Victoria, Gozo, Malta

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Clocks: Time ticketh away: The end of the year will soon be upon us. Clocks on the landscape make time so ever-present (ever-threatening, too). They are provided, presumably as a service, by governments, churches, and businesses. Why? [2009]

Istanbul, Turkey

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Flags: Viva vexillology. That's the study of flags. Of all the things that Geographically Yours photographs, flags are the hardest: There is either too much wind or not enough! Better to string them up overhead like this national standard in Istanbul. Flags turn the landscape into a game board: "What flag is that?" [2020]

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Pole Banners: They lift your spirits by lifting your gaze. They animate your gait with their flutter. They exercise your optical nerves with diversity of hue. They deplete your wallet with lures to spend money. They attach you to places with scripts and images. Enjoy them: Their messages are always positive. [2011]

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Maps on the Landscape: Democratize geography. Liberate maps from their biblio-prisons and put them out there on the landscape where everyone can see them. This year, your present is an ornament on Road Town's Christmas tree. It honors a sister archipelago, St. Kitts and Nevis. [2014]

El Rosario, Michoacán, Mexico

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Welcome Signs: Welcome signs may glow with local character, exude national ambition, or, in this case, compliment the international community for establishing a biosphere reserve. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. See also: Geographically Yours Welcome. [2008]

Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Signs: We are such a literate culture that we litter our landscape with language. There are words everywhere, and sometimes full sentences. Keep your eyes open for commercial, political, and iconic cultural signs. And, if you're a geographer, you will love place-name signs and should not miss tomorrow's post. [2012]

Amsterdam, Netherlands

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Cemeteries: Cemetery space may be the last space we can call our own. Why not use it tell our story? That is the trend in memorialization, and it is well illustrated by Zorgvlied Cemetery, where an iconic Amsterdam symbol (XXX) serves as a "headstone." See also: Geographically Yours Cemeteries. [2015]