Wetlands between Sułkowice and Gabryelin

Between Sułkowice and Gabryelin with its misnamed station lies swampy land lying alongside the Czarna ('black') river. A small part of this wetland is owned by Polish state forestry operator, Lasy Państwowe - the rest is unclaimed marsh. You can see this clearly from the train as it rushes past; recent track modernisation has focused on proper drainage to ensure the rail bed won't be washed away from underneath. The village that lies to the west of the tracks is called Ławki (ława = bench, ławka, diminutive of ława, therefore 'little bench', ławki, plural =little benches).

Below: the Czarna river demarcating the border between Sułkowice and Ławki, a Warsaw-bound Koleje Mazowieckie train heading north. I like the colour of the land at this time of year - burnt umber, yellow ochre, black, grey and white.

Below: across the Czarna, across the tracks, and into Little Benches from the north side. This is ulica Południowa ('South Street'); no asphalt.

I have long intended to explore this wetland when it ices over - sadly, the past week, which saw night-time temperatures reach lows of -9C, ended with a thaw, and there weren't enough consecutive days of deep frost for the whole area to freeze over. But I did manage to walk alongside the track on the dirt road restored (for access to the new pumping station) during the modernisation of the Warsaw-Radom railway line. Below: this is what I'm talking about - it would be brilliant to have ice thick enough to stroll out into these wetlands. Only deep in mid-winter can one have a nose around this submerged terrain. I'd be interested to see what wildlife I'd spot, even at this time of year.

Below: this is an extensive - some 30 hectares - area of no-man's land, too wet for trees, too wet to farm, between the railway line and the houses of Ławki.

Below: Ławki from the north. This is ul. Główna ('Main Street'), which received asphalt and a (very narrow) pavement around the time the railway modernisation reached these parts. Note the bus stop; from here, you can catch the L19 local service to Pieczyska. The next stop along, Ławki, is the nearest bus stop to my działka (5km as the crow flies); going the other way, the L19 runs all the way to Piaseczno. 'Gimbus', by the way, is the school bus to the local gimnazjum ('junior high').

Below: approaching Czachówek Południowy station, a southbound InterCity train on its way to Kraków. For some reason, around here, I'm getting a consistent flashback vibe to a day in the early 1960s when my parents and I visited friends of theirs who lived in Leytonstone, East London. I'm not sure what triggered this, but I could feel the klimat of that journey, right across London and back, quite clearly; I remember being struck by how comparatively poor the East End felt compared to West London.

Below: roadsign in Gabryelin; is it not time to change the icon for 'station' to something more modern than a steam loco? I associate this pictogram with a heritage railway site... Anyway, the building on the left in the distance is the local Carrefour Express. Last time I was here, in the summer, it was a Sunday, so it was closed. Today, I shall pop in to do a small shop. My hopes are for a decent sélection of French fromages and charcuterie...

But no. Another disappointing rural retail experience - Gabryelin's Carrefour Express has far more modest fare than Chynów's Top Market and is slightly more expensive. Small-format Żabka stores in Warsaw have a more varied and interesting range. So I buy some fruit and veg (no cheese - no choice!) then back to Czachówek Południowy station for the train back to Chynów. With over 60s discount, I pay 4.87zł (90p) for the 6km journey.

Below: stepping from a cold platform into a warm carriage for a short ride meant that the lens of my Nikon Coolpix A was fogged over as the train headed back past the lands I'd just walked over, yielding a pleasant Impressionist image. Everything between the tracks in the foreground to the distant treeline is boggy ground.

I hope there will yet be winters to come when these wetlands freeze over sufficiently for a full exploration deep into the reeds. I doubt such an opportunity will come before this spring.

This time three years ago:
Dark, wet, gloomy February - but no winter.

This time four years ago:
The filth and the fury

This time seven years ago:
Defining the human experience

This time nine years ago:
The City of Warsaw wants you to complain

This time ten years ago:
Czachówek's wild woods in winter

This time 11 years ago:
Vistula freezes over downstream of Warsaw 

This time 12 years ago:
Twilight of the Ikars

This time 13 year ago:
Polish TV adverts for parapharmaceuticals

This time 14 years ago:
Jeziorki wetlands in winter

This time 15 years ago:
A week into Lent