experiences/news/should-you-swim-with-the-pigs-in-the-bahamas

https://swimming-pigs-adventure.com/

https://www.islandroutes.com/visit-swimming-pigs-bahamas

Don't forget; if you want to see more than what I discover you can do around the world, watch what I am doing on my YouTube channel, Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon.

https://www.youtube.com/@ninakindred9466

No memberships or buy me a coffee.  Always just free videos with good information about travel!

And there you have it.  What makes a country?  How much can one fountain make?  Pigs?  That's all for this week's fast five on Adventures for Anyone!  Enjoy!