Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle in 3D

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full left, medSize:  98 pieces
Dimensions: 41.5 cm x 18 cm x 33.5 cm
Producer: CubicFun, 3D Puzzle series MC, #MC062h, complexity 5/6

Puzzle: Following the St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Taj Mahal, and the Parliament Buildings of Canada 3D puzzles, I am now perpetually on the lookout for other higher-complexity puzzles made by CubicFun, and my partner found one in a nearby toy store (Mrs. Tiggy Winkles), getting it for me as a surprise the weekend when I was sick.

Here is the box, the booklet (see below for the historical information contained therein) and sheets with puzzle pieces.

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, package contents, med

I have done this in three stages:

1. Separating all the pieces from the sheets in which they were embedded.

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, pieces, med

2. Punching out the holes in the pieces (I used a tip of a mechanical pencil).

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, punched, med

3. And putting together the puzzle itself. Below are the progress photos:

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, base, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, two bases, md

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, two buildings on base, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, first two buildings, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, closeup, md

 

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, towers, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, balcony, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, red part separate, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, stairs, medNeuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full yellow towers, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full tower closeup, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full right, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, 5 towers, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, front, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full big tower, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, rull red yellow, med

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D puzzle, full red, med

I have quite enjoyed this puzzle. It is well-made and the castle looks beautiful when assembled.

Notes from the puzzle booklet:

Please note that I have not changed any spelling or grammar.

“The world’s famous architecture we build it. Neuschwanstein.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein is a 19th-century Bavarian palace on a rugged hill near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner, the King’s inspiring muse. Although public photography of the interior is not permitted, it is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. Every year 1.3 million people visit “the castle of the fairy-tale king”. In the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.

The prince was born on the name day of the canonized Louis IX, King of France and founder of the House of Bourbon. Ludwig II was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. In reality he was a constitutional monarch, a head of state with rights and duties and little freedom of action. For this reason he built a fantasy world around him in which – far removed from reality – he could feel he was a real king.

The conception of the palace was outlined by Ludwig II in a letter to Richard Wagner, dated May 13, 1868; “It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau near the Pollat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights’ castles… the location is the most beautiful one could find, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world.”

Woodcarving in Ludwig’s bedroom took 14 carpenters 4 1/2 years to complete. The Monarch’s bed is crowned by the most intricate woodcarving and covered with richly Embroider draperies.

Gardons were built behind the Neuschwanstein Castle.

The Throne Room was created as the Grail-Hall of Parsifal. It was designed in elaborate Byzantine style. It was inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul), the 2 story throne room with its series of pillars of imitation porphyry and lapis lazuli, was completed in the year of the Kings death in 1886.

The throne room, which features a glass gem-encrusted chandelier; all Twelve Apostles and six canonised kings are painted on the wall that surrounds the pedestal for the throne – the actual throne was never finished.

Just imagine a mysterious stalactite cavern just between the Living Room and the Study Ludwig II. Magnificent and charming!

The region is full of mountains, forests, meadows, lakes, cycle paths… It proposes more you can ever think possible.

Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. It is also nominated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Every year 1.3 million people visit “the castle of the fairy-tale king”. In the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.” [Puzzle booklet]

Puzzle: Buca Francesco by Viktor Shvaiko

Buca Francesco, med

Size: 504 pieces
Dimensions: 45.7 cm x 27.3 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox pieces. Company unknown – I do not have the box anymore. If you have this information, please do share. There were 4 puzzles in the box: Autumn in Paris, Buca Francesco, Rue Lafayette Paris, and Sunset Blaze – all by the same artist.
Artist: Viktor Shvaiko

Puzzle: Lovely puzzle with beautiful imagery and well-fitting Sure-Lox pieces. The easiest places to start are the sky, the water, the boats, and the vertical guides of building borders and corners where the colour contrast is the greatest. The bridge, the yellow building walls, the lilac flower in the top right quarter, the balconies, the table and chair backs, the lanterns and their reflections, and the banister with the flower planters can be put together next, leaving the arches, the windows, and the interior of the Buca Francesco building to fill in.

Puzzle: Rue Lafayette Paris by Viktor Shvaiko

Rue Lafayette Paris, med

Size: 504 pieces
Dimensions: 45.7 cm x 27.3 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox pieces. Company unknown – I do not have the box anymore. If you have this information, please do share. There were 4 puzzles in the box: Autumn in Paris, Buca Francesco, Rue Lafayette Paris, and Sunset Blaze – all by the same artist.
Artist: Viktor Shvaiko

Puzzle: Crisp and bright colours, clear borders, and well-fitting Sure-Lox pieces make this puzzle a breeze to do. Easiest regions to start are the store banners with writing, the yellow-flowered green vine, the blue booth, the various flower arrangements, the window in the top left corner, and the table and chairs on the right. The pavement, the painting above the blue booth, and the arch with the lantern can come next, leaving the buildings further away and the smaller detail of the storefronts to complete the puzzle.

Puzzle: Autumn in Paris by Viktor Shvaiko

Autumn in Paris, med

Size: 504 pieces
Dimensions: 45.7 cm x 27.3 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox pieces. Company unknown – I do not have the box anymore. If you have this information, please do share. There were 4 puzzles in the box: Autumn in Paris, Buca Francesco, Rue Lafayette Paris, and Sunset Blaze – all by the same artist.

Artist: Viktor Shvaiko – Russian artist Viktor Shvaiko was born August 23, 1965 in the Altai region. He grew up among the beautiful and rich landscapes of Siberian nature. He vision of beauty and passion for art helped him to enter the Novoaltaisk Artistic School. After graduation Viktor Shvaiko and his family left Altai for Pridnestrovie (Transkarpthia). There first exhibition of paintings was in Moukachevo in 1990, then a group exhibition in Hungary in 1991, and in Russia. In 1991 Viktor Shvaiko went to Italy. It was there Russian traveling artist Viktor Shvaiko painted beautiful images of cosy cafe areas around Italy, also in France. These paintings full of light illuminate the beauty of sunsets and dawns on the background of cityscapes. [All of Russia site]

Puzzle: A beautiful puzzle, easy to do due to its small size and well-fitting Sure-Lox pieces. Great places to start are the red storefront with yellow letters, the beige and brown wall regions above, the Pharmacie banners, the blue store front on the crossing street, and the grey windows in the top right corner. The pavement, yellow leaves, white pavement borders, and the painting above Pharmacie sign can be completed next, leaving the black Pharmacie store front, the windows above the red store front, and a few other small regions to complete the puzzle.

Puzzle: Colmar, Alsace, France

Colmar, Alsace, France, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 66.52cm  x 51.12cm
Producer: Big Ben

Puzzle: Beautiful puzzle, not completely trivial, due to many small colourful regions. Some of the best places to tackle first are the blue of the sky and the water, sky and rooftop boundary, bright yellow regions, and the orange and grey building in the right quarter of the picture. The white umbrellas, green neon lights, umbrella reflections, and tall building in the centre and its reflection can be assembled next, leaving many smaller regions to complete the puzzle.

Notes: Colmar is the third-largest commune of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. Colmar was founded in the 9th century. Colmar’s secular and religious architectural landmarks reflect eight centuries of Germanic and French architecture and the adaptation of their respective stylistic language to the local customs and building materials (pink and yellow Vosges sandstone, timber framing).

The Municipal Library of Colmar owns one of the richest collections of incunabula in France, with more than 2,300 volumes. This is quite an exceptional number for a city that is neither the main seat of a university, nor of a college, and has its explanation in the disowning of local monasteries, abbeys and convents during the French Revolution and the subsequent gift of their collections to the town. [Wiki]

Puzzle: San Joseph Church, Sicily, Italy

San Joseph Church, Sicily, Italy, medSize: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Hasbro, MB Puzzles, Big Ben, 2008, 04962-W42
Photographer: R. Kord/Robertstock
Puzzle: Not a completely trivial puzzle, but quite serene to put together with its tree blooms and a magnificent building. Good places to start are the border between the mountains and the sky, the outline of the church against the mountain, the horizontal guide of the pavement against the building base, the vertical guides of the pillars and tree trunks, the arch between the pillars of the bell tower, and the statue with the cross. That splits the puzzle up into smaller regions that are easier to tackle. The uniform white and beige of the walls, the balustrade, the pink blooms, and the pavement can be completed next. For the rest of the puzzle, good lighting is a plus.

Notes: I have found a lovely picture of this church at the Walks of Italy site.

It is situated in Taormina – a small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina. Taormina has popular beaches on the Ionian sea, which is remarkably warm and has a high salt content. The present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site, on a lofty hill. Portions of the ancient walls may be traced at intervals all round the brow of the hill, the whole of the summit of which was evidently occupied by the ancient city. Numerous fragments of ancient buildings are scattered over its whole surface, including extensive reservoirs of water, sepulchres, tesselated pavements, etc., and the remains of a spacious edifice, commonly called a Naumachia, but the real purpose of which it is difficult to determine. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Kirwan – Dream of Euripides

Kirwan - Dream of Euripedes, med

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm in diameter
Producer: American Publishing & Television, Candu Toy & Sport Co. Inc, 1995, Rose Art Industries, Made in USA, No. 6524 (thank you to PuzzleMan for the producer information)
Artist: Jim Kirwan
Painting: original

Puzzle: A beautiful painting bringing to forefront the issues of ecology, consumerism, and the police state. The artist explores the two sides of the coin: how we see the idyllic society and what it costs in the environmental damage and lack of freedoms.

A fun puzzle to do, not very trivial for a beginner, mostly due to nearly-uniform colouring of the puzzle border pieces, and a large uniformly-patterned area in the bottom half. Easiest places to start are the “no”, “don’t”, and “stop” signs, yellow and blue outburst in the bottom left quarter, the horizontal separating black band between the top and bottom halves, and the smaller circle with two halves. In the top half, the sky and the sea, the sailboat, the tree and mountains bordering on the sky, and the red window are good as starting regions. The yellow leaves and the buildings in the top half and the smoke and brighter red and yellow spots are easy to distinguish. Once all these are in place, the puzzle is small enough to make the rest manageable.

Notes: “The symbol for Ecology was created by Euripides; it was a simple circle with a single horizontal line through the middle. In this version of that idea the world is portrayed in two extremes: in the upper portion of the painting the world seems almost idyllic; proportional; and livable with breathing room, clean water, and real possibilities without apparent limits.

In the lower half, concealed from what we think of as our opportunities; we can see what we have made of that bright vision of that fantasy world above. Pollution, oil pumps, the roots of the world amid the chaos of our failures and the trash we so abundantly produce in mega-volumes. That is what we have allowed ‘the developed world’ to become: A world composed of “NO” and “DON’T” and “STOP.” It is a world without light or grace or freedom of any kind. It is the underbelly of unchecked capitalism as we practice it and as we worship the material- philosophy with an incessant and nearly religious ‘consumerism.'” [Jim Kirwan on Rense.com]

Puzzle: St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica, med

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: A lovely puzzle to put together, yet not completely trivial for a beginner. A good place to start is the border of the sky and the building which isolates the top third of the puzzle and provides a horizontal guide to assist in further assembly. The pillars and the lantern post make for good vertical guides. The dome, the windows, the dark archways, the red roof of the stage, the letters above the pillars, the dark building on the left, and the yellow hats of the people at the bottom are all relatively easy to put together. After that, it’s the parts of the building and the sky that are remaining.

Notes: St. Peter’s Basilica is a Late Renaissance church located within Vatican City.

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and remains one of the largest churches in the world. While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the Catholic Roman Rite cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, St. Peter’s is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and as “the greatest of all churches of Christendom”. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Unknown Castle

Unknown, med

Size: 1000 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: This lovely castle and the old buildings around it make for a challenging puzzle. There are many ways to approach it. The easiest regions to start would be the sky and clouds, the bright cars and storefronts at the bottom, the green grass region and the fence at its bottom, and the borders of the buildings and the sky. The larger windows of the building on the right can help the assembly of that part of the puzzle. The sky and clouds are distinct enough from the rest of the puzzle and can be filled in relatively easily. The Trees and shrubs can follow. The castle has a large region of a somewhat-uniform grey pattern, making it not so easy to assemble, but it makes for an interesting challenge.

Notes: I no longer have the box, so if you know of the series this puzzle is from and the building it portrays, please let me know.

Puzzle: Detail of Roof on a Chinese Temple

Detail of Roof on a Chinese Temple, med
Size
: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 48.1 cm x 67.95 cm
Producer
: Mega Puzzles, Structures series, 2013, No. 50941AAN, A 27053 PP

Puzzle: Another puzzle from the Structures series (see Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic, Galleries Lafayette, ParisSri Mariamman Temple and Church of the Savior, St. Petersburg for more).

To be honest, I did not expect this puzzle to be that interesting: from the box it looked like the too-bold lines of a too-bright building with too few detailed areas to make it interesting. It has, however, pleasantly surprised me. I’ve enjoyed following the diagonal and horizontal guide lines of the structure and the small details that revealed themselves during assembly.

I have started with the red horizontal, vertical, and diagonal regions, and built on them: each band of a different texture and colouring following the bands above or below it. The remaining regions are distinct and separated enough to be quite simple for a 1000 piece puzzle.

Notes: Unfortunately, the puzzle box does not indicate which temple is depicted on this puzzle. If you have any information on that, I would love to know.

Puzzle: Vineyard Terrace by Sung Kim

Sung Kim - Vineyard Terrace, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67.9 cm x 48.1 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, The Art of Sung Kim series
Artist:
Sung Kim – Born in 1940 in Seoul, South Korea, Sung Kim exhibited his artistic talents early in childhood. He entered and won various art contests and decided to pursue his passion for art by attending Seorabol Art College where he graduated with honors. Sung opened his own studio and worked as an illustrator for various magazines and children’s books. He traveled throughout Europe before immigrating to the United States in 1980. For the past 20 years, Sung has worked with various fine art galleries, producing over 400 original landscape paintings, and has sold his paintings to people from all over the world. [Puzzle box]
Painting: original

Puzzle: There is a wonderful book by Gerald Durrell called “My Family and Other Animals”, in which he describes life in Corfu – a Greek island to which his mother and three siblings have moved when he was 10. As a child, he explores the island gathering various animals (he has been an enthusiastic budding zoologist at that age), against the backdrop of the slow-paced life of the adults on the island. The olive trees, the sea, the tranquility of sunny afternoons, and the overall calm of the Mediterranean is what I remember vividly from the book. And this puzzle by Sung Kim carries that same quiet feeling of a light breeze on a vine-shaded terrace, on a lazy sunny afternoon somewhere in the Mediterranean.

This puzzle is not a trivial one to assemble, as uniform patterns such as leaves at the top, trees in the background, and bricks of the terrace take up large regions. It is a very calming scene, however, so I have found it quite relaxing, so I did not mind slightly longer time to find the pieces I needed. There are a few good regions to start: the boundary of the sky and the mountain, as well as the borders of the mountain and the trees, and far away trees and the fields. The table with white tablecloth, and the wine glasses and bottles is also easy to assemble. The window with surrounding bricks, and the chairs are also a different enough shade and pattern to not be difficult. The terrace frame is a little harder to complete, but when done it can serve as horizontal and vertical guides for the res of the puzzle. The lighter bricks of the wall are sufficiently different from the tiles of the floor. The leaves at the top can be fitted in between the horizontal guides of the terrace frame, and the rest of the puzzle comes together afterwards.

The assembly went very well with a glass of wine and the early spring sun coming in through the window, promising warm afternoons, if not in the Mediterranean.

Puzzle: Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire

Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, med

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: A small, not very complicated, puzzle. The best place to start is the building roof/sky border, the distinct towers and building elements, white roof segments, and the sky itself. The bottom white region is also easy to complete, leaving the bushes for the last. Overall quick and pleasant puzzle to do, the Sure-Lox pieces fitting together well.

Notes: Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England. It is known locally as “the ship of the Fens”, because of its prominent shape that towers above the surrounding flat and watery landscape. The first Christian building on the site was founded by St. Æthelthryth (romanised as “Etheldreda”), daughter of the Anglo-Saxon King Anna of East Anglia, who was born in 630. She set up and ruled a monastery at Ely in 673, and, when she died, a shrine was built there to her memory. A new Benedictine monastery was built and endowed on the site by Athelwold, Bishop of Winchester, in 970. This became a cathedral in 1109. The cathedral is built from stone quarried from Barnack in Northamptonshire, with decorative elements carved from Purbeck Marble and local clunch. The plan of the building is cruciform (cross-shaped), with an additional transept at the western end. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Dürnstein, Austria

Durnstein, Austria, med

Size: 1000 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: Not a completely trivial puzzle to complete, due to the snow and trees on the mountains forming a somewhat-uniform pattern. It is simple to start from the more prominent regions, such as the bright buildings, the river/snow border, the snow on the roofs, and the steps going up into the mountains. Once that is done, the top mountain range is separated into mostly blue and mostly black regions, and the central blue tower serves as a vertical guide to assist the completion. The Sure-Lox pieces fit together well and simplify the process that would have been harder with more loosely-fitting pieces.

Notes: Dürnstein is a small town on the Danube river in the Krems-Land district, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region and also a well-known wine growing area.

The town gained its name from the medieval castle, Burgruine Dürnstein, which overlooked it. The castle was called “Duerrstein” or “Dürrstein”, from the German duerr/dürr meaning “dry” and Stein, “stone”. The castle was dry because it was situated on a rocky hill, high above the damp conditions of the Danube at the base of the hill, and it was built of stone. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Parliament Buildings [Canada] in 3D

3D Parliament Puzzle - front, md

Size:  87 pieces
Dimensions: 28.4 cm x 28.4 cm x 18 cm
Producer: CubicFun, 3D Puzzle series MC, #MC081h, complexity 4/5
Original packaging: unable to find on the CubicFun site

Puzzle: Following the St. Basil’s Cathedral  and the Taj Mahal 3D puzzles, I am now perpetually on the lookout for other higher-complexity puzzles made by CubicFun, and found a Canadian one in a nearby toy store (Mrs. Tiggy Winkles), sold as a special before Christmas.

Here is the box, the booklet (see below for the historical information contained therein) and sheets with puzzle pieces.

3D Parliament Puzzle - packaging, md

I have done this in three stages:

1. Separating all the pieces from the sheets in which they were embedded.

3D Parliament Puzzle - pieces, md

2. Punching out the holes in the pieces (I used a tip of a mechanical pencil).

3D Parliament Puzzle - pieces punctured, md

3. And putting together the puzzle itself. Below are the progress photos (this time I had enough willpower to stop briefly to snap a few photos):

3D Parliament Puzzle - tower, library, three buildings, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - core separated, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - towers and wings, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - core, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - core and towers, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - front full, md

The sides of the back buildings were tricky – there were several small pieces that had to fit together just so, and ended up not fitting very well, snapping off easily (tape to the rescue), and causing the edge towers and roofs to tilt. While rotating the puzzle, I had to keep straightening them.

3D Parliament Puzzle - side 1, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - side 2, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - back, md

3D Parliament Puzzle - side 3, md

A fun puzzle to do. However, compared to the previous two, punching the holes was not as easy: the pieces often did not fully separate, and attempting to remove the unnecessary parts peeled off the top layer of paper, so I had to be very careful to try minimizing the damage. This seems like a manufacturing issue with this particular puzzle, as the previous two puzzles did not have it.

I also had my 3 year-old catch me at separating the pieces from the sheets and insist on participating. He was mostly successful with some supervision (which speaks to how well the puzzle sheets are designed), with minimal damage to a couple of pieces, most of which I was able to fix with glue.

Notes from the puzzle booklet:

“The world’s famous architecture we build it. Parliament Buildings [Canada]

Tourists can visit the House of Commons and Senate chambers in the Centre Block. Inside the rotunda are the statues of Queen Victoria and former Prime Ministers of Canada. The office of the first Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald, in the East Block is open to public.

The parliament buildings were designed in Gothic Revival style and were made of sandstone and granite with magnificent carvings.

The parliament buildings are three edifices arranged around three sides of Parliament Hill’s central lawn. The Centre Block which contains the House of Commons and Senate chambers, features the Peace Tower on the south facade with the Library of Parliament at the building’s rear. The East and West Blocks each contains ministers’ and senators’ offices, as well as meeting rooms and other administrative spaces. The ground was broken in December 1859, followed by a number of other extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings. A fire destroyed the Centre Block in 1916. The Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927.

The parliament buildings are fronted by the Peace Tower standing at 92.2 meters tall on the south facade of the Centre Block. CUrrently, the Peace Tower with 4.8 m clock face and 53 bells in its carillon is known as the world’s most delicate architecture in the Gothic Revival style.

From late June to the third week of August, the Changing of the Guard Ceremony takes place on the Parliament Hill. It starts a little before 10:00 in the morning when the Old Guard arrives. Once the Old Guard has been inspected, the New Guard arrives to relieve them.

The Mosaika Sound and Light Show takes place every evening on the Parliament Hill from early July to early September. A powerful narrative set against the spectacular backdrop of Parliament Hill, Mosaika takes the audience on an unforgettable journey of sound and light, as we explore Canada’s physical, historical and cultural landscapes. This bilingual show is 45 minutes in length and free of charge.

When visiting the Parliament Hill, visitors will fall in love with the solemn and magnificent buildings, pleasant charms from Peace Tower, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Ceremony, and the Sound and Light show.” [Puzzle booklet]

Puzzle: Rochefort en Terre, Brittany, France

Rochefort en Terre, Brittany, France, med
Size
: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Hasbro, MB Puzzles, Big Ben, 2005, #04962-G52
Puzzle: A pleasant puzzle to do, for stone parts good lighting is a plus. A good place to start are the windows and the door as well as the large bright flowers and leaves in the bottom right and the border of the roof and the sky. After that, the window borders, the water pipe, and the iron structure in the top left can serve as guides. Flowers and the rest of the stone work can follow. Not a completely trivial puzzle, but quite enjoyable.

Notes: Rochefort-en-Terre is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Rochefort-en-Terre are called in French Rochefortais. [Wiki]

Brittany is one of the 27 regions of France. It occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of the country, lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its capital is Rennes. The name of Brittany derives from settlers from Great Britain, who fled that island in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England between the fifth and seventh centuries. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Castle District Skyline, Budapest, Hungary

Castle District Skyline, Budapest, Hungary, med
Size
: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: A slower-going puzzle, due to a large uniform-coloured sky and similar building colours. Good places to start are the borders between the sky and the building roofs, as well as the river and the long white and yellow building along the river. The darker church, the bright cars, and the larger white areas of building roofs can follow. The rest of the regions are similar in complexity to fill in.

Notes: Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary, and one of the largest cities in the European Union. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of west-bank Buda and Óbuda with east-bank Pest. [Wiki]

Puzzle: St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.A.

St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.A., med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer
: MB Puzzles, Big Ben

Puzzle: A not-completely trivial puzzle to complete due to the large areas of sky, water, and similar dark regions of the reflections in the water. Good places to start are the red parts of the roof, the arches of the windows and doorways, the building walls, and the brighter water of the fountains. The stone vases and the palm trees can follow. From that point on, the sky, the water, and the reflections are relatively similar in terms of complexity to assemble.

Puzzle: Rural Countryside by John Zaccheo

John Zaccheo - Rural Countryside, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 45.4 cm x 67.31 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock series, # 20076, 2005

Note: I do not have the box anymore, and thus not sure who the artist is. If you have that information, please let me know.

Puzzle: A pleasant and easy puzzle to complete. The good regions to start are the sky (lots of horizontal guides there), the mountains, the tall red and yellow trees, the bridge, the river, the buildings, the birch trees, the cart with the hay, and the fence along the road. From that point on, the remaining pieces should fall into place easily.

Puzzle: Night Stroll by Sung Kim

Sung Kim - Night Stroll, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 45.4 cm x 67.31 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock series
Artist:
Sung Kim
Painting: original

Puzzle: A romantic view, this foam puzzle is very serene and a pleasure to assemble. This is another painting by Sung Kim, in addition to the 1000-piece one of Overlook Cafe. Le consulat building, the domes in the background, the sky, and the pavement borders are good places to start. The smaller areas of colour: the people, the street signs, the street lamps, the building windows, and the chairs can be filled in, leaving the house walls and the pavements to be completed last.

Puzzle: Tulips lining lake Geneva

Tulips lining lake Geneva, med

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 34.5 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock series, 2006, #50404-03
Photographer:
Richard Klune

Puzzle: One of the first foam puzzles I have assembled, it is colourful and simple to put together. The bright flowers have distinct colours, the left bottom corner pavement and the flower bed ledge can be completed easily, followed by the water and the evergreen bush in the bottom right. The border between the buildings and the sky provides a horizontal guide, allowing for easy completion of both regions.

Notes: Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. [Wiki]