Casa Vlad Dracul...

The house where Vlad Tepes was allegedly born:

And spent the first 4 years of his life:

Now it's kitschly decorated:

And has a restaurant on the third floor:

Every house should have a coat of armour!

Egypt in miniature...

You may be surprised to realise that this is not the real Sphinx:

It is a cleverly realised miniature from Tobu World Square in Tochigi Prefecture. And it fits nicely with the most recent Amelia Peabody adventure I've devoured - Lion in the Valley:

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Amelia, Radcliffe and their precocious son Ramses do battle against the Master Criminal - a genius of disguise - as they attempt to excavate the burial chamber of the Black Pyramid in Dahshoor...


And I leave you with the grandeur of Abu Simbel:

It's spectacular...even in miniature!