Wetlands, late winter

There was wet overnight snow that had melted by midday. I'd decided over breakfast to don my wellingtons and stroll down to the wetlands at the end of the road. Within a month from now the marshes will be full of life, frogs, gulls, swans - but now, it's as dead as can be. The ice has melted from the surface of the waters, the snow's gone, but other than the non-migrating magpies, jackdaws and rooks - no interesting wildlife to be seen.

In my wellies I could wade right in; the water level seemed lower than last year, despite the heavier snowfalls this winter. Another place for some peace and solitude. May it long remain so.

The first two links below from a year ago show how different things were last March 7th.

This time last year:
Wetlands, late winter 2008
More intimations of spring
Warsaw Metro's link to the outside world
Okęcie freight sidings

Trackside views, Mysiadło

PKP plans to build a new station between W-wa Jeziorki and Nowa Iwiczna, to serve residents of the new estates springing up on either side of the tracks. Above: a rake of oil cisterns leased from GATX heads north towards Okęcie. Are they empty or full? Anyone know about movements of cisterns along the coal line?

I'd guess the new station will be built somewhere around here. To the right, first signs that yet another housing estate (small, 12-20 houses, I'd guess) will arise. Below: This is where the sidings from the main line to the rampa na kruszywa was. The pointsman's hut in the middle distance is also being demolished. Work on the rampa site seems to have slowed down.



Right: Work on the rampa site. The access road has been hardened and awaits asphalt, meanwhile, I can't make out what's going on here. It could be old pipes being cut up for scrap, or new pipes being laid. But what for? Gas pipes? Water? Anyone from the construction sector have an idea as to what's going on in this scene?

Lenten thoughts on motoring and recession

Does the average family (two parents and two children) actually need more than two small five-door hatchbacks, each with a one litre engine?

Governments seem keen to subsidise the purchase of new cars (to prop up their flagging motor industries) using green arguments that the old cars being replaced are to be scrapped in environmentally friendly ways. OK, a brand new Nissan Micra produces less noxious emissions than my 16 year old one. But let's say that instead of keeping my car from new for such a long time, I'd have changed it every three years for a newer Micra. I'd have been on my fifth one by now. The creation of an extra four motor vehicles has vastly more impact on the environment.

In any case, 16 years ago, I made a conscious decision to get away from my previous habit of changing cars every few years. I traded in my nearly new 2-litre hot hatch for a smaller car with an engine half the size.

The Micra was fine for our needs - two small children and their accoutrements. To anyone who says "I have two kids, therefore I need a giant SUV," I say - twaddle. If you want to invest in their future, buy them education or a flat.

Five years ago, we bought a second car (another one-litre five-door hatchback) to give more flexibility on school and work journeys. And that's that. We have no more ambitions to switch to newer motors. Both our cars are frugal, reliable and good at what they do - getting around town. The Micra, which has not ventured outside of Warsaw in those five years, does over 38 miles to the gallon (around 7l/100km), much of which is driving in traffic jams; in the past year I've covered about 4,000 miles (6,000km) in it; not that much. The Yaris is used for long road trips, where it's also fine (though it could do with a sixth gear).

Our motoring needs, met.

Much of the World's current economic woes stem from western consumers' desire to buy ever bigger and flashier cars, paid for by bank loans backed by rising house prices. This has gone. Instant gratification promised by the car manufacturers and their loan companies has proved illusory.

We must be happy with what we have, make less of an impact on the environment by consuming less and looking after what we own. Modern cars are built to last; we've reached saturation point across most of the west.

I bought my first car, a Morris Minor van, from a guy called Charlie Ware, who wrote a book about the economics of car ownership. He pointed out that by keeping a car for decades rather than years, you'd save vast amounts of capital. He rebutted the argument about keeping a car going beyond the economical cost of its repair. And he was right. I've spent around 1,500 zlotys on my Micra over the past year, tops. That's less that two months repayments on a new Micra.

Of course, there will be a time when the Micra finally conks out; when it does, it shall be replaced by a small reliable car that will also be bought to last for many, many years.

Had my philosophy been the norm in the western world over the past two decades, we'd have not seen the same growth from the early '90s to 2007/8, but neither would we have seen such a dreadful downturn and misery caused by job losses, home repossessions, and falling asset prices.

This time last year:
A light dusting of snow

Our piano tuned

Our piano, an Eavestaff Miniroyal (as played by H.M Queen Ingrid of Denmark), has led a colourful life. Bought second-hand by my parents-in-law around the time Moni was born, it has been moved from Manchester to Perivale, from Perivale to ul. Gajdy in Pyry, and from there to the place it has stood these last seven years here in Jeziorki. In all that time - during all those moves, not once has it been tuned. It has been subject to the ravages of children, with little fists banging on it and sharp metallic items shoved under the keys. And as such, the piano had gotten not a little out of tune.

It has for some time reminded me of the skool piano from St Custards that Molesworth used to pla. "The skool piano you kno the one which go WAM PLUNK BISH BASH ZUNK. Here is the guide -
C - this one go plunk
D - the top hav come off the note and you strike melody from something like a cheese finger.
E - sticks down when you hit it. Bring yore screwdriver to lever it up.
F - have never been the same since molesworth 2 put his chewing gum underneath it.
G - nothing hapen when you hit this note at all.
The loud pedal droped off when molesworth 2 pla 'fairy bells' and have never been seen agane. Inside there are lots of old marbles, cig cards, toy soldiers and dead goldfish.*"

To put things right, expert piano tuner and master craftsman, Bogdan Bąberski (below) arrived first thing this morning. After a lot of work, the old Miniroyal was playing as if H.M. Queen Ingrid herself were tickling the ivories. My wife spent a full hour and half of her day off work playing away merrily, and when Moni came home and ran her fingers over the keyboard, she laughed out loud in delight.

Mr Bąberski left us with a charming book that he'd written for children of all ages, appropriately called Curious Eddie, about how a piano works. It's in Polish and English.

Should any of my Warsaw-based readers need a piano tuner, we can thoroughly recommend Mr Bąberski - send me an email for his contact details.

* words and drawing from The Compleet Molesworth by Geoffrey Willans, illustrated by Ronald Searle. A classic beloved from both my and Moni's childhoods.

This time last year:
Four weeks into Lent

A week into Lent

Quoting from my post at the end of the first week of Lent last year:

"Seven days gone, 39 to go... Living without alcohol is no problem. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are still with me - a light headache that lingers for much of the day. Should go by Day 10. A meat-free diet is a doddle..."

Well, those exact same words apply this time round. This year, however, I've not given up fish. Last year's strict vegan diet was over the top; I felt fatigued. Fish is good for the brain (the Omega 3 oils), and a good source of protein, I'm feeling healthier as a result. I'm eating tons of fruit - ensuring I do at least my five a day. Seedless green grapes, kiwi fruit, apple, banana, citrus.

"Sit ups - started with a modest 15, up to 60 today (two lots of 30)." That's the same number I did today (60), though I'm also doing press ups from the very beginning of Lent (two lots of 12 today).

Lenten recipe 3

Prawn and beansprout stir-fry with spinach

Ingredients:

15 medium prawns, whole; 100g of mixed sprouts (bean, chickpea, lentil, brocolli, Pokarm Życia brand); 100g fresh spinach; fresh corriander.

Method:

Remove stalks from spinach, wash, place in pan with minimum of heat to reduce. I'd make a larger amount for use in three or four dishes, with single clove of garlic, then place cooked in fridge for use later. Peel the prawns. Again, I'd buy half a kilo - usually around 45 to 50 prawns, peel the lot, and refrigerate.

Heat some sunflower oil on large frying pan or wok. When oil is hot, throw on prawns, heat thoroughly for four minutes. Then add the mixed sprouts, half a 200g container is enough for one portion. Stir in the spinach, heat until everything is piping hot. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh corriander leaves, sprinkle with Tabasco hot pepper sauce. Eat while before it cools!

Because most of the ingredients have been prepared earlier, this is quick to make and so an excellent hearty breakfast. A portion like this today kept me going from 7:30 am to four in the afternoon, with just some grapes and orange juice in between.

This time last year:
Dramatic sunset, gales.
Ul. Baletowa before retarmacking
Tourist trails through Jeziorki

Sublime sunset, Jeziorki

Once again I find my mood lifted to a state of elation by the beauty of a Jeziorki sunset in winter. Walking back from the airport (see post below), I take the back road home along ul. Dumki. The last rays of the sun catch the tall birch trees against a pure cloudless sky.

What remains of last week's snow sets icy as the temperature falls back below zero. The warmth of the day radiates up into the clear sky. Apart from a few individuals walking their dogs, there's no one around, Jeziorki offers tranquility and solitude. This for me is the epitome of the sublime aesthetic.

Silver birches look particularly beautiful at dusk, when the glow of the setting sun is reflected in their bark, in contrast to the deepening blue of sky. I feel the cold; leaving home in the early afternoon, I left the quilted liner of the my field jacket behind as it would have been too warm. Now I could do with that and with some thick gloves. Below: Low sun glaring off a tin fence recently erected around a building plot.

Below: The sun going down over the reed beds towards the far end of ul. Dumki backlights rushes in the wetlands. In the background, houses on ul. Trombity.

This time last year:
Sun rises before alarm clock goes off

Work progresses on Europe's crossroad

Standing atop a huge mound of earth piled up besides where the junction of the S79 with the S2 and S7 will be, I take five portrait-format photos which I've stitched together to form a panorama covering more than 180 degrees. To the left - Berlin. To the right - Moscow. Ahead - Gdańsk. Behind me, to the south, Kraków and Budapest. It's worth clicking on the pic for details - it's a big file. Just to left of centre is Okęcie airport. On ul. Puławska, work has already begun clearing trees and summerhouses between the road and this point. I wonder how long it will be before I can drive from my house to here (4.5km/3miles), get onto the S2 and drive to the the English Channel along motorways