Brunch with Battutah
Our house - Cigel, Slovakia
Posted by Michael Skorulski (Cigel, Slovakia) on 24 March 2008 in Architecture and Portfolio.
A day after most of the spring snow has melted. A little snow lingers on the roof.
My father-in-law's family built the house during the Second World War of stone and timber gathered in the mountains. One end of the house was a shed with a few animals.
During the war, German soldiers occupied the village because partisan fighters operated in the surrounding mountains. Their barracks was the old schoolhouse where my wife later went to school.
One evening, my father-in-law, then a 12-year-old boy, heard a racket coming from the livestock shed. He peered out the front window nervously to see a German soldier walking off quickly with something bulging and moving under his coat. Later the family counted their chickens and found one was missing. It seems the occupiers were just as short of food as the occupied.
When my wife and I renovated the house we replaced the roof beams of the shed section which were rotted from the breath of the animals. We put the metal roof on in 1988 while the communists still ran the country. The aluminum roofing was considered a hard-to-find material at the time. We chopped the flat stones for the patio and path out of a quarry in the mountains.
dpm from Maalé, Maldives
that is a beautiful home, and the history with wonderful
24 Mar 2008 6:30am
@dpm: Thank you, dpm.
tyan from Singapore, Singapore
what a beautiful house indeed,and so rich in history,its a piece of antique itself!And it is so special because it has stood through times of war and peace.Now i can see the door where you placed the nice broom earlier:)
24 Mar 2008 6:38am
@tyan: Thanks, Tyan. Actually the door where I placed the broom is out of sight just to the right of the brown barrel. It is similar to the door which is visible.
rain girl from Delhi, India
lovely house with a mesmersing history :) and i love the photo... kinda what you'll put in collages one day. :)
24 Mar 2008 6:42am
@rain girl: Yes, that's a great idea. Thank you, Rain Girl.
givethemhell from Germany
What a beautiful house. I am sorry that you had to suffer under German occupation. I am glad the house is still standing proud today.
24 Mar 2008 7:16am
@givethemhell: Many thanks, Eva. That's a very thoughtful comment.
@bara: Thank you, bara.
Rhys from Darlington, United Kingdom
You have such better looking houses than most of us in the UK. You appear to have a lot of outside space also. I like the look of the log chairs to the right. Are they made of logs? Its great of you to share a piece of your private life with us.
24 Mar 2008 7:22am
@Rhys: Thank you, Rhys. I know how expensive the land is in the UK and how small many of the gardens. The chairs you mention are made from ordinary lumber. They are Adirondack chairs and we brought the plans from North America. It's a very comfortable chair with wide arms for putting your drink on.
Calusarus from St Sorlin en Valloire, France
Old houses have always stories to tell. And this one is very moving.
24 Mar 2008 7:33am
@Calusarus: Thank you, Calusarus. That's a great comment.
Ina from Krugersdorp, South Africa
This is just breath taking ! Absolutely love it, I see the chairs are in the right spot to take some great pictures at the bird feeder! You have a beautiful house and must feel proud, well done :)
24 Mar 2008 8:35am
@Ina: Thank you, Ina. Yes, we are happy with how the house turned out. We really enjoy the birds, especially now with their beautiful song during mating season.
GJC from Kyoto, Japan
Thanks for sharing with us this photo and the amazing stories of the house. I appreciate all that the residents and the house have gone through, and I'm happy it's still there and sheltering you in peace.
24 Mar 2008 9:20am
@GJC: That's a wonderful comment. Thank you, GJC.
the lightwriter from oosterwolde, Netherlands
Hi Michael! Great (hi)story. Soldiers like chicken.They have to live too, inspite the fact that they are trained to die. (....?)
It is moving that the house is already that long time inside your (wives) family. The path must have been lots of work. The result is very very nice.
24 Mar 2008 9:31am
@the lightwriter: Thank you so much. Yes, paths are hard work. Before you even start, you have to dig down below the frost line.
martie from Okinawa, Japan
Beautiful home! I love the fact that you have shared the history with us. Thanks!
24 Mar 2008 9:32am
@martie: Thank you, Martie. It was fun to tell the story.
Betty from New Jersey, United States
Your home is beatufiul, Michael! And a wonderful history! Thank you.
24 Mar 2008 9:54am
@Betty: Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you, Betty.
@Teresa Durães: Thank you, Teresa.
Graça B. from Lisboa, Portugal
An idyllic and charming place. Really beautiful, Michael.
24 Mar 2008 10:11am
@Graça B.: Thank you, Graça.
Craig from Vacaville, California, United States
Now that is a house with a lot of history to it! It seems it has survived very hard times for sure. It is a lovely house and I really like those two inviting chairs in the front! Great pathway by the way! Great work with the photo as well!
24 Mar 2008 11:07am
@Craig: Thank you, Craig. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Ron from Saint Louis, United States
A lovely setting, Michael. The lawn is greening and soon the bird feeders will be abuzz with activity. A beautiful family home.
24 Mar 2008 11:18am
@Ron: Thank you, Ron. That's a great comment. The grass is greening although it snows at night and melts during the day.
MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany
Looks like a new building, the extension is flawless, very well done! A really charming place for living!
24 Mar 2008 11:54am
@MadScientist: Thank you so much, MS.
@Eleftheria, 9 years old,: Thank you, E9.
Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States
Your home is attractive and very inviting. What a history it has, and your village has as well.
24 Mar 2008 12:08pm
@Viewfinder: Thank you, VF. I'm just learning the history myself bit by bit.
@pLusOne: Thank you, P1.
Peter Miller from Lichfield, United Kingdom
Lovely house Michael and a truly wonderful story
24 Mar 2008 1:03pm
@Peter Miller: Thank you, Peter. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
This house has been through so much, seen too much, still standing beautifully...has something to with the souls who lived there :)It's lovely and look, no snow lol
24 Mar 2008 1:33pm
@Lorraine: Thank you, Lorraine. But now we have snow here too again.
Steven from Chicagoland, United States
Great historical record to go along with the nice home. It's also pleasing to the eye to see the "green grass of home." We are buried again after last Friday's storm. Thanks for sharing.
24 Mar 2008 1:35pm
@Steven: Thanks, Steven. A day after I took this picture we have snow here too. Winter is hanging on.
vu@granby - Wolfgang from Granby, Quebec, Canada
This is a very nice house with an interesting history. If the house could tell us what is lived through we would knoe most of the Eropean history of the 20th century. I can see one of the doors with the carving from Pakistan...
24 Mar 2008 1:36pm
@vu@granby - Wolfgang: Thank you, Wolfgang. That's a great comment and it's good you noticed the carved door.
@dillonpic: Thank you.
@Eduarda: Thank you, Eduarda.
vu@granby - Wolfgang from Granby, Quebec, Canada
Sorry about my terrible spelling, I don't know what happened! I thought I re-read before posting...
24 Mar 2008 2:34pm
@vu@granby - Wolfgang: Thanks, Wolfgang. Your comment was very appreciated and the spelling didn't cause any problem.
Japanalia from Yokohama, Japan
A lovely place! A place that grew on you because you helped restore it, give it new life! And the house knows, and feels, and gives back peace and calm and the feeling of belonging.I like it!
24 Mar 2008 3:02pm
@Japanalia: Thank you, Gabriela. Your assessment is very accurate as usual. We found the more we put into the house, the more we got back. And Marta's father, who I mentioned in the commentary, enjoyed the fact that we were renovating and caring for where he grew up and had so many memories..
MJ from Delaware, United States
wonderful story and great framing of the house and the shadows of the trees on the house
24 Mar 2008 5:21pm
@MJ: Thank you so much, MJ.
alex centrella from Califronia, United States
nice story , that looks like a great home with alot of family memories to enjoy.
24 Mar 2008 5:30pm
@alex centrella: It is. Thank you, Alex.
Photographs by M.E. from Encino, United States
wow... i'm in awe that just by the beauty of your house, more importantly with the history that went with it.
24 Mar 2008 5:35pm
@Photographs by M.E.: Thank you, M.E. I hoped for that balance of image and story.
@Hoopand: Many thanks, Hoopand.
Ken McCoy from Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL, United States
Great history, and beautiful stonework. Nice shot, too - I like the camera placement and the way the trees frame the shot.
24 Mar 2008 8:18pm
@Ken McCoy: Thank you, Ken. I really appreciate your insightful comment.
vu@granby from Granby, Québec, Canada
The memories on your house makes this house endearing.
24 Mar 2008 8:45pm
@vu@granby: Thank you. That's a kind thing to say, Gilles.
standley from brou-sur-chantereine, France
This is a beautiful house Michael. Thanks for its history.
24 Mar 2008 8:51pm
@standley: And thank you for the excellent comment, Standley.
Ylle from Göteborg, Sweden
What a nice house! And with an interesting story to tell too. You live in an interesting part of Europe that I hope to visit some day. Thanks for sharing!
24 Mar 2008 10:24pm
@Ylle: A pleasure. And thank you for your comment.
Oswegan from Lake Oswego, United States
It's a nice looking house. It looks like you still have a little bit of snow.
24 Mar 2008 10:28pm
@Oswegan: Yes. It tends to snow at night and melt during the day. Many thanks.
Michael Rawluk from Prince George, Canada
Very nice shot and the history of the house makes it even better.
25 Mar 2008 1:24am
@Michael Rawluk: Many thanks, Michael.
@Elisa: Thank you, Elisa.
Twelvebit from Victoria, United States
To me, the interesting thing is that they didn't just take all the chickens.
25 Mar 2008 4:43am
@Twelvebit: Quite right. It actually showed a restraint on their part and a certain respect for property. Thank you.
Illuci from Hurdegaryp, Netherlands
A house with a honourable history! Far more a house than a new-bought and new-built property, you feel your family's past when you walk around in it. It makes also a very hospitable impression.
25 Mar 2008 11:35am
@Illuci: How true your statement about living in a place with history. Thank you, Erik.
Barbara from Florida, United States
Very lovely and cozy home. You maintain it very well. I admire the amount of work you and your wife have done, particularly chopping of the stone for the path. The history you have shared makes this even more special. Thank you for allowing us to view your home sweet home.
29 Mar 2008 2:35am
@Barbara: That's a great comment. Thank you so much, Barbara.
Lynne from Provo, Utah, United States
This is a lovely house and so nice to hear the history. Thanks for sharing. It looks like a house full of love.
3 Apr 2008 4:51am
@Lynne: Yes, it is that. thank you, Lynne.
PENTAX Optio A30
ISO 64
8 mm