Sarah and Audrey enjoy "Tickle, tickle, tickle!"

Europe Day

In case you missed it, Friday was 'Europe Day' a day celebrating the creation in 1950 of what is now known as the European Union.

On Saturday the three of us stumbled across a huge procession on Marszałkowska celebrating 'Spring Day in Europe'. The procession was made up mostly of children marching and playing music on floats. The march stretched a long way down the road making it quite a noisy and colourful spectacle.

Warsaw's mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (above!)

Separated at Birth?

....The question is can we fix it?

Tennis Action in Warsaw

I was feeling a bit glum earlier this year when the annual WTA tennis tournament in Warsaw was cancelled when the sponsors J&S pulled out. Luckily there was a hastily arranged replacement event in the form of the Suzuki Warsaw Masters to take its place.

Less fortunute was the fact that we hadn't seen the event advertised so we didn't hear about it until its fouth day, and by then the biggest name in the event, Lindsay Davenport, had been knocked out.

Still, Sunday was finals day, it was a nice sunny day in Warsaw, and with the courts only a ten minute stroll from where we live, I went along to watch both the 3rd/4th game and the final.

We discussed for a while going along as a family, but decided that it might get a bit much for Audrey, as at 8 months old the tennis might be lost on her. We imagined her calling out 'Dadada' at a vital duece point. As a result I went along, while Amy had 'girl time' at home with Audrey.

The final was an excellent game between two Russians - Svetlana Kuznetsova (ranked no.4 in the World) and the considerably more glamourous Maria Kirilenko (ranked only 27 in the World, but with her own fashion range!). In the end Kuznetsova was much the stronger player, and had both a faster serve and better ground strokes. She won at a canter (6-2 6-3).

Kirileko serves

Kuznetsova collects her cheque

Then signs some autrographs

Amy and Audrey enjoyed their time together - Audrey is just started to move around the floor - so we're going to have to be careful from now on about leaving things on the carpet within reach of tiny hands.

Over and Out

Wolves beat Plymouth 1-0 in the final game of the season, but the win wasn't enough to make the Championship play-offs and they were denied on goal difference (of +2 goals) losing out to Watford who drew 1-1 at Blackpool.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy in his typical positive spin-style said that the result wasn't the end but the beginning. Perhaps he should give beleaguered Gordon Brown some advice. The league doesn't lie and Wolves were simply not good enough over the course of the season.

It comes at the same time as a barmy plan to expand the ground to 40,000 capacity. Sounds great, but I'm not sure where the extra 20,000 supporters are going to come from?

Meanwhile pesky Albi*n get promoted and Dave Jones, a manager deemed not good enough for Wolves takes his Cardiff team to an FA Cup final. Oh well, there's always next season (grumble grumble)

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!