A Bungalow in Colva

As we walked through the village of Colva, we came to a church with a large parking lot. Right opposite it was a bungalow which looked like it would have been important at one time. We stopped at the garden wall and looked at it. It looked like it had expanded over years. I thought that the core of the house would have been the two-storeyed structure that opened towards the church. This was hard to get a look at, since the wall in front of it was high and hid the veranda and the steps at the entrance. I had to move around the remainder of the wall to peer at it. All I could see clearly was an arch with three lancet windows set into it. If there had been any doubt, this would have settled the argument about whether this was an Indo-Portuguese style bungalow or not.

Other wings sprouted behind this block, and they were easier to see. It looked like a sprawling one-storeyed section had become the main part of the house. A long tile-roofed veranda ended in a rounded porch with a steeple above it. A gate in the wall stood exactly in front of it. The Family said “If you want to walk over there to take a photo, I’ll wait here.” I passed on the offer. The house was not in perfect shape. A part of a pediment had slipped and tiles had begun to slide off the roof. But the garden was not in the uncontrolled growth that I’d seen in the rest of the village.

As I stood there wondering about whether the house was still in use, a cat jumped on to the railing. I got a photo of it with the lovely cast-iron railings details. The cat had the good taste to have worn a coat which harmonized with the rust. The steeple was topped by a statue of an uniformed boy. “Interesting”, I asked, “Did this house belong to an army colonel or a school master?” There was no one on the road to ask.

This post appears on schedule as I travel without access to the net. I will look at your posts and comments as soon as I return.