Puzzle Mansion Bed and Breakfast | excursionista | work. eat. travel ...

It was 1990 and I had just graduated from Preparatory Level when my godfather gave me a 500-piece (if memory serves me right) Mickey and friends jigsaw puzzle. For years, it has been my favorite 'toy' which also then prompted me to start a mini collection of jigsaw puzzles. Sadly, I no longer have them, but my fascination with puzzles remained. ?

Having said that, you can just imagine my delight when I got an invitation -- together with other bloggers -- to visit Puzzle Mansion Bed and Breakfast in...where else? Tagaytay City - the B&B capital of The Philippines.

The Puzzle Mansion holds the Guinness World Record title for having the largest jigsaw puzzle collection assembled by a single person

The B&B sits on a 1.3 hectare property amidst lush greenery. Guests can choose from 11 room types for either a day or overnight trip.?You can check the rates?here.?They were very gracious to let us use their connecting rooms, Sunflower and Sampaguita, so we can take a bit of rest.??

We were even served breakfast before the museum tour started.?

Undoubtedly, the main attraction here is the jigsaw puzzle museum of Ms. Gina Gil - Lacuna. ?Her collection consists of 1,029 puzzles (but Guinness only considered 1,028) -- beating Brazil's record by a mile -- with a total of 700,004 puzzle pieces that she has done for 27 years.

It was an honor that the record-holder herself took time out from her very busy day to show us around. What, with media interviews left and right, and the influx of visitors, she still managed to personally show us her collection - also educating us in the process. She started with the history of puzzle making then went on to show us the different kinds of puzzles.?

Clockwise: wooden puzzle (some even have hidden shapes in it), 'crystal' puzzle, 4D puzzle of New York and 3D puzzles of famous world landmarks

Puzzle No: 244 - Mickey Racing Team

It was in 1986 on a trip to Hong Kong where she bought her first ever puzzle: a 5,000 piece Mickey and friends puzzle that took her 70 hours to complete. She gushed it was her love for her only son that motivated her to finish it. She was already 35 then and successfully running the maternity wear business, Buntis, when she discovered her love for puzzles - proving that you're never too old to find your passion. ?

Las Hilanderas

She then showed us the latest, and hardest, puzzle she's assembled - the 10,000 piece?Las Hilanderas (The Spinners) by Spanish painter, Diego Velazquez.?

Puzzle No. 51: Retablo de Santa Columba

Lastly, she showed us the largest puzzle (18,000 pieces) that took the longest time to complete at 1,095 hours.

My personal favorite is one of her many Coca-Cola puzzles - a mosaic puzzle!

The collection spans from Disney characters to pop culture to world famous landmarks such as the Taj Mahal; The Treasury in Petra, Jordan; Angkor Wat in Cambodia; Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey; and Machu Picchu in Peru among others.

Also notable is the collection of puzzle versions of famous paintings by van Gogh, Picasso, da Vinci, Monet, Botticelli, Diego Velazquez et al. For only Php100.00 entrance fee, you would feel as if you were transported to a European museum. ;)

As of writing, Ms. Gina is assembling a 32,000 piece puzzle by Keith Haring. She aims to complete it by July 2013.

***

If you have a chance, sample some of their dishes too.

Our sumptuous lunch and merienda

Counter-clockwise: Tinola, Chicken & Pork Adobo, Monggo, Turon, Pan de Carne and Coconut Cream Pie?

And before you leave, maybe swing by the souvenir shop too. You can also buy some fresh fruits, or even some saplings for your garden, from the vendors inside the compound.?

Locals sell their products here without the need to rent a space. This is Ms. Gina's way of helping out the community. Needless to say, the people in Puzzle Mansion operate more like as a family than as a commercial entity. After all, some of them have been with Ms. Gina for 30 years!

Puzzle Mansion's free shuttle for guests

HOW TO GET THERE

Private Transportation

1. From Metro Manila, take SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and take Sta. Rosa exit.

2. Drive along Sta. Rosa ? Tagaytay Road.

3. Turn right when you reach Tagaytay ? Calamba Road.

4. Continue driving to Tagaytay ? Nasugbu Highway.

5. Follow the signs to Puzzle Mansion. There's about 10 from Tagaytay Market. Yes, I counted lol

Should be easy peasy if you know how to get to Antonio's.

1. Take a bus bound to Nasugbu, Batangas. Alternatively, coming from Tagaytay Market, you can take any public utility vehicle going to Alfonso, Cavite; Nasugbu/Calatagan or Balayan, Batangas.

2. Ask to be dropped off at Radar-Taas of Brgy. Asisan

3. Take a tricycle ride to the Puzzle Mansion. You can also wait for the Puzzle Mansion's free shuttle service picking up guests at the highway.

K

Other bloggers with me on this tour were Kaiye and Endette of?The Two Broke Girls, RJ of ?RJ the Explorer, Missy of?Sole of Missy,?Roch,?Aldous of Aldous Ate the World?and Ross of?Wazzup Pilipinas.

Source: http://www.excursionista.net/2013/04/puzzle-mansion-bed-and-breakfast.html

lindsay lohan snl lindsay lohan on snl real housewives of disney awakenings phantom of the opera agoraphobia andrew lloyd webber

Gas prices falls to $3 a gallon in some markets

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau ? ? ? 3 hrs.

If your wallet is still hurting from the painfully high fuel prices much of the country experienced over the winter there?s some good news next time you head to the pump.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas has dipped to just $3.58, a three-cent dip since late last week, 15 cents from a month ago, and 36 cents off of what the typical American motorist was spending this time in 2012.

That?s a sharp turnaround from February when some states saw gas surge to near or all-time records, particularly along the West Coast.

The Detroit Bureau: Are Wagons Ready for Revival?

Buyers are still paying an average $4.359 in Hawaii and $4.027 in Washington, D.C., but California is back under the $4 mark, at $3.998, according to GasBuddy.com, a fuel price tracking service. And it?s down to $3.286 in Montana ? where motorists are paying just $3.261 in Billings.

Some reports indicate that the price has dropped below the $3 mark in a few Rocky Mountain communities near major refineries. And GasBuddy is forecasting still ?more markets? will dip under that break point in the coming days.

The Detroit Bureau: Fisker Fiasco Worsens

While crude prices posted some gains in early Monday trading, petroleum futures have been in sharp decline for several weeks. One key reason, reports the federal Energy Information Administration is that the country?s inventories are now at a 22-year peak.

The U.S. has been rapidly ramping up oil production for several years and is expected to actually be a larger producer than Saudi Arabia and other OPEC providers by mid-decade. That doesn't necessarily translate into lower prices, as petroleum is traded as a global commodity. But despite concerns about Mideast instability ? notably reductions in production in war-torn Syria ? there appears to be a good supply, if not a glut of the black gold now available around the world.

The Detroit Bureau: Germans May Give UAW Breakthrough Chance to Unionize VW "Transplant"

According to Tom Kloza, chief analyst with the Oil Price Information Service, only a major ?disruption in the Mideast? would likely provoke a sharp spike in fuel prices around the world.

That said, analysts warn that Americans can?t be complacent. Traders continue trying to push up the price of crude. And as U.S. motorists have been seeing, regional spikes are becoming more common. That can follow the changeover from summer to winter fuel blends designed to reduce regional air pollution problems. It can also result from maintenance and other issues, such as those that affected large swaths of the Midwest and Pacific Coast over the last year.

Even in areas where prices top the national charts today, the figures are significantly down from year-ago levels ? when California stood at $4.28 a gallon, for example.

The Detroit Bureau: Ford Reveals Alternatives for F-150

The sudden decline in gas prices may be fueling a shift in the U.S. new car market, meanwhile. Sales of pickups, in particular, surged during March and light trucks outsold passenger cars on the whole, despite recent trends moving in the opposite direction.

Copyright ? 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a78d130/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cgas0Eprices0Efalls0E30Egallon0Esome0Emarkets0E1C9255115/story01.htm

joey votto the masters live mega millions winner holy thursday chris stewart evo 4g lte marlins new stadium

Restaurant In Graduate Hospital Offers Free Lunch In Honor Of Warm Weather

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ? It?s the first truly warm day of spring, and a Center City restaurant is offering a freebie in celebration.

SoWe, located at 22nd and Carpenter, is offering a free burger or sandwich to anyone who sits outdoors at the restaurant between noon and 2 p.m. today.

Chef Jennifer Choplin recently revamped the menu at the new American restaurant in Graduate Hospital.

For more info, visit: www.sowephilly.com

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/04/08/restaurant-in-graduate-hospital-offers-free-lunch-in-honor-of-warm-weather/

jaleel white levi johnston 2013 srt viper scott walker recall fisker atlantic social darwinism wisconsin recall election

Professional Assistance From Real Estate Managers - My ...

Property Management Company Denton Owning real estate can be a lucrative and enjoyable venture as you monitor the development and success of your investment over time. This can also be an incredibly time-consuming process with money to collect, tenants to find, and areas to update and repair. If you own a property but are often involved in other projects, you probably don?t have the time to properly manage your investment. Select a responsible property management and maintenance company to help correct this problem. Property managers can help in the process of locating tenants, receiving payments, and communicating with the tenants of the property. We always work hard to provide the finest property maintenance services you can find anywhere. We know that different forms of real estate require different procedures and we are flexible and innovative. Call us today for a great solution to your property maintenance concerns.

Source: http://barcamppune.org/?p=5365

LucasArts Finding Dory Chaz Ebert Mike Rice yu darvish Skylar Diggins kim jong un

Daniel Cormier and Luke Rockhold try soccer, mascot pays the price (Video)

UFC fighters Luke Rockhold and Daniel Cormier both have fights coming up, but they still had time to head to a San Jose Earthquakes game and hang out with their mascot, Q. And when I say hang out, I mean kick a soccer ball at a very sensitive area. The teammates from AKA worked together to create misdirection, and went 1-0 on their shootout.

They have slightly bigger challenges ahead of them off the pitch. After winning the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix championship, Cormier is making his UFC debut against Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20. Rockhold left Strikeforce as the middleweight champion. He'll make his UFC debut against Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 8 in May.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/daniel-cormier-luke-rockhold-try-soccer-mascot-pays-144525135--mma.html

Mad Men Jenna Jameson Chris Webber Fallon Fox Accidental Racist Aereo Andy Dick

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://pheedo.msnbc.msn.com/id/18424719/device/rss/

Mothers Day 2013 World Baseball Classic time change Joy Behar Hangover 3 yvette prieto Red Widow

Phantom Flex4K camera unveiled, blasts through 1000 4K frames per second (video)

Vision Research just upped the 4k speed barrier by a near order of magnitude with the launch of its Phantom Flex4K cinema camera at NAB. Starting at $110K, it builds on its Phantom Flex predecessor with up to 1,000 fps in 5-second bursts at 4K, 2,000 fps in 2K and 3,000 fps at 720p resolution -- speeds that'll net you almost three minutes of 4K video when played back at 24 fps. The full 16:9 Super 35 sensor-equipped model can be had with PL, PV Canon EOS or Nikon F/G mounts and will capture RAW or compressed footage in an "industry-standard," but as-yet-unspecified format. The Flex4K will also be available with a Phantom Cinemag IV, which will hold up to 2TB of data, or nearly 2 hours of RAW 4K footage at normal recording speeds. Other features include a Bluetooth transmitter and handheld Phantom RCU for remote operation, 12+ stops of dynamic range, HD-SDI video output and a camera control interface and form factor that hews to industry norms, according to Vision Research. If you're still reading after seeing the six-figure price tag, check the videos or More Coverage link after the jump for more.

Filed under: Cameras

Comments

Source: AbelCine

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-3RwIfZDZTE/

sag award winners girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results sag awards 2012 kyra sedgwick honor killings