Budy Sułkowskie

Last year I wrote about the new road bridge over the river Czarna between Sułkowice and Gabryelin, and this January, I took a walk over the wetlands along the Czarna when they froze over. After the bridge was built, a new hardened road, made of paving stones rather than asphalt, was laid along the southern edge of the village of Ławki. Local maps have been redrawn to show at last something more than a muddy track leading Budy Sułkowskie, which maintains the picturesque and timeless charm of a Mazovian village now most lost to development and progress.

This is ulica Cicha (literally, 'Quiet Street') in the village of Budy Sułkowskie. The word budy is the plural of buda, which means 'hut' or 'shed' or 'shack' – and is not a complimentary term in the context of a group of buildings.  As the result of a referendum held in 2016, Budy Sułkowskie have been incorporated into the much larger village of Sułkowice to the south, home to the famous police-dog training centre. Wooden cottages and barns, agricultural machinery, narrow fields.

Below: looking along the newly-hardened road. I wonder whether paving stones are cheaper to lay than asphalt for such a long stretch. To the right, fenced off, recreational działki in Ławki, and to the left, agriculture in Budy Sułkowskie.

Below: in January, these wetlands were solid frozen; today I wet my socks wading through here, worth it though, to experience this marshy land transitioning swiftly into spring mode. I caught sight of a swan through the the reeds. In the distance, the Warsaw-Radom railway line.

Left: progress was slow, though the water was not deep. In the distance, the rail bridge over the Czarna river, pictured below. The bridge has steps at either end and a walkway separated from the tracks. I sit down on the steps, take off my boots and socks, draining the former and wringing the latter. My feet are dry by the time I enter Sułkowice. A Koleje Mazowieckie train heads north for Warsaw.

Left: there's no official way to enter Sułkowice station from the north end of the 'down' platform. Unlike Ustanówek or Zalesie Górne or Piaseczno stations, where PKP PLK built  proper access at both ends, here, local unofficial solutions are needed. Planks over the ditch between track and footpath, and wooden steps help passengers up to platform level. I don't understand PKP PLK's policy – some stations get access, others don't. For people living north of Sułkowice station, the official way round is a four-to-seven-minute detour, walking along a road without a pavement or street lights.

Below: back at Chynów. Short hop by train, ticket cost me 2.73zł, or 54p (with my 30% over 60s' discount). Another northbound Koleje Mazowieckie train pulls into the station. The trains are frequent, reliable and inexpensive.

It warmed up nicely today; I set off at 14:00 wearing a shirt and leather jacket – after half an hour's walk I had to take the jacket off and stow it in my rucksack. A westerly breeze added to the comfort level. 

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Działka remont update

This time six years ago:
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This time 12 years ago:
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This time 13 years ago:
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This time 14 two years ago:
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This time 15 years ago:
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This time 16 years ago:
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This time 16 years ago:
Jeziorki from the air