A renovation project is not for the faint hearted! Six to seven months of blood, sweat and tears, three hundred and twenty metres of first hand mess (or builder’s rubble).

The story makes a book in itself but memories are of star filled ceilings (as in we don’t have any roofs); cool breeze (as in there are no windows); communal approach (and no doors) and hey where have the walls gone?

And a bathroom and maybe some hot water that would be nice. We arrived in August and the hot water didn’t go on until November, this gives you an idea of our experience. Living through this be alert to walls being built where they do not need to be built, to plaster being repeatedly (MIS) placed on the finest stone arch that has just been built.

A true experience living the life of a nomad, living in all rooms, taking your few possessions with you from room to room as walls are ripped apart and stones tumble and settle at your feet; huge rocks on your wooden floors, sitting there, waiting… tears to your eyes. Praying that somehow most of this will be finished before the container carrying the rest of your life arrives; otherwise where the hell is it going to go?

An outside life in the summer sun with a barbecue as our kitchen, into the later months of the year and we have moved on to two camping gas and are now really getting the hang of this. Winter nights now and the kitchen installed and plates, cutlery, glasses et al arriving for unpacking just in time and the 3 phase electric for the kitchen finally being switched on Christmas Eve with eighteen bookings for Christmas Day Lunch. Survival of the fittest!