Sunday 6 January 2019

Jakubowizna in midwinter

Due to my long stay in London, I've not been able to visit Jakubowizna for nearly a month (last visit was 8 December). Now that the house is alarmed and fitted with security glass, I feel a lot more relaxed about leaving it unattended. Underfloor heating kept on to keep the frosts at bay. Good to be back! I managed a fair bit of writing (well, editing actually) and some rural peace and quiet.

Below: the road to my działka, snow falling gently, temperature a reasonable -6C.


Looking back with a longer lens as a Warsaw-bound train heads north. Just ten minutes from the station to my działka - a bit longer in the slippy conditions (best to walk on the virgin snow, rather than that which has been compacted by passing traffic).


Below: view from my balcony window today...


...and from an autumnal visit (on 21 October 2018) below.


I await the spring! The sun sets in Warsaw at 15:39, whilst in London, today's sunset is at 16:08 local time, nearly half an hour later. This time next year, we'll be enjoying an extra hour of evening daylight at this dark time of year.

Below: wide-angle shot of the road towards the station.



 Below: the level crossing north of Chynów station.


Below: I popped my head out of the train at Sułkowice station, the stop between Chynów and Czachówek. This is the first station to be undergoing modernisation on the section of the line between Czachówek and Warka. The platform has been bisected; half will be ripped up soon, to be replaced by a new one (the retaining walls are now visible across the track bed). This will be the 'up' platform, and once new track has been laid, it will serve both 'up' and 'down' trains until the new 'down' platform is built and 'down' track laid.


This all will take time; my guess is that in the summer of 2020 the line from Warsaw all the way down to Warka will have been modernised, shaving a few minutes off travel time.

Below: a walk home in the dusk, from W-wa Jeziorki station along ul. Nawłocka.



This time last year:
Warm winter's day in Jakubowizna

This time two years ago:
Seeking an aesthetic in the Grim

This time three years ago:
UK overtakes France as the World's 5th Biggest Economy 

This time six years ago:
Ice in the Vistula

This time nine years ago:
A consolation to my British readers

This time ten years ago:
Winter in its finery

The time 11 years ago:
Snow fences keep the trains running

2 comments:

Wilkbury said...

"This time next year, we'll be enjoying an extra hour of daylight".
Michael – how come?
January 6, 2019 - 6 hours and 56 minutes between sunrise and sunset.
January 6, 2020 - 6 hours and 56 minutes between sunrise and sunset...
:)

Michael Dembinski said...

@Wilkbury - logically, you are right!

I'm referring to the working day; for many of us with the current set up, we start work and leave work in midwinter in darkness. With year-round summertime, we'll be leaving work with a little bit of daylight even in mid-December. And it'll be getting light an hour or so after work starts...