Scenes in Warsaw and a non-nightmare on Dolina Sluzewiecka (for once).

(Just listening to Janet Street Porter on Radio 5 saying she likes to go to a wine bar on her own to talk to people, rather than use the internet. Knew there was a good reason to socialise online!)

This morning I started a new class at a major banking and insurance company in Poland. The clients all cover different parts of the operation of the company in Poland so it's a great opportunity to learn more about these elements and use current issues to teach the clients about the bits of their company they never normally get to see.

I got off the bus a bit early to explore the district of Solec. By the Lazienkowksi bridge I found this abandoned (or should it be scuttled?) boat, making a fine perch for passing birds.

I really wish I had a better camera because there are a host of photo opportunities in Warsaw.

In the last two days Warsaw's weather has suddenly changed, with squalls and occasional heavy rain, strong to very strong gusty winds. Writing that reminds me how much I miss the shipping forecast. Listening to the Radio 4 play for the week followed by the shipping forecast in the early hours of the morning was the hallmark of my time working for a minister in Government.  Gentle, melodious, utterly inexplicable and totally British. I suddenly miss it hugely.

Walking up Czerniakowska street I found several memorials to the Home Army, the Polish resistance army which fought the Nazis in the Battle For Warsaw for months absolutely alone, outnumbered and lacking all materials and support in a battle which led to the total destruction of one of Europe's most ancient cities and a huge loss of life and which was then almost completely ignored by the Allies ever after.

I have Rising 44 by Norman Davies beside me and will try and find out the background to these memorials.

By ul. Solec I find a scene which typifies for me the development of Warsaw since the fall of Communism.

This has got to be a pre-war building. I wish I could find out more about it but I was in a bit of a hurry having wandered about for so long.

This afternoon I had my MRI scan - very noisy and quite boring after the first 10 minutes - and then afterwards I walked home down ul. Sobieskiego and onto ul. Dolina Sluczewiecka which is rapidly becoming my worst nightmare when stuck on a bus. Walking was great: The prevailing winds and the size of my derriere meant I fairly sailed down the road. I ended up walking about 10 or 12 kilometres home and on Dolina Sluczewiecka for at least two kilometres I was walking a little faster than the cars on the road heading south. 

What struck me most was that in this busy suburban area, with a gridlocked road absolutely jam-packed with cars, I passed only two pedestrians and no cyclists.

The car above roared like a slon (elephant) but resembled a Thai tuk-tuk. It's a brave man who drives that car in Warsaw! This week alone I've seen a car crashed caused by insane speeding and tailgaiting round a blind bend in the dark and another car hurtle through a red light and narrowly miss a couple and their baby who were crossing quite legitimately. Heart in mouth moment and all too common. Pays to look both ways thrice and then double twice before you cross here.

On the way back I popped into a Kosciol (church) in the middle of a service on ul. Renety. Standing at the back, speaking to no-one and understanding little. A small moment of calm.