I’ve actually been meaning to announce this for a while. But someone has solved the final riddle to the treasure hunt. Congratulations to Tom for being the first to solve the riddle. I’d also like to give a shout out to Gisela for solving the riddle shortly after, and to the numerous others who sent me their own guesses.
So let’s first take a look at the final riddle. What is the solution?
Bones lie west of victory,
But success sits by woman’s watch.
The trees are half-grown,
Yet too high to see.
And from the doctor
Look east to north,
Where the prize lies
Beyond the sky,
Between two benches,
And before the lonely tree.
I will tell you the treasure is in Barcelona. Now that you know that, let’s get into it. Bones refer to Casa Batlló, which is also called the House of Bones. The house is west of victory, but not necessarily of the treasure itself. This time I am referring to the Arc de Triomf. But success (the tin) sits by woman’s watch. The woman is Venus, who is part of the Cascada fountain in Citadel Park.
The trees refer to La Sagrada Familia. The amazing church was designed by genius architect Antoni Gaudí. The columns on the inside are supposed to resemble trees and branches, and there are several references to the tree of life. However, the church is still under construction. Also, it’s too high to see (i.e. farther north than the tin).
The doctor is Doctor Robert, who has a monument at Plaça de Tetuan. From the plaza look east to Parc de l’Estació del Nord, which means Park of the North Station. North. Get it?
In the park is a blue sculpture called “Fallen Sky”. So the tin is past the sculpture between two benches and by a tree by itself.
So now that you know the solution, I’m sure you want to know the prize. Since the treasure hunt is about multiple countries, their histories, and their cultures, I decided to provide a prize that fits the theme. My grandfather was one the many soldiers that traveled to Europe to fight in World War II. He ended up getting trench foot and working at a restaurant in Rome instead of fighting. During his time in Europe, he collected coins from the countries he visited and the people he met there. So the prize is a red box full of several old coins. Here’s an example of the some ones in there.
I am a bit busy, so I don’t know if I will start another treasure hunt soon. But you guys are always enthusiastic about treasure hunts. So maybe I will be persuaded to make another sometime soon. Thanks for all the interest and support along the way!
He Who Wanders 