W-wa Jeziorki: The Long Review of 2025: Pt I

What a year! Two life-changing events for me (more on both in subsequent posts), namely a heart attack in April and the shift from being pet-free to sharing my small house six cats. Just kind of happened.

But I'd like to start this cycle of posts reviewing 2025 with something else that interests me – Poland's development, as seen from the local, regional and national level. I have now lived 28 years in Poland, and during that time, the national quality of life has gone up and up and up, though it must be said, from a modest base. This blog records 18 of those 28 years, and looking back, I can see numerous tipping points, technological and infrastructural, that make life more comfortable, easier.

This year, that progress has been equally visible. Poland's improvement makes a contrast with the austerity-level stasis that the UK is experiencing since the global financial crisis of 2008. Poles today are on average 50% better off than they were 20 years ago, whilst Britons are earning less in real terms than they were 20 years ago. And unlike the UK, where the nation's wealth remains resolutely concentrated in London, one can see Poland flourishing in every corner.

This year, most of my longer journeys took me to destinations east of the Vistula, which makes up for absence there in recent years. I visited Kazimierz Dolny, Białowieża, Przemyśl, Zamość and Rzeszów, by car and by train and was impressed at the huge improvement in the road network. Two major station remonts were completed this year, Warsaw West (W-wa Zachodnia) and Rzeszów Główny, although the former still awaits its underground tram connection. Warsaw's tram network remains a work-in-progress, although it's now possible to take one down ulica Rakowiecka (finally finished).

A propos of my travels in 2025, worthy of note is my overnight stay in Wawel Castle ("free to those that can afford it, very expensive to those that can't"). Kraków, south of the river, has also seen big leaps forward in construction and infrastructure, although it does remain the victim of over-tourism.

Locally here in Chynów, many infrastructure improvement projects were carried out and completed this year (for instance here and here and here), with many more in the pipeline for next year. Chynów has a new supermarket (Deko Market, its third), and a second kebab outlet (Amigo Kebab), though unlike the Luxor Kebab, which opened in 2024, there's no indoor seating. Maybe the new retail centre next door to the old retail centre, completed but not yet let out, will see another eaterie. The old BP petrol station, which became a TransOil petrol station in April, has a great little restaurant opening by it, Zajazd u Latoszków. Weekday lunch menu 30zł (soup and generous main course).

I mentioned recently that a new, long, pavement will be built connecting the level crossing in Jakubowizna to Chynów station and then on to ulica Wolska. Below: ul. Kolejowa, Chynów station behind me and to the right. The asphalt is recent (before, the road would flood from edge to edge after any thunderstorm), the posts preventing pavement parking appeared this spring. By next spring the pavement on the other side of the road should be complete too. And parking facilities. As I wrote earlier this month, the number of bicycle stands on the Jakubowizna side of the station has tripled.

The election of a young and dynamic wójt (mayor of a rural municipality) will see greater dialogue and transparency when it comes to choosing priorities for further roll-outs of local infrastructure.

Below: fibre roll-out... optical fibre has been laid along the entire length of my lane. This roll, just outside my front gate (I presume looking at its length) is long enough to stretch to my house, but not to the houses beyond in Grobice. One gigabyte per second here we come!