Notes from Puzzle Palace

Friday, May 30, 2014

A day at Allard's

After FPP and Tomas' house I headed to Jyvaskyla to meet up with my professor.  No puzzling there I am afraid.  She did write a nice blog post about myself and her after I left.  I left Finland via train, bus and plane.  After traveling for around 12 hours I met Allard at the airport.  Nice man that he is fetched me and took me for a night in the  puzzle room. We played from the moment I got there till around 11:30 or so.  Allard of course had to work and I to be quite honest, exhausted!

Gill very kindly made dinner for us and we took a short break to eat.  When I first went into the puzzle room, I was in awe!  I like wooden puzzles.  I really do.  I just don't collect them because of the humidity in HK.  I've always said it is a waste of a good puzzle and I don't want to be a murderer.

Allard showed me a few, but let me have free reign of his cabinets. I was in puzzle heaven yet again.  But then those who know me know it doesn't take much.  In the beginning, I went straight for the Stickman Puzzles!  They are beauties!  Very attractive to say the least.  Allard let me move a few bits around on the Borg box but warned me not to take it apart.  No worries there mate, I couldn't even work out the first move!  On to doing what I do best.  Photographing toys.  I took loads and have many more I still want to snap when  I go back for a BBQ on Sunday. I can't wait to taste this burnt meat of his.

After a while I got up the nerve to really play and was quickly able to disassemble a puzzle from Stewart Coffin, made by Eric: Decoy (I've been corrected.  Thanks Allard). But I know that's not really the puzzle solved. I started to reassemble it, but got quickly bogged down.  It really was a beast!  Thankfully Allard said I could leave it.  What a gent!  I went on  to play with others that caught my fancy.

The Karakuri group cabinet jumped open on its own and I played around there a bit as well.  I'm glad I did because there were a few I've been thinking of purchasing and it gave me a chance to test drive them.

Allard showed me his

rubik's cube solving machine and let me play with the circle.  He did give me a tiny hint, and I was able to solve it.  Bastard!  I forgot to put the pins back in and he watched me lock it up before he told me!   I'm also happy to say I solved the Ferris Box as well.  Surprising little twist on that one.

The next morning I woke and began puzzling again.  I kept texting Saul when  I could solve a puzzle.  Silly girl.  In the end, I just took more photos.  Gill and I went for breakfast and to buy me a pair of shoes.  I forgot to pack those.  I was too busy bringing puzzles over for friends.


And guess what all?  She 'broke' me. She got me sewing!  And I got her puzzling!  Wins all the way around.

Next up...stay tuned....

Photos available here.

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