I think this photo sums up the whole day - Pork and Palinka

Team building - Budapest style

whilst other rugby teams might pay to go paintballing, white water rafting or abseiling to team build - but in Budapest, the Exiles do something different - we went pig killing.

Basically the team bought a pig weighing 170kgs which was then slaughtered and the team was responsible for turning it into sausages, ribs and chops. Katy was a whizz on the sausages whilst the butcher we had hired managed to wrap himself into his mincing machine - luckily without any ill side effects. Unfortunately, because I broke the chopping board I was given a really crappy job - making the pork scratchings!

you know when your day starts with palinka at 7am as a means of waking you up, that it will not be the most normal of days

couple that with turning up to a house with 6 dogs (2 Labs, an Irish Wolfhound, a Border Terrier and 2 horrid little yappy things), 8 cats, a sheep, a goat and a pig - all of which have names from Star Trek as well as going for walks as a family. Their owner, Ben, is a professional animal trainer although elements of discipline were not necessary included in the training!

Prince Charles and Camilla in Budapest

Just as royalty comes to Hungary, I am following their trip in reverse - as they arrive from Warsaw, I am taking the return trip - which is probably why the flight is delayed!
Not sure what they are coming for but the bridges all look great with the Union Jack and the Hungarian Tricolor side by side.

Budapest riverbank by night

Separated at birth (on the architect's drawing board) - Albert Bridge, London and Szabadszag hid, Budapest

Apres-ski Magyar style

The dreaded Palinka - clear, deadly and unsuspected

Beware the urban avalanche

We have been enjoying a new experience - the urban avalanche - its a silent attacker and is amusing to watch the look on someone's face as a massive dump of snow lands on the street in front of them, setting off car alarms and generally causing chaos.

That said, I have not had the pleasure of being in the middle of one but they seem to be becoming more frequent as the weather warms up and the snow caps on all the buildings start their shift back down slopes and onto the unsuspecting passer-by