A Builder’s Half-Dozen

Considering the decimal system we Americans use for counting, it’s a little curious how many of our purchases come in sets of six. Soda cans and soda bottles comes in sixes. So do paper towels and toilet paper. Cube-like things have six sides. So do hexagons. Strum a guitar and six strings sing. Finally, let’s acknowledge sets of twelve where you only need half of them. A half-dozen eggs. A half-dozen doughnuts. Or for purposes of this post, a half-dozen LEGO models.

Before I lay the cornerstone of the LEGO Neuschwanstein Castle I thought I should revisit the five LEGO models that preceded it; the ones that perch quietly in various places in my home office.  Like Neuschwanstein, these models have sentimental value, which speaks to the primary reason I chose them out of all of the other LEGO possibilities.  I mean, I could’ve built the 10,000-piece Eiffel Tower (for example) but would I have been inspired to do so?  Hardly, since I’ve only seen it from a distance.  Here then, my builder’s half-dozen:

U.S. Capitol Building – I can’t remember what year I purchased this one, my first LEGO build, but it was sometime before this blog even existed.  At over 1,000 pieces, it was one of the more sophisticated models of the budding LEGO Architecture Series back then.  The LEGO U.S. Capitol does have sentimental value.  As a California kid my parents recognized the need to get my brothers and me to the East Coast for a dose of “real” U.S. history.  That month-long driving trip through Colonial America is one of my fondest childhood memories.

Grand Piano – You can read about this build starting with Let’s Make Music.  It’s my one LEGO model outside of the Architecture Series but also my very favorite.  Snapping together 3,662 LEGO pieces over several months allowed me to blog about my favorite pieces of classical music.  The piano also brought back countless childhood memories of practice, lessons, and recitals at the keyboard.  I may not play as much as I used to, but the LEGO Grand Piano reminds me that classical music will always be a part of my DNA.

Fallingwater – Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature design is undoubtedly my favorite residential structure, especially the way the house blends seamlessly with the natural surrounds of Western Pennsylvania.  Fallingwater speaks to my college degree in architecture as well.  I built the spartan LEGO Fallingwater model in early 2023 (read about its construction – and my favorite works of architecture – in Perfect Harmony) and then made the long-overdue pilgrimage to Fallingwater itself in the summer of 2024.  The experience was every bit as serene and dramatic as I had hoped.  If you find yourself anywhere near Pittsburgh, take a little time to visit Fallingwater.

Notre Dame de Paris – The cathedral on the banks of the Seine River in Paris is the first of two LEGO models that harken back to my junior college year in Italy.  During spring break I met my parents in Paris and took a whirlwind tour of the city.  I didn’t climb the Eiffel Tower and I didn’t even visit the Louvre, but at least I spent a few moments inside the glorious sanctuary of Notre Dame.  Forty years later I completed the LEGO version; my biggest build at 4,383 pieces (read about this adventure in Highest Chair).  I still need to add the sophisticated lighting kit, which will give the church the dramatic illumination it deserves.

Trevi Fountain – LEGO offers several options to build a structure located in Rome, but the Trevi Fountain spoke loudest to me.  I walked through its piazza many times during that college year, throwing coins over my shoulder with hopes of returning to the Eternal City one day (which still hasn’t happened).  The Trevi is one of the smaller models of my LEGO half-dozen – less than 2,000 pieces – but it’s high on sentimental value.  Read about the build in Brick Wall Waterfall.

Neuschwanstein Castle – I shared a few details about King Ludwig II’s creation in last week’s Fit For a (Fairy Tale) King.  The castle’s LEGO model is 3,455 pieces of stone, brick, turrets, towers, and trees, perched above LEGO’s version of the Bavarian Alps.  I’ve often thought I should be building this one on top of a ladder to simulate the dramatic location.  But the twenty-three bags of pieces and the hefty instruction manual will be challenge enough.  I’ll be sharing the ups (and no doubt the downs) of its construction over the next few months.

If you liken a builder’s half-dozen to that of a baker, we’re actually talking seven LEGO models instead of six. And that, my friends, is the convenient caveat for claiming Neuschwanstein Castle will be my final construct (convenient, caveat, claiming, Castle, construct… NICE Dave!). After all, LEGO will keep adding new models to its Architecture Series. I only have room to display six of them but I’m sure that won’t deter me when the seventh comes a-calling.

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Author: Dave

Five hundred posts would suggest I have something to say… This blog was born from a desire to elevate the English language, highlighting eloquent words from days gone by. The stories I share are snippets of life itself, and each comes with a bonus: a dusted-off word I hope you’ll go on to use more often. Read “Deutschland-ish Improvements” to learn about my backyard European wish list. Try “Slush Fun” for the throwback years of the 7-Eleven convenience store. Or drink in "Iced Coffee" to discover the plight of the rural French cafe. On the lighter side, read "Late Night Racquet Sports" for my adventures with our latest moth invasion. As Walt Whitman said, “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” Here then, my verse. Welcome to Life In A Word.

20 thoughts on “A Builder’s Half-Dozen”

  1. A driving trip through Colonial America sounds like something my family needs to do. Fun trip down memory lane for us readers, too, since I remember you working on some of those. It also helps me see what places I still need to check off my list. Got the cathedral and fountain. I strangely can’t remember if I ever made it to Neuschwanstein. I must not have. I only remember it being on my itinerary. Drat.

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    1. Munich is a wonderful city (at least, from the one visit we made there) so I’m hoping we go back some day. If we do, we’ll make time for Neuschwanstein. As for Colonial America, my mother should’ve been a travel agent, as she packed that itinerary with everything from Gettysburg, PA to Williamsburg, VA, with Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C, Charlottesville, and Mount Vernon in between. She also managed several stops that were more “kid-friendly” (like the Kellogg’s factory in Battle Creek, MI!) because she knew we’d be stir-crazy otherwise. Genius parenting there.

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    1. I’m ahead of you on this one because I looked it up before I wrote the blog post. A baker’s half-dozen really is seven, while half a baker’s dozen is 6.5. Don’t you love the ambiguity? Then again, I’ll gladly take the excuse to quit on the castle halfway through if I’m not enjoying myself. I may be getting too old for this stuff.

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  3. Dave, I am sure that you will be lured by still another LEGO model in the Architecture Series and you’ll wow us with that one, just like the others. I’ve followed your builds since the piano, which I believe your wife bought for you as I recall. Notre Dame de Paris had more pieces than King Ludwig’s Castle, but I’ll bet they are equally difficult. I’ll be looking forward to the updates as you plug along and put them together, hoping not to drop any pieces on the floor.

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    1. I’d conveniently forgotten about little pieces that try to escape, Linda. I’ll do my best to keep them right where they belong. The beauty of the Notre Dame de Paris model (and the Grand Piano) was that every section of the build felt different from the last. That may not be the case with Neuschwanstein. If you look at the photo of the model you can predict a lot of repetition as the structure rises. Yes, I’m sure I’ll be tempted by another LEGO model. There are several other prominent works of architecture I hope will make the LEGO cut.

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      1. Also, the sore fingers from pressing the blocks into place. Dave, remember I suggested you try vinyl gloves for the sore fingers? I use them when I can’t open things like lids to packages, especially clam shell packaging … not for lack of strength in my hands, just for a better grip. I can’t open my digital compact camera battery/SIM card door without using vinyl gloves because you have to slide the door over, then flip it up to access the battery and SIM card area. Rather than tug on the door and break it, this is my solution. Yes, everything does look the same and it looks to be a tall castle. It may take the longest of all your builds!

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  4. Looking forward to your build.

    I see that the Sagrada Familia is coming soon – rather expensive! The Titanic is pricey too.

    I think I would prefer to do Diagon Alley or Hogwarts Castle and Grounds!

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    1. The LEGO models outside of the Architecture Series have never appealed to me (with the huge exception being the Grand Piano), but I can certainly see why you would choose the couple you listed. LEGO Diagon Alley looks kind of fun. The Sagrada Familia is one of those creations where I don’t think LEGO should’ve tried to replicate it. The model oversimplifies the organic look and feel of the structure. It just doesn’t express well with LEGO blocks. I could say the same about the Colosseum in Rome.

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  5. Ok, let’s get real – a slightly larger house will solve your Lego display capacity problem. Yes, I know moving can be a pain, but think of your loyal readers!! 😛

    Also, will there be musical selections to go along with the castle? There’s plenty of Germanic classical music to choose from!

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    1. We have a bedroom just around the corner from my home office that would look great with a couple of LEGO models on display (my own opinion, of course). If my wife doesn’t go for it I’ll suggest your brilliant alternative. Yes, there will be music! Not quite what you’re asking for – more “classic” than classical.

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  7. Jon is still traumatized from putting together a non Lego brand U of M helmet his mom got him during Covid. It had the tiniest pieces that barely fit together. I think he was most worried about that during the move, but it arrived safely!

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    1. I’ve come across a few non-LEGO models. Most are scary-difficult, at least to my eye. I’ll stick to LEGO. At least their approach is as logical as assembling IKEA furniture 🙂

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