Category: Dortmund

No Tie, Please, 2022-04-03

puzzler19092 Comments

This was so much fun! The image is by German cartoon artist Uli Stein, and the woman is saying “Why can’t you just say straight out that you don’t want a tie for your birthday this year?” The name of the puzzle in German is “Keinen Schlips Bitte!”, I’ve translated it in the title of the post.

Keinen Schlips Bitte! by Uli Stein, Schmidt, 1000 pieces. Completed on April 3, 2022.

The different colours and patterns of the ties made for a very entertaining puzzle, and the reasonably calm background also made it easy. This was the fourth puzzle I’ve done from my local charity shop in Dortmund, and the first to have all the pieces.

On the back of the box, there were more puzzles with images by Uli Stein, but I can’t remember having seen any of them previously. They all look like fun!

Himmel, 2022-04-02

puzzler19097 Comments

I managed to finish Himmel. This was so much more difficult than I expected it to be. It became more entertaining towards the end, but somehow, I also expected this to be more fun than it actually was. The image is a painting from 1914-1915 by American modernist Marsden Hartley, who was in Berlin at the time. The title, “Himmel”, is also present in the image, and it’s German for sky or heaven. In this case, it’s should probably be translated as heaven, as there is another word in the painting, Hölle, which is German for hell.

Himmel by Marsden Hartley, Grafika, 1500 pieces. Completed on April 2, 2022.

Himmel, In Progress

puzzler1909Leave a comment

Here’s another typical example of a puzzle that I expected to be much easier than it turned out. I actually thought I would be able to finish it before leaving Dortmund, but that definitely didn’t happen. My next visit will be a short weekend trip, so I may even have to wait until Easter until it’s finished.

The image is a painting by American modernist Marsden Hartley.

The Gardener’s Palette, 2022-03-13

puzzler19094 Comments

This was lovely, even though I’m no gardener, and couldn’t recognize more than a handful of the plants. I started with the green bits, then yellow, and the rest more or less from light to dark, so that the bottom right corner was last.

The Gardener’s Palette, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces. Completed on March 13, 2022.

I finally remembered to put my mascot in the image – it’s always there, but for some reason, usually missing from the final photos. I still haven’t found a puzzle mascot for Helsinki, but I’m keeping my eyes open.

Upstairs and Downstairs, 2022-03-12

puzzler19096 Comments

This was the worst kind of Sunsout, which means you had to practically hammer the pieces into place, and nothing seemed to fit, making it difficult to know where the pieces belong. The image is great, of course, but it was mostly a frustrating experience. I only have one more Sunsout in my stash, and I don’t think I’ll be getting anymore. In fact, I increasingly browse for puzzles by brand when I shop, so that I’m not tempted by great images of inferior quality.

Upstairs and Downstairs, Sunsout, 1000 pieces. Completed on March 12, 2022.

Who Sat Down First?, 2022-03-11

puzzler19094 Comments

Images by Susan Brabeau make great puzzles, but unfortunately, most of them seem to be by Sunsout. That said, this wasn’t too bad, the fit wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. All in all, this was really enjoyable.

Who Sat Down First? by Susan Brabeau, Sunsout, 1000 pieces. Completed on March 11, 2022.

I love the sign on the wall above the ladies:

Love Time, 2022-03-11

puzzler19091 Comment

Funny old Heye from 1987, where a farmer has failed to check the field for lovers before harvesting. There were two pieces missing, which was no surprise, the box was falling apart, and while the pieces were in a plastic bag, the bag was open. It would have been a miracle if all the pieces had been there. It was still fun to do, and the pieces that were there were in excellent condition.

Love Time by Loup, Heye, 500 pieces. Completed on March 11, 2022.

London Recollections, 2022-02-06

puzzler19094 Comments

This was a fun collage full of stuff associated with London (in many cases with England). I started with the quotes (“When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford” – Samuel Johnson and “A bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else” – Unknown), then I pulled the red pieces.

London Recollections by Aimee Stewart, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces. Completed on February 6, 2022.

The crown, Sherlock Holmes, and “Mind the Gap” (the gap between train and platform on the Tube).

It was raining in almost all the images 🙂

Beach Umbrellas, 2022-02-05

puzzler19092 Comments

Of the three eeBoo puzzles I’ve done, this was definitely the one I enjoyed most. Because they’re expensive, I had almost decided I wasn’t going to get more of these, but I may have to rethink that. I started with the food in the foreground, and did the green bits last. Loved every minute of it!

Beach Umbrellas, eeBoo, 1000 pieces. Completed on February 5, 2022.

I’m in Dortmund right now, but it will be a short visit, I’ll be back in Helsinki late on Monday. On Sunday, there’s a game, which I thought I wouldn’t be able to see in the stadium, but the rules changed just in time to allow 10 000 instead of just 750 fans, and I managed to snag a ticket! It will be a really tricky game against Leverkusen, and quite frankly, I’ll be happy with a draw.

The Fantastic Voyage, 2021-12-15

puzzler19092 Comments

An Aimee Stewart puzzle inspired by Jules Verne (there are several of his books present in the image). I thought it might be a bit too dark, but it was not a problem, and the puzzle was overall a bit easier than I had expected.

The Fantastic Voyage by Aimee Stewart, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces. Completed on December 15, 2021.

I would love to travel on this train: