Recently I read Heidi by Johanna Spyri to my daughter at bedtime and was struck by the beauty of Alm-Uncle’s hut. The effort of moving home was still fresh in my mind and the sense of being overwhelmed by the possessions we’d amassed – such a feeling of excess and encumberment.
In contrast, Alm-Uncle’s living arrangements seemed refreshingly simple, so good and serene, surely the right way to live!
“…she found herself in a good-sized room, which covered the whole ground floor of the hut. A table and a chair were the only furniture; in one corner stood the grandfather’s bed, in another was the hearth with a large kettle hanging above it; and on the further side was a large door in the wall — this was the cupboard. The grandfather opened it; inside were his clothes, some hanging up, others, a couple of shirts, and some socks and handkerchiefs, lying on a shelf; on a second shelf were some plates and cups and glasses, and on a higher one still, a round loaf, smoked meat, and cheese, for everything that Alm-Uncle needed for his food and clothing was kept in this cupboard…. In the corner near her grandfather’s bed she saw a short ladder against the wall; up she climbed and found herself in the hayloft. There lay a large heap of fresh sweet-smelling hay, while through a round window in the wall she could see right down the valley.”
In the true spirit of Story Hug (i.e. story-sharing and both Mummy AND daughter having fun…) we brought our own version of Alm-Uncle’s hut to life!
I searched all over for images of a more real hut. And found a converted stone hut in the Auvergene, in France: Le Buron de Niercombe. Wow.
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/storyhug/images/w_488,h_340,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1569323403/buron-niercombe-hut/buron-niercombe-hut.jpg?_i=AA)
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/storyhug/images/w_511,h_517,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1569323435/entrance-and-seating-Le-Buron-de-Niercombe/entrance-and-seating-Le-Buron-de-Niercombe.png?_i=AA)
(photo: Mon Jardin & Mon Maison Magazine)
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/storyhug/images/w_268,h_351,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1569323798/dining-area-Le-Buron-de-Niercombe/dining-area-Le-Buron-de-Niercombe.png?_i=AA)
(photo: Mon Jardin & Mon Maison Magazine)
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/storyhug/images/w_435,h_660,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1569323862/adventure_journal_weekend_cabin_niercombe_france_01/adventure_journal_weekend_cabin_niercombe_france_01.jpg?_i=AA)
(photo: www.adventure-journal.com)
There’s a video about it here.
I’m sure Alm-Uncle would approve of this place!