The cool and airy living room of the Batangas resthouse of Dr. Joven Caunang. The place has since been named the Meteora.

The town of Talisay in Batangas is located by Taal Lake, almost right beneath Tagaytay City. To get to Talisay from Tagaytay, one has to take a road called Ligaya Drive. It’s not always the safest way to get to Talisay, as the road practically takes you down a steep ravine and there are a lot of tight twists and turns along the way.

Take this winding route and you’ll probably chance upon a Greek-inspired house ensconced on a cliff overlooking Taal Lake. The house belongs to Dr. Joven Cuanang, medical director of St. Luke’s Hospital. This doctor is an art lover and he owns two galleries, the Boston Gallery in Quezon City and Pinto Gallery in Antipolo. We’ve also spent a weekend at his place at Sitio Remedios Heritage Village in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. But we had yet to visit his Greek-style house.

This house has a definite mystery about it. From Ligaya Drive, all one could see is the gate and portions of the house, which is painted in immaculate white.  We finally got to enter the house when we were on our way home from a trip in Talisay, where we marked our birthday four years ago. We did it on a whim and texted the doctor and asked if he would give us a birthday welcome at the Greek house. He answered quickly and told us to look for so and so to gain entry.

It’s actually a simple and almost sparse two-bedroom house. The architectural design is a fusion of Greek and Ilocano styles. The Greek look is most obvious in the minimalist white cement finish and columns on the terrace that offers a panoramic view of the lake. On the other hand, the Ilocano inspiration comes courtesy of the wooden windows, doors, some flooring from old Ilocos ancestral houses, hand-embroidered pillowcases, and San Esteban stone steps.

There is little furniture in the house but a lot of the paintings and sculptures from the doctor’s collection adorn the white walls or serve as accents.  The artists represented are Mark Justiniani, Joy Mallari, Manny Garibay, Tony Leano, Jose Santos, Elmer Borlongan, and Salvador Alonday. The latter’s sculpture pieces were cast from resin, epoxy, and cement. One of his works on display is a life-sized rendering of Sabel, which had been authorized by BenCab.

Artist Lanelle Abueva supplied the Cobalt-blue stoneware plates and bowls. Wooden tribal sculptures and Moroccan lamps provide a necessary contrast to break the monotony of the all-white color-scheme. Bougainvilleas in deep fuchsia bloom brightest in the summer. Touches of yellow hibiscus and agave plants color the outdoor landscape.

We were told that the house on the cliff has been renamed the “Meteora.” The place has been converted into a most private bed-and-breakfast venue. It will take a special breed of clientele to appreciate and treasure its character. The name Meteora, which means suspended in the air, is a place of clifftop monasteries just beyond the town of Kalampaka in Greece.

Dr. Cuanang is said to have meant this palce to be his own private retreat from the world. But now, he has decided to share its attractions with the public for pre-arranged bookings and small groups of up to 10 adults.

We are very happy with this development, but happier even that we had beat you all to the draw on our birthday!

For inquiries on the Meteora, call Raymond Barona  at 09173320217.