alien space ships, puppets and sausage

Looking outside, at the drizzly grey, it's nice to know that my mum is at home in my flat making us dinner for when we get home.

Having her stay in London an extra week to check out our digs, has been shweet.

Although that said, she could be rummaging through our cupboards right now. God may she not find the lube.

Judge as she might, knowing she's at home, polishing off the digestive biscuit stash, is very comforting.

Unlike like this puppet who is hanging himself, in Prague.

Or this fucking ancient, and ridiculously cool, Skoda, cunningly used to lure tourists into a sushi restaurant. Also in Prague:

Or, perhaps this statue of Lenin bolted to a table in an ex-communist restaurant, because too many people were wanting to steal it?

Or how about this thing. Check it the fuck out. Locally known as "Skeletor," this building never got finished during the Cold War.
Ugly or...misunderstood?

In Poland, if someone wanted a church built - and this happens fairly regularly I believe - then one had to build it according to communist architectural rules.

Which, if "Skeletor" is anything go by, it's probably going to make you queasy.

So, this is a communist Catholic church:

Is it a church, or is it a Martian cruise ship? Is it a building or is it a result of Stalin molesting the concrete, motherfucker? Hang on. That's where I've seen it before. The NG Kerk in Standerton?

Then you get a view of Budapest and the profane church is almost forgotten.

The thing I love about Hungary, is that they love decent sausage. Just like me.

Rural Slovakia - above - is beautiful. With the autumn colours out, the ridiculously slow pace of life, I loved it. I've been to Slovakia before - crazily - but not this part. It was also very Twin Peaksy, with mist on the mountains, and Douglas Firs everywhere.

And now back to worrying about what drawers my mum might be going through while I sit here fannying around with communism pictures.