Hide Away

We left in the evening and arrived in the dark. Forest, silence, and a fence that clearly meant: what's inside stays inside.

He figured it out faster than we did.

Three days. A nice spot with water and forest. Simple criteria: genuinely dog-friendly – no "dogs allowed, but…" fine print.

Still frozen. Still waiting.

After a quick search we decided to find out what was behind the name UkryjSię (Hide Away) – houses by the water, in the forest.

The trip was partly Monika's anniversary surprise. Three days, so we pack light – one backpack each, Mrok's pack and his bed. Just under 300 km – less than three hours on the road. We leave in the evening.

Something out there. He's not sure what.

22:30. We arrive. Dark, forest, few houses. A tall solid fence made of light-coloured planks. The keys are hidden somewhere near the gate – then we're in. Mrok jumps out of the car and starts sniffing. A lot of dogs have been here before him. We step inside a small, very cosy house. Light wood and natural brick. A quick effort and there's a fire in the fireplace.

Five metres higher and this would look very different.

The house has an upper floor with a great bedroom, but the stairs are too steep for Mrok, so we take the ground-floor one instead. Full day of work, then a drive after dark – we're tired, so... sauna. Sharp smell of wood, warmth going deep. More than I expected. Monika's surprise had already worked.

Mrok wanders around, steps outside, checks things. The whole property is fully fenced – good to know if your dog tends to go exploring on their own 😊. We go to sleep.

There's always something ahead.

Lake Budzisławskie.

Morning. Two cats are walking around the yard. Mrok, baffled, concludes these are not Tru and Zoe, and tries to explain to them that they should move along – hard to say who was more confused. The fence really is solid. I start to understand the name – if you have no intention of leaving, you stay invisible to the outside world 😊. We head down the road – less than two minutes to the lake. Years ago, when the water was over five metres higher, it would have been one 😉. Sunshine, almost no clouds. Brisk, but the temperature climbing – it will reach 17°C, still technically winter.

Down, but not off.

We walk along the shore. Small houses above, almost all closed. Small piers along the waterline, some half-hidden in vegetation that's slowly waking up. Mrok is delighted – there's water – and confused, because the water seems... solid. The lake is still frozen. The gap between the shore and the ice is barely half a metre.

Nearly three hours, but it goes quickly – there's always something ahead. Spring is coming through slowly. Monika spots the first green buds, fresh grass, even young nettles.

Some piers just wait.

Afternoon. A book, the sofa, fire in the fireplace, evening sauna ahead. Hard to decide whether to read or just sit there knowing how the day will end. A friend wrote the book – engaging, needs real concentration.

Second day. We go further along the shore, into corners we'd missed the day before. The ice is retreating – more open water near the edge. Some piers stand high above the current waterline, far from the shore – that's how much the level has dropped. Mrok checked them all, the ones standing in the forest and the newer ones reaching out over the lake. Someone suggested photographing every single pier – but the sun won 😊.

The couch was his. We had the bedroom.

Another sunny day. We sit by one of the piers. Not quiet at all – sounds keep coming from the lake. Geese, more of them every hour.

Time moves slowly. Monika does a short loose session with Mrok. We're still teaching him to rest during activity. He's getting better at it, though it doesn't always come easily.

A moment of inattention and Mrok is walking across the ice toward the geese. The ice probably wouldn't have broken, but the thought of a rescue in those conditions is enough – we call him back. He returns, surprised. It also reminded me where I knew this lake from. A few years ago I ran a workshop here for State Fire Service special rescue teams – from the other side.

Five metres higher and this would look very different.

I found myself wondering what this place looks like in summer. Every house has a boat or a kayak, so the piers must see real traffic. Though with so many other lakes around, it might stay mostly local.

Books, good food. I should mention: we left home with a rice cooker, a steamer, and a lot of grain. Every spring and autumn we do a detox – a few weeks of simplified eating, something we've been doing for years with guidance from our friend Karolina, a Chinese medicine specialist. The opening phase is a mono-diet. I know it well. I don't enjoy it. After a few days your sense of taste sharpens – flavours that were somewhere in the background start coming through. That part I usually appreciate once it's over 😉.

He always checked on her.

Evening, fireplace. I start thinking about whether to recommend this place.

The house is comfortable and well equipped for a lot longer than a few days. Easily fits four people and one or two dogs. There's also an outdoor pizza oven in the garden – had we not been mid-detox, it might have been warm by now.

The UkryjSię concept makes sense for anyone working with a dog who needs a fully enclosed space – somewhere you don't spend the whole time wondering if your dog has gone off to explore the lake. Easy to find online if you're interested.

Getting better at it.

We leave – but first, one more walk toward an oak that Napoleon supposedly once passed under. Turns out it's a solid 4–6 hour outing through the forest. That's how I treated it – without giving much thought to what Napoleon made of finding an oak in the woods 😉. Plenty of room here for cycling, walking, the lake.

In summer there'll be fresh fish too.

The water seemed solid. He wasn't convinced.

We're adding this to our list of genuinely dog-friendly spots. And we'll remember it as: somewhere you can actually switch off.

Tru and Zoe are waiting at home. The mountains are waiting to the south. Time to go back.

We'll be back.