Singer Petra Janů, who will celebrate her 70th and 50th birthday on the music scene in November, has found a second home in South Bohemia. There, 35 years ago, she and her husband Michal Zelenko († 63) bought a 12th-century cottage and over the years improved it for year-round use. How is it in her realm?
Petra Jan … never wanted to be a housewife. Eventually, her late husband Michal Zelenka led her to do it. “My husband was a keen fisherman. We had a twelve-seater, we transformed it into a fishing camper, in which we also slept and went to various places. But over time we started to feel more comfortable. That’s why we started looking for a cottage in South Bohemia, “explained the singer.
Petra Janů has already celebrated her November jubilee with a concert:
Finally, they received a tip for a property with a rich history, far from civilization, surrounded by forests and beautiful nature. “The place caught our attention right away. Also, when we saw a seven hundred year old maple tree in front of the cottage, which is a national monument, we didn’t even need to see the inside. We told the gentleman who was selling it that the ‘we would have taken immediately “, recalled Petra Janů.
Due to the poor condition of the building, it took about a year before they could move in. Originally, the cottage had only one ground floor. At that time there was only hay in the attic and the marten lived there. She and her husband had to install water and sewage.
Greenhouse discussion
On the site of the cottage originally stood a chapel, deconsecrated in 1775. The Order sold it to the Černín family, who converted it into a farm. Since then, the building has been used for housing. Later it also belonged to the state-owned Lesy ČR. Petra can be proud that where the altar once stood, she now has a bedroom. “Whenever I come to the cottage, no matter what mood I am in, two or three hours are enough for me and I am completely comfortable. This place gives me positive energy. It was prayed here,” revealed the singer.
From the start, she and her husband had well-defined tasks. “Michal always had to do something at the cottage. I was more the type who wanted to enjoy it. I always did a lot more when I didn’t have to than when someone told me what to do,” explained Petra Janů. They argued more greenhouse.
“I am a village child and I have an aversion to cultivation. My mother was the authority, so I had to spend a lot of time in the fields. I hated it. Unlike me, Michal was a boy from the city and when we bought the cottage, he really wanted to grow something. We solved it by going to the notary and writing that I will never go to the greenhouse. (laugh) But in the end I made a concession because of the herbs, “explained the singer.
They have been improving the cottage for many years. They rebuilt the ground floor, the roof, including the beams, and added a floor. They have it in the cottage gas heating and fireplace. “I always spend there all summer and especially Christmas,” said Petra, who had a pond built in her honor near the cottage after the death of her husband, who died eleven years ago. She was named after him, that is Michal.
