THE MONA LISA OF ALBIR

I am a jigsaw puzzle addict. The last puzzle I completed was a 1500 Museum Series Educa Puzzle (No. 7.712, 85X60 CM, c1996) of The Mona Lisa or LA GIOCONDA as per the Spanish title.  I had only completed a 3000 antique world map by this Spanish company but it had been a well made puzzle on good quality card.  Educa only use two lug/two hole pieces except for one lug, one wavy edge and two hole pieces.  This feature makes the puzzle easier to complete but the wavy lines do not interlock so my slight preference is for puzzles with one, two and three lug pieces which also ease the completion but always interlock.

I was on holiday in Spain and apart form a 500 piece this was the only other puzzle they had.  Probably not one I would have chosen myself.  Luckily I could leave it out on a glass seating bar table overnight.  None of the puzzle was particularly easy as the colours are not bright even near the window and with a light over a night.  Completed the outside first. 50 pieces up and 30 across  so I knew how many black pieces at the bottom would be vertical or horizontal. The flesh on the face and hands was completed reasonably easily.  The green sky not too much of a problem, but the dark green trees and brown areas much more challenging.  I was then left with about 600 black pieces of hair, background and clothing with virtually no differentiation. After I had selected the 100 or so in bright sunlight that had some differentiation I had completed most of the hair so therefore most of the top half.  As I was due to return home and holiday time come first I realised I had to pull all the stops out.  My pride was at stake and the interest of the other guests was growing so I couldn’t just walk away from it.  

So I put the bottom half over the top.  I then sorted and put together any wavy edged pieces and found their place.  I sorted the remaining pieces into horizontal and vertical.  I then had to complete the puzzle taking one underneath piece and matching it up with the mirror piece in the box.  When I thought I had found it I first checked it fitted into the bottom layer before searching for the next piece. Guests were mystified why I had put the top over the bottom but I wasn't giving my secrets away. “It was just easier to do it like that.”  I thought a retired analytical palaeontologist might cotton on to what I was doing but even he could crack the secret. After quite a few more hours I eventually completed it.  

I was able then to lift the heavy glass table top, slide the puzzle onto the wooded top underneath and put the glass back over it.  How long it will stay there like that I do not know but the barmen seemed quite impressed so hopefully there will be no reason to break it up.  So if you are anywhere near the bar/lounge area of the Hotel Kactus Albir, near Benidorm, Spain you might be lucky enough to still see The Mona Lisa Of Albir.