Some Unusual Houses

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Casa do Penedo, meaning House of Stone, is an amazing house located in the Fafe mountains of northern Portugal. Located about 10k from the city centre, it is built between 4 gigantic boulders and is made entirely from stone, apart from the doors, windows and roof. It was constructed in 1974 as a rural retreat. Apparently the current owner is dismayed by the attention it receives and by the number of tourists who visit. To addd insult to injury, the house has become popularly known as “the Flintstones’ House”.

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Castel Meur is a picturesque house built between rocks close to the village of Plougrescant in north-western France. The house was built in 1861 between the rocks and facing away from the sea as protection from high winds and storms. It is a private property of the original family. The house and the area became famous worldwide through a picture postcard issued by the local municipal officials anxious to develop the coastal tourism in this coastal area. Like the owner of the previous house, the owners of Castel Meur were not pleased. Hordes of tourists were attracted, they climbed the house to take photos, sought tours and generally intruded on privacy and private property. Today any representation of "Castel Meur" for commercial purposes is prohibited but the house remains a local tourist attraction.

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And for something completely different, the “Bubble House” of Pierre Cardin in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France, is futuristic and quirky. Originally designed for someone else, that someone else died before completion. Cardin was looking for a house in the area at the time but was disappointed at all the “normal” houses he saw. When he came across the Bubble House he was captivated and bought it. It has loads of built in furniture and convex windows, its design taking optimal advantage of the volcanic Côte d’Azur landscape, and its windows giving views of the Mediterranean. I like the stone houses better.

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If that's not your style, how about the Mother Goose House in Hazard, Kentucky . . .

. . or the Snail House in Sofia, Bukgaria?