House Update

Quick visit to the house, finally. What a change! José had dismantled the collapsing roof on both the house and the barn and strategically spread some plastic sheeting around to preserve the stone walls. They also ripped up a quantity of undergrowth so we could see what was underneath.

Unfortunately, our camera is a disaster. I used to think it was just me, but the pics V took are just as bad. Put a new camera on the list.





Meanwhile, the authorities decided to ¨re-open¨ the waterway that runs along the house. We now have a babbling brook where once it was a dry trench. There also appears to be some sort of spring at the back of the house where water is seeping up.



While we were there we met with some architects. We´re looking into the planning process with the village in terms of whether approval is necessary, how long it takes and how much it costs. We also got conflicting opinions on whether it was better/cheaper to tear down the deteriorated walls and rebuild or restore. Needless to say, we´d prefer to restore, but the budget is a prime consideration.





We also made a lightening fast visit up to Anne and Simon at their mountain hideaway and got to see the impressive henhouse which is proof against both aerial and ground attack. And I scored an absolutely beautiful squash which I think will become ravioli in the next day or so.

Anyway, the weather could not have been better, we ate very well, progress is being made and we´re still in love with the place.

As always - we welcome all renovation stories, hints, recomendations and dire warnings.