Philippe Auguste: As green as it gets!

Pulling a few strings: My latest accessory from the French Open

The French Open at Roland Garros was practically a washout this year, but I was lucky enough to have tickets for one of the few dry days and my friend and I sat in the sun until 9.30pm watching singles and doubles on the outside courts. After that the rain came down so heavily that parts of Paris were under water, with the Seine reaching its highest level since the floods of 1910. This week the waters have subsided and the city is preparing to host the Euro which kicks off tonight. The start of the football tournament has coincided with a series of strikes across the city - the latest one being by the binmen.

What a load of rubbish: Binmen strike for the Euro

After the terrorist attacks at the start of the year, then the havoc wreaked by the floods my husband had joked he was expecting a plague of locusts next. Judging by the rubbish piling up on the pavements it is more likely to be rats -  not what most of the visitors pouring into Paris for the football will be expecting. Still - at least it's not raining!

Taking advantage of the change in the weather and the fact that my son had a half day off school I went ahead and booked a tennis court.

Philippe Auguste in the 11th arrondissement is on the opposite side of Père Lachaise cemetery to our new apartment. It was the first court I ever played on in Paris and I love it. Hidden away behind a modern apartment building and hemmed in by flats on every side it is like playing on a private court, especially on a weekday afternoon.

Green and pleasant court: Philippe Auguste in the 11th arrondissement

We arrived early and enjoyed an extra half-hour of play as the court was empty. I love the green astroturf of this court - if you don't look too closely you could almost be playing on grass. It was a hot, airless afternoon without a breath of wind - not my favourite conditions, although it would be churlish to complain after the deluge - but playing on the soft green surface was definitely cooler than concrete. A delicious fragrance hung in the air from the linden trees around the court and the path from the changing room was lined with roses under-planted with strawberry plants.

My only complaint was that the net was too high - and that was not just an excuse for any shots that ended up in the net - I measured with my Queen's Club measuring chain (thank you Charlotte) unfortunately there was no means of adjusting the net so we just had to live with it.

Tennis Philippe Auguste

108 Avenue Philippe Auguste

75011 Paris

Metro: Charonne