Senoritas in Madrid!

When I heard that my Aunt Irene was going to be visiting Spain last month I knew I wanted to find a way to see her.  She was gracious enough to extend her visit and I flew over from Warsaw to meet her in Madrid for the weekend.  Unfortunately, Tom could not make the trip due to some business commitments but we girls somehow survived.  ; ) 

We had a fantastic girls weekend!  We had a leisurely weekend doing exactly whatever we felt like.  There was no pressure to see every museum on  Madrid or hit every tapas bar...more importantly, we enjoyed quality time together.  Throughout our weekend we still managed to check out this beautiful city!  We went on on bus tour of the city to get a good overview, walked around a number of plazas (including our favorite - Plaza del Sol), indulged in tapas and Tinto de Verano, explored the gorgeous botanical garden, and of course, bargained with the street vendors for souveneirs.  We also celebrated our girls weekend by sleeping in late, sharing champage and birthday treats, watching a movie in bed and checking out Boys Town in Madrid for some eye candy. 

It was so fantastic to share this special time together!  We had a total blast running around the city.  I am so grateful that Irene spent the last part of her trip sharing it with me.  We created such great memories that I will always remember.  It's these experiences that make living overseas so special!  Thanks Irene for sharing your vacation with me!  We love you!

Grabbing lunch with the locals

We had to indulge in the local specialty...churros dipped in drinking chocolate. Delcious!

The famous churros and chocolate place!

Our Hotel at dusk

Celebrating Irene's Birthday together!

Touring the city....

Jamon, jamon and more jamon

Our favorite lunch....jamon bocadillo (aka ham sandwich)

Fun street vendors....

and more....

More birthday treats

The Gorgeous Botanical Garden in Madrid

More street vendor fun...

Nothing better to celebrate a girls weekend than with some bubbly!



Dzien Dziecka

Today in Poland is Dzien Dziecka.....Children's Day!  The International Children's Day (Międzynarodowy Dzień Dziecka) on June 1st was initiated by the International Federation of Democratic Women in 1949 and introduced in Poland in the early 1950’s. It was easily adopted by Polish children and adults on a personal level as well as in schools and other public institutions. This is not a public holiday and children still attend school on this day, but schools usually organize some special activities and events for them, such as outdoor plays or field trips to the theatre or cinema. Many parents buy gifts for their children since this is a day dedicated to them. The idea is to make this day a special one for all children so that they know that they are loved and they deserve some joy and happiness. A recent Children’s Day tradition in Poland is the special session initiated by the Polish Parliament that invites children to discuss issues such as education or children’s rights. June 1st is celebrated as International Children's Day not only in Poland but also in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Eastern part of Germany. 

You'll notice that Children's Day follows after Mother's Day in Poland...providing extra incentive for children to treat their mother's with love and care on Mother's Day!  : )

Summer Fun.....

My mom and dad have been a bit busy.....but they promise updates soon. In the meantime, thought I'd share a photo of me driving my dad's car.

 Love, Charlie

Sofia, Bulgaria

Last weekend we made a quick trip to the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia.  We had a great time and enjoyed seeing a new part of Eastern Europe, but this trip wasn't exactly in the plans.  In an effort to make an incredibly long story short, our Polish residence cards expired before our new ones were renewed.  So, in order to stay in the country legally we had to leave Poland and have our passports stamped coming back in...allowing us to stay in the country for 90 days (plenty of time to get the new residence card).  Sounds pretty easy at first, right?  Just leave Poland....no problem.  But, the existence of the European Union makes this a tad more difficult since you do not get a passport stamp when travelling between EU countries.  So, our travel destination list was shortened quite quickly which is how we settled on our weekend in Bulgaria.  (And for those who are well versed in EU knowledge, yes, Bulgaria is in the EU but is not yet part of the Schengen Zone which made it work for our situation)

The pre-Poland Sarah would have been highly stressed and annoyed that this whole situation came about and that we had to actually, physically leave the country in order to be "legal".  But, as I've said in other blog posts...living abroad has definitely made me more easy going and I have come to expect that simple tasks usually wind up being much more complicated.  So, amazingly enough....this one didn't really surprise me.  I chalked it up to another crazy, but yes, this is really happening expat experience!  And, it allowed us to spend a nice quick weekend in Bulgaria.

Sofia is a beautiful, old city that, to me, was a cross between Greece and Poland (aka Eastern Europe with a Mediterranean flair).  We spent our day and a half walking around the city, exploring the sites (including a ton of Eastern Orthodox churches), and indulging in the local cuisine..which Tom and I loved.  We are now on the hunt for a Bulgarian restaurant in Poland.  I do have to say that I now understand why the Poles consider themselves the creme de la creme of Eastern Europe.  Sofia is beautiful but a large portion of the city definitely resembles a very stereotypical communist feel to it -- Poland has worked hard to modernize.

Sofia was a great taste of Bulgaria and left us wanting more.  We have heard great things about the coast of the country on the Black Sea.  So, we have added that to our never ending travel list! 

Remains of a 600 year old church near our hotel

We loved the Bulgarian food....a deer stew here!

One of many Eastern Orthodox churches

Lots of stray dogs roaming the streets...just like Athens

More deliciousness....a vegetarian dish the even Tom liked!

Traditional Bulgarian bread dipped in spices