291. A bird in the belly, is worth two in the bush....

“You catch the ______ with a net spread up in the forest canopy. Take it alive. Take it home. Poke out its eyes and put it in a small cage. Force-feed it oats and millet and figs until it has swollen to four times its normal size. Drown it in brandy. Roast it whole, in an oven at high heat, for six to eight minutes. Bring it to the table. Place a cloth—a napkin will do—over your head to hide your cruelty from the sight of God. Put the whole bird into your mouth, with only the beak protruding from your lips. Bite. Put the beak on your plate and begin chewing, gently. You will taste three things: First, the sweetness of the flesh and fat. This is God. Then, the bitterness of the guts will begin to overwhelm you. This is the suffering of Jesus. Finally, as your teeth break the small, delicate bones and they begin to lacerate your gums, you will taste the salt of your own blood, mingling with the richness of the fat and the bitterness of the organs. This is the Holy Spirit, the mystery of the Trinity—three united as one. It is cruel. And beautiful”

Instructions for eating the bird shown in the picture, considered to be a delicacy in haute cuisine.

Identify!

290. Wonder-woman?

The photograph on top is that of Fort Peck Dam. Using that as a clue, identify who is being described below:

“______ the Indestructible”
The woman who had been torpedoed in the Mediterranean, strafed by the Luftwaffe, stranded on an Arctic island, bombarded in Moscow, and pulled out of the Chesapeake when her chopper crashed.

289. Flower, Flower on the flag....

The Bauhinia Blekeana is named after Sir Henry Blake, Governor of X from 1898 to 1903 who was a keen amateur botanist in his own rights.

It now appears on the flag of the same country. Which one?

288. Acknowledging a Repartee...

This term in fencing is used as an acknowledgment of a hit, called out by the fencer who is hit.

The word is often used in popular culture and general conversation – for example, in an argument or debate. If one person presents an argument and another delivers a clever or appropriate response, the first person may respond with "_______" as a way of acknowledging a good response.

What term/word?

287. What light from yonder window breaks?

Verona's town council is offering couples to tie nuptial knots up in the balcony. Soccer player star Luca Ceccarelli, who plays for local team Verona is the first to do it. But it does not come cheaply. A normal civil wedding licence in Italy costs about 45 euros: for non-European citizens the Verona licence will cost nearly 900 euros, with EU non-Verona couples paying approximately 700 euros.

So what is so special about the balcony?

286. Scroll down...

Historically it refers to a scroll that is a deed delivered to a third person to hold until a future condition is satisfied.

In real estate transactions, it refers to the period during which a third party holds the proceeds from the sale of a home until both the buyer and seller sign their documents.

What be it?

285. El Hor...

They are the oldest known of their kind and dates back to pre-biblical times. The Muslims believe that they were a gift to them by Allah for amusement and benefit and in contrast to the disdain that others of their ilk suffer from, they are referred to as El Hor (the Noble One) or El Baraha (the Blessed One)

Amongst the Arabs they are never sold, and only given as a gift from a friend to a friend, which is the highest form of compliment from one person to another.

If a Knight had been to the holy Land, he would bring a X home as proof of his Crusade and people believe this was how they entered Europe.

What be X?