Wszyscy tak jeżdżą - book review

The title of my recent read can be translated as Everyone drives like this and is a major excuse of any Pole reproached over their misconduct behind the wheel. The core sin of Polish drivers is speeding, which since decades has been not just put up with, nearly everyone turns a blind eye on it. This pathology has become a normalcy in my homeland.

The book begins with recollections of the most notorious traffic accidents, which made the headlines in Poland in recent years, including that one. The author (Bartosz Józefiak) not only reminds excessive speed was the foremost cause of such accidents (had it not been for glaring speeding, those collisions would have ended up with minor injuries at worst), but also highlights the common denominator of the culprits’ mindsets.

A typical Polish road hog claims to have been out of luck to kill an innocent human on the road, with little remorse, blaming circumstances rather than their style of driving. Insane drivers are afflicted by illusion of control. They realise accidents happen, but tend to think they happen to someone else, not them (which statistically holds true, until a quite low probability of a mishap materialises). Traffic psychologists, who worked with a sufficiently large sample of road criminals are capable of painting a picture of a typical road hog. It is a male, aged 18 – 45, often frustrated by life, but not by involuntary celibate, yet self-confident, with large levels of testosterone and no reasonable idea how to give off it wisely. Instead of going to a gym, running, kick-boxing or another health-conducive activity, they decide to raise their adrenaline levels on public roads, putting at peril lives of each of us.

They wrongfully assert speed is not a problem. In their narrow minds public infrastructure is not adjusted to how they desire to make use of it. Besides, other traffic participants ought to be more prudent and get off their way, once they approach in ungodly haste. Law of the jungle prevails in their heads, especially when they invoke concepts of personal liberties, stifled by traffic restrictions. Has nobody told them freedom without responsibility is just a selfishness?

The author rightly points out a major part of the problem are those sitting behind the wheel to earn a livelihood and here I concur with the view the system, not the people, is to blame. Sales representatives chasing unrealistic sales targets drive like lunatics because their employers expect them to do so. Delivery couriers break traffic rules several times a day, since their targets are exorbitantly high and rates per parcel laughably low. Truck drivers need to meet deadlines theoretically out of reach, hence if devices assembled in their vehicles hinder speeding, they resort to other tricks to accelerate their journeys. Those pathologies are the price we as society pay for a having the fruits of our consumerist indulgence delivered quickly and cheaply at our doorsteps.

On top of that we have individuals living in constant haste, desperately trying to combine family and professional duties, perpetually short of time and trying to move around possibly quickly. For such reason, Poles get accustomed to being car-ridden and after a while cease to see alternatives. Such is the reason for short-distance (below 3 miles) journeys, which ought to be eliminated first.

If the car addiction has gone so far, how can it be reversed? Traffic experts remind a human being is defiant by nature and dislikes being told to change their habits abruptly. This should be done slowly, consistently, heedless of bleating car-ridden meatheads. Sticks should be complemented with carrots, i.e. cheap, convenient and reliable public transport. This especially is a problem in the Polish countryside, where in several villages you will not spot a single bus running at least once a day. Out there, in the sticks, you are trapped at home unless you have a car (usually an old, cheap, air-polluting one).

Speeding fines in Poland were substantially raised at the beginning of 2022, which led to a decline in fatalities. Still, the Polish fine schedule is quite lenient, as painful fines are charged for speeding above 30 kmph – in the range of 31 – 40 kmph above speed limit you pay PLN 800. But moderate speeding remains tolerable – for driving 9 kpmh faster than allowed you might pay mere PLN 50. The fine I received in Czech Republic for driving 59 kpmh, where 50 kmph was allowed, was over four times higher. And this is why all of a sudden most Poles morph into ultra-obedient drivers abroad.

Off to Wisła for the Corpus Christi weekend. Next posting in two weeks.

Poland on fire

The recent were disturbingly abundant in terrifying events. Just a coincidence?

The series of spectacular fires in Poland commenced on Friday, 10 May, when a landfill in Siemianowice Śląskie came into flames. Burning illegal rubbish yards were the order of the day in warmer halves of recent years, so there should be nothing worrying, except for the fact the Polish government still cannot get to grips with criminal dump collection.

On Sunday, 12 May I woke up to see a text message warning of potentially hazardous fire from a shopping mall burning on the other end of Warsaw, some 25 kilometres away from me. I thought the scale of the blaze must have been scary, if the warnings reached inhibitants of quite distant areas. With hindsight, the air contamination turned out less harmful than anticipated, yet the largest roof-covered bazaar in Warsaw came into non-existence. Luckily, there were no fatalitities, but none of the anti-fire precautions has worked and the firemen claim it looked like the fire had been set in eight different spots using flammable materials.

On the same day, while driving to my girlfriend's flat, we spotted another billow of black smoke above Warsaw. Another, smaller rubbish dump yard was on fire, just incidentally.

On the next day (Monday, 13 May) before dawn ten buses (with conventional engines) got burnt down in a bus depot in Bytom. Before midday a roof of a high school in Grodzisk Mazowiecki went into flames during the school-leaving exams. Around the same time, an explosion destroyed training facilities of a firemen school in Poznań. No casualties, except for the third accident.

Was such pile-up of fires a coincidence? Statistically, it is entirely possible. Could it be a part of the hybrid war aimed as destabilising the West, as some politicians claim? Conceivably yes, but there is no proof. Should we worry more than before? Definitely not, the enemy wants to see us scared and we refuse to please our enemy.

Tuesday, 14 May was an uneventful day, or a rather a lull before the storm. Maybe except for the fact all personal data of Santander Bank Polska's staff leaked to hackers.

On Wednesday, 15 May the quite afternoon was interrupted by the news the quite recently elected Slovak prime minister got was shot by an assassin. He ... The very story reminds of the assassination of Gdansk's mayor over five years ago. Except for the major outcome, i.e. unlike Mr Adamowicz, Mr Fico is alive four days past the murder attempt, though far from being on the mend.

If Russia is to blame, they are disturbing our lives patiently, without spectacular attacks on critical infrastructure. Power plants, electricity grid, water treatment, traffic control - those remain either well-protected, or so far are beyond the interest of the empire of evil. Whatever the truth is, no reasons now to become complacent. The evil is patient and pursues its long-term goal, not risking premature moves likely to be foiled.

Into the mountains for a long weekend

Back from a very intense, nine-day holidays (with only three working days taken off) spent in Wisła (free-of-charge accomodation) and around. In terms of physical exercise, it was a demanding time.

On Saturday, 27 April we had warm-up bike trip south of Wisła, with some significant elevation. 32 kilometres cycling done.

On Sunday, 28 April we girlfriend ran across the mountains west of Wisła, while I kept her company on my bike. Except for uphill sections, when I had to manhandle a bike, a piece of cake. 24 kilometres covered.

On Monday, 29 April, we drove to the Czech Republic with bikes and did a 27-kilometre trip, including an ascent to more than 1,000 metres above sea level. I am falling in love with Poland's southern neighbour even more.

On Tuesday, 30 April we went on a 22-kilometre climb to Skrzyczne, which is the second-highest peak in Beskid Śląski. Due to temperature topping at around +25C, this was the most exhaustive activity during our stay. The snap shows Jezioro Żywieckie, as seen from the final ascent to the Skrzyczne summit.

The first day of May, as a proper labour day, was the time of rest.

On Thursday, 2 May, again we packed the bikes into the car and went for a 47-kilometre cycling trip into Lysa Hora, which included an 8-kilometre uphill section with elevation of 700 metres. Covering it, either on a saddle, or manhandling, was memorable and splendid views from the peak, 1,368 metres above the sea level, came as a reward.

On Friday, 3 March we drove to Górna Rycerka to take a leisury 16-kilomtre hike into Przegibek and Wielka Racza route. With mere 700 metres of elevation, that was a relatively light expedition, with only some breathtaking views. The one to the right shows snow still lingering on northern slopes of Slovakian mountains.

On Saturday, 4 May we ventures to a cosy historic Czech town, Stramberk, located some 80 kilometres from Wisła. The pics shows the market square (or rather rectangle) visible from the historic castle tower.

History of the town dates back to the fourteenth century, however the wooden huts in the central part for which the town is famous, were built in the eighteenth century and remain superbly preserved.

The town has a hilly landscape and the six-kilometre stroll was full of ascents and descents, abounding in unforgettable panoramas (in the background the castle tower from which the first photo was taken).

On Sunday, 5 May, we took a short (mere 28 kilometres) trip to Ustroń by bike. In nearly flat terrain it brought a nice ending to the calorie-burning weekend.

Back to Warsaw to drown in a daily gring, counting down days to the oncoming Corpus Christi weekend.

A weekend in Kraków

A shame to admit prior to the last weekend I had never ventured to Kraków for purposes other than in business. I did not make it to the memorable (who of the attendees remembers it today?) blogosphere meeting in 2010, then for years there was no other reason to visit it, so keeping company to my girlfriend who ran the Kraków marathon last Sunday was sufficient to spend nearly the entire Saturday and Sunday in the former capital of Poland.

For years I have always had some sort of dislike for Kraków. Firstly because of the stereotypical conviction the city’s inhabitants are toffee-nosed and hold their heads up high, secondly on account of difficulties in finding a common tongue with workmates from Kraków several times during my career, thirdly driven by slow-flow and churchy nature of the city.

Unsurprisingly, we got there by the brand-new car, the journey duration was comparable to the fastest intercity train, but and here shame on the Polish railways, the petrol cost (with economic driving Octavia consumes mere 5 litres per 100 kilometres) was over 50% cheaper than train tickets. But I must admit driving around the city centre (only to reach our apartment and get out of it) was a big nuisance – thumbs up to the authorities of Kraków for their efforts to discourage private vehicle usage in the city centre.

Over two days I walked around 45 kilometres sightseeing the city and two days were still not enough. To the right – the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, being a blend of old and refurbished architecture. The market square of the district could have done without vehicles.

On Saturday afternoon we strolled down the boulevards along Vistula. River banks are full of greenery and are a superb hangout in the warmer half of the year. Spring in overdrive (those were the last two days of near-summer weather) lifted spirits!.

In the evening we roamed to Cmentarz Rakowicki to visit a grave of her friend who passed away in August 2023. The historic cemetery located in the city centre (which is a rarity) is worth visiting, if even you have no explicit purpose as we did have.

The main market square on Sunday morning was partly choke full of runners, but on the other end empty. Absence of crowds adds to the place’s charm. The morning was abnormally warm for mid-April, temperature at 9:00 a.m. was already above +15C.

To reaffirm my church-oriented associations, I need to pop by ulica Franciszkań- ska and snap the edifice of the Cracow bishop’s office (in Polish: kuria biskupia). You should know who appeared in the window above the door several times…

Not much later I scrambled to the Wawel hill, also do discover the courtyard of the Wawel castle is open to visitors free of charge. I have finally somewhat made up for my lack of familiarity with Poland’s former capital.

Down the Wawel hill, I came across a cross commemora- ting the Katyń massacre which until 1990 had not functioned in the public discourse. Recently laid wreath remind the anniversary of the genocide has just passed.

Around noon on Sunday I reached Zakrzówek on south-western edge of Kraków. The green areas have been redeveloped in recent years and now the city can definitely boast about them. I climbed a quite steep rocky mound to find myself on a natural terrace with a picturesque view on the city’s panorama.

Not far from the viewing point is the Croatia-like Zakrzówek pond with man-made beaches and nature-sculpted rocks, a spot jam-packed in summer months (the city had to place limits on number of visitors), was moderately crowded on a spring Sunday.

After the short trip neither have I grown fond of Kraków nor has the klimat of the city enchanted me, but once another opportunity arises, I will strive to explore it better.

Next post on 12 May (off to Wisła for the long May weekend and the days ahead of it).

Winter Timeline 2023/24

Predictions for the passing winter varied greatly since late summer of 2023, due to unknown impact of El Nino, bringing both negative and positive anomalies in Europe. The consensus above forecasters was probably that Poland would experience both spells of warmth and cold snaps, but all in all the winter will be normal both in terms of temperature and snowfall.

The winter was preceded by a record-warm autumn, actually the warmest since records began.

First ground frosts were observed in Warsaw on 9 October 2023 and 10 October 2023 (temperature 2 metres above ground declined only to +0.5C). In most places in Poland first frosts were reported, while hilly southern regions were covered by a thin and quickly-melting blanket of snow. The first frost was measured on 18 October 2023, exactly in line with 1991-2020 average and its incidence was the earliest since 2016.

17 November 2023
The winter timeline is initiated exactly on the same day as in 2018 and 2022.
Flurry begins in the afternoon, by late evening some of the snow lingers, despite temperature just above 0C.

18 November 2023 – 19 November 2023
Intense snow showers on and off. The white powder is heavy and melts slower than it falls. Temperature gently above freezing most of the time.

20 November 2023
It thaws out; snows melt. Drizzle and fog make the day abhorrently dark.

21 November 2023
The day starts with a freezing drizzle, which later turns into snow. No warmer than –1C. Slippery as hell.

22 November 2023

The morning is the coldest since many months, with a low of –6C at dawn. Clear, blue skies, chilly wind and day-time high of 0C.

23 November 2023
From –3C and freezing rain in the morning, to +8C, gusty wind and rain pouring sideways in the evening. Autumn is back, but not for long.

24 November 2023
From +3C in the morning to light frost in the evening. Gusty wind does not ease off.

25 November 2023 – 26 November 2023
Light winter with temperature between –2C and +1C, intermittent snow showers and some spells of sunshine.

27 November 2023 – 29 November 2023
Below freezing all the time, with very little supplies of fresh snow. Horribly chilly, but with some sunny moments.

30 November 2023
Out of the blue comes the morning snow and a short thaw in the afternoon. The air is wet. Wind chill close to –10C.

November 2023 was normal. Average temperature in Warsaw was +3.9C (vs. long-term average of +3.8C). Stats:
- month-time high: +14.3C on 2 November 2023,
- month-time low: –6.8C on 30 November 2023,
- the warmest day: 3 November 2023 (daily average of +12.0C):
- the coldest day: 29 November 2023 (daily average of –3.8C)
- number of days with snow cover: 11 (the highest since 1998),
- the highest snow depth: 3 centimetres on 18 November 2023.

 

1 December 2023 – 2 December 2023
Gloomy, freezing fog, chilly. Looks like autumn, feels like winter.

3 December 2023 – 4 December 2023
A little bit brighter and some snow has fallen, the cover is too thin to cause any disruptions, but thick enough to change the landscapes in the capital to white.

5 December 2023
One sunny, bright day, but still below freezing.

6 December 2023 – 10 December 2023
Below zero, not much, but all the time, cloudy, with occasional, yet at times intense flurry.

11 December 2023
The rain washes away three inches of snow within less than 24 hours. Gone is the winter scenery.

12 December 2023 – 14 December 2023
The ugliest type of Polish late autumn / pre-winter returns – barely above 0C, damp air, occasional drizzle or rain, fogs and not a spell of sunshine.

15 December 2023
A tiny spell of winter – just barely above freezing, snow showers, with white powder melting nearly instantly. I appreciate a few moments of sunshine.

16 December 2023 – 21 December 2023
All in all, late autumn continues, with no incidence of frost (temperatures ranging from +2C to +8C), overcast skies, frequent drizzle and intensifying wind.

22 December 2023
Zoltan winter storm brings howling chilly winds, some sunshine and a blizzard which hits Warsaw shortly before noon, brings a sudden temperature drop below freezing and some 3 centimetres of fresh, wet snow, which begins to melt soon. Temperature mostly barely above zero, but feels like –10C.

23 December 2023 – 24 December 2023
Chilly, windy, close to zero, some sunshine, some snow showers, but with a white layer not lingering for long.

25 December 2023 – 26 December 2023
Much warmer – day-time highs above +10C, windy, with frequent intense (rain) showers.

27 December 2023 – 31 December 2023
Late autumn continues. Days are brighter, precipitation rare, temperature, with exception of one night-time incidence of frost, remains single-digit positive.

December 2023 was very warm. Average temperature in Warsaw was +2.1C (vs. long-term average of –0.1C). Stats:.
- month-time high: +10.4C on 25 December 2023 (just like nearly every second year, on Christmas rather than at the beginning of the month),
- month-time low: –8.7C on 5 December 2023,
- the warmest day 25 December 2023 (daily average of +8.3C),
- the coldest day: 5 December 2023 (daily average of – 5.6C),
- number of days with snow cover: 11,
- the highest snow depth: 8 centimetres on 10 December 2023.

 

1 January 2024 – 4 January 2024
The last days of late autumn. Temperature between +2C and +8C, lots of rain showers or drizzle, not a spell of sunshine.

5 January 2024
Still dark and ugly, but the temperature turns negative.

6 January 2024
Some snow fell overnight, then some snow showers topped up the layer of white duvet during the day. At least the ground gets some cover before hard frosts.

7 January 2024
Getting lousily colder, temperature close to double-digit frost.

8 January 2024 – 10 January 2024
Bitterly cold, the coldest since January 2021 actually. Well below –10C most of the time, wind chill approaching –20C, but skies are clear blue. Long longed-for sunshine in abundance.

11 January 2024 – 13 January 2024
Mild winter, with some snow showers, grey skies most of the time and temperature fluctuating between –8C and +1C.

14 January 2024
Now a mild thaw with some snow showers.

15 January 2024
Close to the point of freezing. In the evening Warsaw is it by a snow storm. Roads and pavements are icy afterwards.

16 January 2024 – 17 January 2024
Glorious sunshine is back, with double-digit frost at night in between the two days being the price to pay. A major thaw is on the horizon.

18 January 2024 – 21 January 2024
The last (for a while) gasps of mild winter. Frosty most of the time, but with day-time highs barely above 0C, with intermittent intense deliveries of fresh snow.

22 January 2024 – 25 January 2024
The thaw is on, right away in overdrive, with sunshine and then abundant rainfall accelerating the pace at which snow disappears.

26 January 2024 – 28 January 2024
Cooler (closer to 0C), with no sunshine, but intermittent sleet or snow.

29 January 2024 – 31 January 2024
The first intimation of pre-spring, with lots of sunshine, day-time highs in excess of +7C, but also morning frosts.

January 2024 was warm. Average temperature in Warsaw was –0.2C (vs. long-term average of –1.5C). Stats:
- month-time high: +8.9C on 3 January 2024,
- month-time low: –15.1C on 9 January 2024,
- the warmest day: 4 January 2024 (daily average of +6.0C),
- the coldest day: 8 January 2024 (daily average of – 11.4C),
- number of days with snow cover: 19,
- the highest snow depth: 12 centimetres on 21 January 2024.

 

1 February 2024 – 6 February 2024
The weather resembles late March and is anything, but winter-like. Temperature between +3C and +10C, windy as hell and more rainy than sunny.

7 February 2024 – 9 February 2024
A short near-winter episode, with temperatures barely above zero and light snow (which disappears quickly).

10 February 2024 – 15 February 2024
Spring is in the air. Again, much warmer, up to low double digits, much less rain, the wind eases off.

16 February 2024 – 17 February 2024
The first proper assault of spring weather, with full sunshine on the former day and some bits of rain on the latter. Day-time highs well above +10C.

18 February 2024 – 21 February 2024
Somewhat colder, with single-digit temperature. Only the first day of the period brings clement weather, then rain prevails.

22 February 2024 – 24 February 2024
A veritable spring nears. Currently temperatures top gently above +10C, skies are overcast, rain showers come and go.

25 February 2024 – 27 February 2024
Spring explodes in full sunshine, with early afternoons bringing temperatures close to +15C (yet not record-setting).

28 February 2024 – 29 February 2024
Spring retracts a little, not as warm as in recent days, yet a whole lot warmer than it should be at this time of year, rainy.

February 2024 was the warmest since records began. Average temperature in Warsaw was +6.2C (vs. long-term average of –0.4C and the warmest until now February 1990 when temperature averaged out +4.7C). Stats:
- month-time high: +16.5C on 27 February 2024 (1.8 Celsius degrees cooler than on 25 February 2021),
- month-time low: –1.4C on 14 February 2024 (beating the previous record of the highest minimum temperature of –3.9C in February set in February 2020),
- the warmest day: 27 February 2024 (daily average of +11.1C, typical for last decade of April),
- the coldest day: 8 February 2024 (daily average of +0.4C, beating the previous record of the highest minimum average of –0.4C set on 7 February 2020, in other words this was the first February in Warsaw with no day with negative average temperature),
- number of days with snow cover: 0,
- the highest snow depth: not applicable, although we had a few snowflakes on the ground for an hour or two on 9 February 2024.

 

1 March 2024 – 3 March 2024
Was supposed to be sunny and warm, but clouds refused to roll away and temperature has barely exceeded +10C (vs. forecasts of +15C or more).

4 March 2024 – 6 March 2024
No longer with double digits, with inadequate supply of sunshine and spells of rain. The weather slowly drifts to how it should be at this time of year.

7 March 2024 – 10 March 2024
Sunshine is back. High daily temperature fluctuations, from the coldest mornings since the third decade of January to upper single digits or low double-digits in the afternoons.

11 March 2024 – 13 March 2024
Somewhat colder, yet above zero all the time, with abundant rainfall.

14 March 2024 – 16 March 2024
More sunshine, day-time highs above +10C, but the short spell of spring weather is chased away by a cold front, preceded by first spring thunderstorm.

17 March 2024
Colder, cloudier, feels like autumn for a while.

18 March 2024
Wake up to behold a light dusting of snow on cars and lawns. In snows on and off until evening, at times intensely. In the morning the snow cover lingers for two of three hours, then it melts.

19 March 2024 – 20 March 2024
The weather returns to pre-spring mode, with single-digit temperatures, ground frosts in the morning and overcast skies most of the time.

21 March 2024 – 26 March 2024
Very changeable weather, with temperature swings from –1C to +17C, frequent rain showers, one thunderstorm, bits of sunshine and some light morning frost. Conceivably, the record-early last frost could have been reported in Warsaw on 26 March (beating the previous record set on 2 April 2016).

27 March 2024 – 29 March 2024
Warmer, day-time highs of more than +15C. Had my tyres (in the old Megane) changed on 28 March 2024, which was the earliest tyre change I ever had, after 3 years of getting this done in the second decade of April.

30 March 2024
Early summer rather than early spring. Heat record for March is broken, namely +22.9C measured on 21 March 1974 is beaten with +24.4C.

31 March 2024
The record set yesterday does not last long, for the first time in history temperature in March in Warsaw exceeded +25C.

March 2024 was extremely warm. Average temperature in Warsaw was +7.0C (vs. long-term average of +3.2C, at the par with March 2014, but colder than in March 2007, when temperature averaged out +7.2C). Stats:
- month-time high: +25.3C on 31 March 2024,
- month-time low: –4.1C on 8 March 2024,
- the warmest day: 31 March 2024 (daily average of +18.6C, the warmest March day ever),
- the coldest day: 18 March 2024 (daily average of +1.0C),
- number of days with snow cover: 1,
- the highest snow depth: less than 1 centimetre on 18 March 2024.

Off to Kraków next weekend, so the next post in two weeks.

Skoda Octavia IV estate - in my garage

When ordering the car in January, I was told the queue for manufacturing slots ends in the 26th week of year and I should have braced myself for delivery in late July or early August. This was not an issue for me, since the Megane has served me well and the new car would have an even longer lifetime. In late January it turned out the vehicle had its manufacturing slot booked for the 9th week of the year. It arrived from the factory quite fast, also my lessor handled all registration-related formalities without further ado and hence the car was ready to be picked up on 19 March.

As the only Skoda dealer in Poland co-operating with my employer is based in Poznań, I had to take a day-long trip there and due to work-related constraints I ventured there on Monday, 25 March.

I was positively surprised by how cheap the train to Poznań was, since from times I travelled there often in business, a single ticket cost my employer around PLN 150. My second-class Intercity ticket bought six days in advance set me back only PLN 58.65. Given the journey duration of 2 hours and 50 minutes (and running punctually like a clockwork), this finally makes a tempting proposal.

I got to the dealership by public transport (35 minutes from Poznań Główny station to the outskirts of Komorniki seems a decent result). An hour later I was at the nearby petrol station filling up the car. I returned to Warsaw via old DK92 national road up to Konin, with a lunch stopover in Września, then headed for A2 motorway.

First driving impression - I am positively surprised by the fuel consumption, especially since the engine is not run in yet. The average consumption on my way from Poznań to Warsaw according to the car's computer was... mere 4.8 litres per 100 km. I drove moderately dynamically outside town and set tempomat at 105 kmph at motorway. The outcome gives hopes for low appetite for petrol in out-of-town trips once the mileage hits 5 digits.

Second driving impression - this vehicle is a tablet on wheels. I am overwhelmed by plenty of electronics out there and still find my way around the link between the car and my smartphone. Though must I say the user's guide in concise and written in plain Polish.

Third impression - can say little of how dynamic the car is, because of unfinished running in. It feels the engine is still factory-numb.

Fourth impression - Skoda engineers have fitted the car with tens of practical solutions (not confuse for gadgets).

No more impressions so far, since from Wednesday on I have resisted the temptation to use the car purposelessly, so it stays parked in the garage, waiting for a longer journey to my in-laws in Sieradz (due tomorrow). No photos since the car belongs to my employer, do not look out for it on WN plates - PY ones are in use.

Belgorod engulfed in warfare

Since the beginning of the russian invasion to Ukraine, the attacked country wages a defensive war. In simple words, it has fought in its own territory (defined as internationally recognised borders in place until early 20214), but has not attacked the enemy’s land. Such approach gave a clear picture who had trespassed whose territory, but at some stage of war turned out to be insufficient to tip the scales towards the one we keep our fingers crossed for.

In the past days, with unhidden delight, I have kept track of destruction wrecked to the empire of evil. Each demolition of an oil refinery is a proper blow to the russian economy. Decreased supplies of fuels dent the country’s revenues (less money on armaments), impair transport as well as contribute to shortages of energy, which are detrimental to the military factories. Every day I watch the shelling of the city of Belgorod located close the Ukrainian border. This area of russia is currently war-ridden and residents who have not decided to flee are experiencing a bit of what the tormented Ukraine has endured for over the last 2 years.

Currently also the civilian infrastructure in russia is being destroyed, civilians in putin’s land are wounded and killed. Call me a scoundrel, but I could not care less. That accursed nation has to pay the price for all the evil its president is doing. Tactically, the strategy of attacking the invader’s area prompts the russian army to retreat to guard its lands, giving some relief from warfare to Ukraine. Such strategy also buys time and defers the probably inevitable confrontation between NATO and russia.

Speaking of the imminent war, I still believe with proper deterrents in place, russia might hold back from attacking any NATO country. But to make it happen, NATO countries need to get their act together to rebuild their military power (depleted by aids to Ukraine) and demonstrate their solidarity.

If the war indeed breaks out, the question is about targets and scale of warfare. Experts claim the enemy will still lack potential to trespass far and wide into NATO territories, but targeted shelling is perfectly conceivable. To paralyse life in large areas, russia only needs to destroy key elements of military and civilian infrastructure. Our homes might not be destroyed, but we might need to get used to conditions in which residents of Kiev had to live for several months, i.e. electricity outages, lost Internet connections, lack of warm water or heating.

Good times are not ahead. Even if the war fortunately does not break out, we as a mankind will need to make sacrifices to prevent the planet from becoming a hell due to global warming.

Z-generation

I suppose all readers know well what the term used in the title stands for. In case somebody needs to catch up, I divert to a dedicated wikipedia page.

Over the recent time young adults (nearly a decade younger than me, or even younger) have become nefarious for their distinctive approach towards work and towards life. Some hailed them "a snowflake generation", referring to their fragility and shortage of resistance to hardships of adult life.

Although the introductory paragraph might suggest I am critical towards Z-gen, I appreciate many foundations of their mindset. They fight for a work-life balance, in practice reaching out beyond the older generations' hollow declarations. They want to break out of chasing after money and material goods. Instead, they yearn for experiencing and spending time with nearest and dearest. They realise the treadmill of older generations gets them nowhere.

The above at first glance holds true, yet there is an inconsistency in how they want to achieve their goals. If I were to come up with only one critical remark towards Z-gen, I would say they do not understand causations. The pleasures they want to draw from life cost money, but unlike my peers, they refuse to toil away to earn it.

I have recently read a series of excellent articles (by enlightened conservatives from Klub Jagielloński) in which one of the authors posits generation Z is the natural effect of generations X and Y. A younger generation naturally contests the values of an older one. Generation Z however, wishes to freeride on the fruits of the previous generations' hard work.

I generally blame parents of Z-gen for how their offspring interact with the world. Also confining to one child only by many couples has done its bit. Parents of two or more children need to share their attention between them, while siblings need to mind and take care of one another. In a 2+1 family the focus is on the only child, who often is treated like the hub of the universe (and as an adult holds out for such treatment).

I also hold it against Z-gen's ancestors that current youngsters are not taught how to deal with criticism and lack a sense of responsibility. Children should learn from their own mistakes and from early years realise, to a moderate extent, there are prices to be paid for misdeeds. A dose of humility, when confronted with someone else's wisdom and subsequent ability to admit one's mistakes would definitely come in useful too.

In the era of affluence parents tend to give children too much, often to make up for too little time or attention dedicated to their offspring. Such upbringing does not teach youngsters they need to work hard to deserve something.

Besides, far too much protection from the cruelty of the nasty world is given. Suffering is an indispensable part of life and children should be slowly tamed with it, to help them accept life is not a bed of roses. The sooner they realise it with wise aid of their parents, the less painful the clash with tribulations of the adult life will be.

I wonder what happens once the Z-gen take over as major part of the labour force and once they begin to take up managerial position. The economic growth might slow down, however with the benefit to the planet, so such prospect is not entirely gloomy.

A residential property - what makes it a good dwelling?

In the previous post I attempted to unravel factors which impact attractiveness of a property's location. As a follow-up to those musings, I complement them with thoughts on features of a specific dwelling, which make it a comfortable place to inhabit.

Layout is the key, I would respond, if somebody asked me about only one characteristic to be taken into consideration. The term, nevertheless is broad is could be broken down into a few sub-features I pay attention to.

Shape of rooms determines their functionality. A possible square-like rectangles are preferable. I am not fond of hexagons, triangles, half-circles and the likes. Tram-like rectangles also do not add to practicality of an interior.

Most people appreciate natural daylight at home, hence reasonably large windows, orientation of rooms against cardinal poinst and lack of nearby buildings which obscure the sun play a vital role in choosing a flat. I am of the opinion too much sunlight in summer might be cracked down on with blind rollers, while insufficient sunlight cannot be made up for. My own preference would be to have a living room with windows facing south and/or west, kitchen to the east and/or north, while for bedrooms I have no clear preference, albeit I lean towards getting up with the sun, so I tilt towards eastern exposure.

With respect to the layout, one of major questions is whether to have kitchen as a separate room or to make it a part of a dining or living room, often with limited access to daylight (no dedicated window). I see drawbacks of both solutions, but lean towards a separate room with a table for daily dining. Nevertheless in crampy dwelling a kitchen combined with a living space appears to be the most reasonable choice.

Before COVID-19 the optimum number of rooms (in Poland we count rooms, unlike in the UK, where bedrooms are counted) was equal to the number of inhabitants, e.g. a dwelling suitable for a 2+2 family would consist of a living room and 3 bedrooms. These days, when people work from home, one could argue more space is needed to fit a dedicated desk, yet not necessarily in a separate room, such needs could be met by larger bedrooms too.

A storey on which a dwelling is located does matter too. The higher you live, the more sunlight and the less noise you get. I am not fond of ground floors and last floors. I actually do not mind neighbours above me, but the prospects of heating up or leaking roof would not encourage me to live on the top storey. Also the lack of lift on higher storeys is a nuisance. It is healthy to take the staircase, however I prefer it to be a choice, not a must.

The last, yet quite important to me element are amenities outside a dwelling:
- a balcony or a terrace (to hang out in warmer half of the year),
- a basement (to store tyres, bikes and other stuff not most desirable at home) and
- a garage (no need to mention the comfort of having a vehicle protected from the elements of weather).

Again, the good features a property has, the more expensive it is. Needless to say, comfort of living has its price.

A residential property - what makes it well-located

After a note on the prospects of the property market for Poland, some random musings over features a comfortable dwelling should have. I split my considerations into two posts, with the next one about the very property characteristics and today's post focusing on location only.

Experts in unison claim location is the core driver and property intrinsic value, since it cannot be subject to makeovers or refurbrishments. Valuation of a location might be triggered by changes in surrounding areas, which are beyond a property holder's control.

A good location for most people means access to transport links, including reliable public transport, paved roads in the countryside, lack of traffic jams or dual carriageway in the (not too close) vicinity. Commute times to workplaces and schools are usually the best benchmark for one's individual preference, however they might change over time (one day children finish school, you may change a job or your office might be relocated).

For me a decent location is the one where I am not car-dependent. Trips to work and getting about town should be convenient with public transport (cheap, reliable, frequently running), by bike or on foot. I am not giving up on motoring, yet the car should wait its turn for longer trips outside Warsaw and for situations when it is indispensable.

While living next to one of busier streets in Ursynów, with 4 lanes in both directions and drivers tending to speed through a section just outside my window, I got sensitive to noise. When buying a next property (most probably a bigger flat), I will strive to avoid dwelling where the level of traffic noise increases drastically after opening a window. Same goes about the air quality. In Warsaw, despite traffic-generated air pollution it is still far better than on the outskirts or in provincial Poland, where folks still incinerate whatever cheap they can to heat their houses.

Although online shopping is getting more popular, avoiding visits in grocery shops and supermarkets is impossible. A well-equipped shop in which most or all everyday needs can be met, located within walking distance from home is a vital determinant of a proper location.

Green areas - parks, forests, meadows in the vicinity are definitive upsides, but trees and grass instead of paved areas in the immediate neighbourhood appear equally important, especially when they give shelter from more and more frequent summer heat.

Needless to say each of us has amenities appreciated within walking distance from home. These include nursery and primary schools, bakeries, restaurants, hairdressers, health centres, community centres, playgrounds, swimming pools, gyms, libraries, craftsmen. The infrastructure for comfortable daily life also defines what the note is about.

Last, but not least (note the phase has been overused in essays written during high-school English classes), the housing density matters. It is not a pleasure to see your neighbour's dwelling from your window, not to mention other buildings take away sunlight, especially in autumnal and wintry months, when it is most yearned for.

Property prices generally tend to incorporate the factors above, but they are subject to fads. Some districts are considered prestigious, others unattractive, despite having all makings of a decent location. Some does of cool head and not following the crowd might help find a superior price-to-quality trade-off when searching for a place of residence.