We're back. The journey wasn't as bad as I feared, there was no vomiting, I had help from the magical calm and serene granny who arrived in Budapest as scheduled and we made it back to England without any major mishaps.
Since then there has been a feasting of sights, tastes and events. I have never seen the boys eat so much. Weetabix (I'd forgotten about Weetabix!), sausages, blueberries and Innocent Smoothies all disappearing at speeds unheard of. I've been indulging in my secret vice of really good white wines which send shivers of pleasure down my spine. The local white wine we drink in Bosnia, Krstic, is fine, really it is, but it isn't good. And if you are going to drink white wine I always think it best to make it good white wine.
We took the boys to a playground this afternoon. It was pouring with rain but that didn't dampen the spirits. The boys couldn't believe their luck - a playground without nails sticking out of the equipment, trains that ran past every couple of minutes, planes in the sky. All this excitement at once. I normally have to ration it out to keep the afternoons filled up.
As Luke swung higher and higher on the toddler swing (he hasn't been in one of those for a very long time) he was so excited.
- Mummy? (as the rain dripped off the end of his nose)
- yes darling?
- my habin a lubly time
- Me too Lukey. Me too.
Showing posts with label playgrounds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playgrounds. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Friday, 23 January 2009
Playgrounds! In Tuzla!
Although there is a great playground in Sarajevo (see earlier post), the rest of the playgrounds in Bosnia leave a lot to be desired. In addition to the limited, poorly maintained and broken equipment I now have a new gripe - mud. The mud would do a trench in The Somme proud. In Tuzla it is that especially thick, stick to your shoes and make them 3 times heavier type of mud. And it is everywhere. Of course it then goes all over the limited, poorly maintained equipment making any play that might have been possible messy.
But, but but. Someone, somewhere has heard my whinging about the state of playgrounds in Bosnia and has done something about it. Now, near Slana Banja park and the saltwater Panonica Lakes, there is a whole army of bulldozers, diggers and trucks. We've been watching with interest for a while (trucks! diggers! bulldozers! Small boy heaven!). But at our last visit I realised, with a lifting of the heart and a soaring choir of angels, they were building a playground. And what a playground it will be. There are climbing frames with tunnels. There are climbing walls and things to climb all over. Slides. Swings. A load of other stuff that hasn't revealed itself yet, but looks good. It even looks as if it will have that spongy blue stuff on the floor to stop everyone hurting themselves when they inevitably fall down.
I have no idea when it will open, but we are likely to be first in the queue. Just hope they have managed to sort out the mud.
But, but but. Someone, somewhere has heard my whinging about the state of playgrounds in Bosnia and has done something about it. Now, near Slana Banja park and the saltwater Panonica Lakes, there is a whole army of bulldozers, diggers and trucks. We've been watching with interest for a while (trucks! diggers! bulldozers! Small boy heaven!). But at our last visit I realised, with a lifting of the heart and a soaring choir of angels, they were building a playground. And what a playground it will be. There are climbing frames with tunnels. There are climbing walls and things to climb all over. Slides. Swings. A load of other stuff that hasn't revealed itself yet, but looks good. It even looks as if it will have that spongy blue stuff on the floor to stop everyone hurting themselves when they inevitably fall down.
I have no idea when it will open, but we are likely to be first in the queue. Just hope they have managed to sort out the mud.
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Playground epiphany
The thing I miss more than anything else in Bosnia is playgrounds. Really good, big, safe playgrounds where the boys can burn off huge amounts of energy and I can have a sanity saving conversation with other Mummys. There are playgrounds in Bosnia, and quite a few in Tuzla but they are just not quite the same. They are much smaller, with maybe one slide, a couple of swings and a small climbing frame. They are generally poorly maintained with the result that things can become absolutely lethal.
Obviously we still go to the playgrounds. Toddlerhood wouldn't be the same without one, and I don't have enough else to do with the boys to get by without going. But I do have to be very vigilant to ensure they don't hurt themselves any more than they would normally.
Hunting down playgrounds has become a bit of an obsession. I got excited about one in Mostar, but on closer inspection it had a lot of broken bits of swing to get impaled on, unbalanced see-saws to smack an unsuspecting chin and the highest slide I have ever seen. It goes without saying that the boys loved it, but I aged about 15 years in an afternoon.
But, just back from Sarajevo, and I can type that we have found THE playground in Bosnia, probably the best we have ever been to anywhere. It has angels singing over it, celestial lighting and hula dancers showing the way. It even serves beer and gives foot massages for tired parents. OK, I might have made the whole of that last bit up. But, it did have 4 (that is FOUR) really cool climbing frames. It had swings for small toddlers which stop them from falling out. It has a lot of spring based see-saws. Everything is made out of wood and plastic and there weren't any sharp bits anywhere. Most of all it was really well maintained. Oh, we had such a blissfully happy afternoon.
Obviously we still go to the playgrounds. Toddlerhood wouldn't be the same without one, and I don't have enough else to do with the boys to get by without going. But I do have to be very vigilant to ensure they don't hurt themselves any more than they would normally.
Hunting down playgrounds has become a bit of an obsession. I got excited about one in Mostar, but on closer inspection it had a lot of broken bits of swing to get impaled on, unbalanced see-saws to smack an unsuspecting chin and the highest slide I have ever seen. It goes without saying that the boys loved it, but I aged about 15 years in an afternoon.
But, just back from Sarajevo, and I can type that we have found THE playground in Bosnia, probably the best we have ever been to anywhere. It has angels singing over it, celestial lighting and hula dancers showing the way. It even serves beer and gives foot massages for tired parents. OK, I might have made the whole of that last bit up. But, it did have 4 (that is FOUR) really cool climbing frames. It had swings for small toddlers which stop them from falling out. It has a lot of spring based see-saws. Everything is made out of wood and plastic and there weren't any sharp bits anywhere. Most of all it was really well maintained. Oh, we had such a blissfully happy afternoon.
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