The Best Metro Station in the World!

Despite being the shortest metro line in Europe (there is only a single north-south line) Warsaw's metro boasts the most functional and beautiful new metro station as well as the world's best metro driver! Things are clearly on the right track (geddit?)

At a recent MetroRail annual conference (can you imagine how thrilling it must have been?) Plac Wilsona collected the Metro gong for best station and lucky old Robert Jaryczewski was adjudged best driver. Quite how they judged the category of best driver I've really no idea (it's not like they can take the wrong turn) but congratulations to Robert anyway - I'll be hoping he's the driver on every journey I take on the metro from now on!

If you want to know more(!?) click here.

Picnic in the Park

Thursday was a public holiday in Poland, and so the three of us headed off to Pole Mokotowskie park to enjoy a picnic.

It was only as we laid the rug on the grass that I realised that the carefully prepared sandwiches were packed in a backpack sitting at that very moment on our kitchen floor in the apartment.

Fortunately Audrey still had a bottle of milk in her change-bag, so we sat by the lake in the sun for a while (sans-sandwiches) before heading off to one of our favourite spots in Warsaw - Pub Lolek, where the BBQ was raging, and the service was at its usual Basil Fawltyesque best. The three of us enjoyed chicken, salmon and salad then a welcome ice cream before returning home to our somewhat forlorn and forgotten picnic.

Audrey gets her first taste of chocolate ice cream!

Andrzej S. Fogtt

It was a nice sunny day in Warsaw, so on the way back from our lunchtime trip to the Embassy, Audrey and I got off the metro a few stops early and went to an art exhibition near Plac Konstytucji.

The exhibition, by Polish artist Andrej S.Fogtt had been made 'Editor in Chief's Pick' in the Warsaw Insider Magazine so I was expecting good things.

The Gallery (Galeria Sztuki Fabiarnia) was only a small place - I guess the art journals would call it 'intimate'. An old lady stood on the pavement outside, and when she saw us approaching she extinguished her cigarette and went inside the gallery to turn on the lights (I guess this gives you an idea that it wasn't Tate Modern that we were visiting!)

The guys work was ok. To be honest though I thought some of his paintings looked like they'd been inspired by computer circuit boards. Audrey wasn't that impressed either. If you're nearby Plac Konstytucji then go and have a look and make up your own mind but personally I think I'd only give it 5 out of 10. There is a bakery nearby that serves nice pączki, which I would say would be a far better way to spend 10 minutes.

Trevor aged 7 months

I've just received this picture from my Mom and Dad of me aged 7 months (about the same age that Audrey is now). Made me chuckle.

Baby Massage

Audrey and I went along to Baby Massage this morning. It's a six week course organised by a lady in Mums and Tots. Today we were focusing on legs and tummies, and the course builds up week by week.

There were 6 babies there and all of them really loved it. Audrey was totally relaxed afterwards and is now crashed out in her cot. At 8 months old she was the eldest of the lot which makes a nice change as normally she's the 'baby' of groups we attend.

Oonagh, the lady who runs the group gave out these words, which I really liked. They are by Janusz Korczak, who was an amazing man. I'll post more about him another time.

A Voice For the Child

Children are not the people of tomorrow,
but are the people of today

They have a right to be taken seriously,
and to be treated with tenderness and respect.

They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be-
"The unknown person" inside each of them is our hope for the future.

Around the world in 8 days

We've just got back from a short trip to Australia. It was a really nice break and great in that it allowed Amy's parents (Ivor and Wendy), her Nana and Grandma as well as her brother Ivor, and his family to meet Audrey for the first time.

Amy's parents live in Nuriootpa located in the Barossa Valley. It's a big wine growing region and is a really beautiful country spot. Autumn had just begun in South Australia, but despite this we were treated to a lovely week of weather with the temperature in the mid 20s.

Audrey loved our trip, not least as it allowed her to venture out without her coat (without any of the risk of mohair-beret-wearing old Polish ladies chastising us about her state of undress).

She also became aquainted with Milly and Lottie, Amy's parents two dogs who variously scared, excited and entertained her during our spell in Australia. The extra inches in height Audrey will gain before the three of them meet again in a few months time, should just about give her the upper hand over them, but for now it was a fairly even contest!

It was also nice to catch up with Amy's friend Louisa who made the trip out to Nuri' to see the three of us. Unfortunately, because the trip was at such short notice and we had only a short time in Nuri' we were unable to see our other friends. We really look forward to catching up with everyone when we come back in August.

I also got chance to have a couple of games of tennis with Ivor (Amy's dad) which was great fun as well.

While we were away, we also celebrated our first wedding anniversary. It's amazing how the time has flown, and how much has happened in the last 12 months.

Here are some pics from our trip - if you want to see more click here. (Let me know if this doesn't work as I've had some problems with the link)

Audrey and her Great Nana

Audrey and her Great Grandma

Audrey and Pop

Audrey (poses) with her Nana

Louisa, Amy, Trevor and Audrey in Nuriootpa

Amy and Audrey in Harhndorf

Audrey in Hahndorf

Here is a short visit of Audrey enjoying the sun in Hahndorf, a lovely town east of Adelaide.