Christmas Day in Portugal!

Things have been a bit hectic in the lead up to Christmas so we are pottering about and chilling out with some nice walks.

Well- we watched the floor being poured... and then we celebrated- woohoo!!

Now they are working on the roof and we have a good idea of the size (blooming big!!) and layout- hope we get lot's of visitors to make it all worth while!!

Well, it's been an eventfull week- the hot-tub arrived woohoo!!- looking forward to xmas morning with a glass of bubbles in the tub- how decadent!!- well we haven't had a bath in over a year!!
The house progress is totally amazing- they are now framing up the roof, so we can really get a good idea of how it might look. I know I keep saying it but it is 'SO EXCITING!!'
Will try and put some more photos on later, bye for now!

On the veranda- think we might make it into a bowling alley!!

Apparently by next week we'll have a floor!

House progress as of 27thNov'07- they are cracking on- we can almost picture the rooms!

Happy dogs- they love rolling about in all the dirt- so it was finally time for a shower!

We had a nice weekend starting the pig enclosure- a glass of chardonnay and home-made chocolate cake to keep us going!

Rain!! It's been apsolutely chucking it down- good for the well, but the site is very muddy now!! The crane is up. I have had the weekend to get used to the size and layout so am relaxing into it now! The issue with the terrace was a bit of a misunderstanding, as they are building a 1.5m overhang, off the front of the house, (which will be an extension of the house floor) and then we can construct the big terrace later, when the house structure has been completed (hope that makes sense!). All very exciting!!!!

The cement mixer is here- hope we've got enough water as they are filling it from our well and we haven't had rain for weeks. It's a funny thing building your own house- you go from being really excited to really scared and then back again! Of course I'm a worrier so I'll always be thinking- 'will it be too big/too expensive/is it in the right place' (too late now!!) etc etc, but then by the end of the day seeing the days progress, and having a glass of wine (for the nerves!) it's just so exciting!

The crane's here- coo it's getting scary now!!

Ok- you'd never know I was a designer!!- but here is my (rough!) artist's impression so you get an idea on what were trying to do here!!!

So- we have the layout- it looks big! and high!! as the land is so steep the floor level is quite high in places! (- the timber structure you see is the floor level!) Fernando (architect) has been to look and it appears we can't have the nice big terrace off the back of the house- due to the slope. Thought the survey and structural drawings would have spotted that before now- but anyway we will have to have a meeting and see what they come up with. All exciting stuff!

still no work on the 'thunderbirds house'- although a container has arrived which Paul says is the works-hut, so think things will begin again on monday.
a lovely lady walking up the track just gave me a present (a tea towel)- not sure why!
we were supposed to be building the pig-pen but due to a broken landrover and a poorly back (me as usual) we are having an easy day- paul is cleaning the tractor(!) and i am cooking a curry.
sorry thats all to report for now!

So today is Sunday- our favourite day as we get to stay home and play here! Have just had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast and now off to do some clearing over the other side of the land. Roast chicken tonight and maybe a tin of guinness this afternoon- LIFE IS GOOD!! (or as we say every day- 'good ere innit'!)

No more progress on build this week as All Saints Day meant everyone has had a few days off.

So- not alot to report except we have a new property to add to the portfolio!! (looks a bit like the one we've just pulled down!) It's a beautiful quiet plot with a nice stone house and a stream running beside it- it's really idyllic and we love it- the idea is to clean the land, put in a better track, tidy up the house a bit and then sell it on- think we won't want to part with it tho' when the time comes!

wheres my house gone?

drinking and driving

finally we have bought a tractor- i can't tell you much about it except that its a 'blue' one- no excuses now for not getting the land cleared!!

piggies

'sweet and sour' and 'pork chop'

thunderbirds house starts

29th october2007

new build begins- 'pequeno casa' is no more (ahh)