Casablanca is white buildings contrasting with the blue of the sky and the turquoise of the Atlantic Ocean, terraces on sunny roofs, richly decorated interior patios hidden behind inconspicuous facades. This is the image we have when we think of a town in the west of Morocco.
But when we think of Łagów, in the west of Poland, we see azure lakes, blue skies, white facades, red roofs and, behind the threshold of the little white house, a big surprise. A holiday Casa Blanca with terraces surrounding a bright, sunny patio, the colour of the sky pouring into the interior through large windows, concrete floors and the whiteness of wood, a garden on a slope and a bath to which you have to take a step down. What do we mean by "down"? See for yourself.
What Casa Blanca looks like today is the result of a lot of self-denial, a lot of imagination and even more work by human hands. Our house is roughly 100 years old, which we infer from the dates of the surrounding buildings. We don't know much about its history, we don't know much about its previous residents. What we do know is that it was ruined and dilapidated when we bought it; very charming and threatening to become a building disaster at the same time. It got its present shape thanks to a very talented architect, and now it charms with its exotic atmosphere.
It is a transition from civilisation to nature. It stands in the historic part of Łagów, in the main street, overlooking the lake, snuggling on two sides with other houses. Once inside, however, nothing is quite as you imagined. From the garden and the slope, nature even invades the interior. When you cross the patio, you will see snails (after the rain), grass snakes and lizards (in the sun) and sometimes raccoons, which run over our fence on their way to the forest. In the evenings, they sometimes make noise on the roof and sometimes peep into the windows. So don't be surprised by those sharp black eyes somewhere between the leaves.
Welcome to a town where in just a few steps, you can reach lakes, beaches and jetties from which you can dive and do cannonballs. Where it can be very quiet and peaceful, and where you can go at full speed. Where you can taste local wine, walk to the castle, and rest your eyes by bathing in greenery.