Wood, wood, everywhere

22 to 25 March 2013

We worked hard over the weekend: the weather went extremely clement, so we ploughed on with wood preservative painting of the entire structure.  Unfortunately we ran out of preservative before we ran out of energy on Monday 25th, but it was Greek Independence Day (from Turkey) and the supplier was closed.  We turned to Dave's trench, which had finally dried out, despite being soaked when the workers washed out the lime-cement mix into it, Dave pickaxed, then we both shovelled gravel to complete another couple of metres.

Tile Heaven

Friday 22 March 2013

We had an extremely wild night of strong winds, lifting and flapping the awning, shaking the camper van and leaving us terrified we'd have no tiles left by morning.  To cap it off, there was a bit of a quake just as it was getting light.  Just to put us through torment.  So we were overjoyed to crawl out of bed, bleary and tortured, and find the roof exactly how it had been left.

Yianni, Rap and one other were back, early next morning, and the job proceeded with all speed.  Yianni mixing a lime-cement mortar and sticking down the edge and ridge tiles.  Interesting to see that they use lime for this job. 

Fantastic to see the roof going on, it felt like everything was coming up roses.  In fact, it was coming up Orchids - as this brave survivor of the delivery trucks demonstrated.

Even the cats were working hard, and had left us this dead rat offering in what will be the bedroom - hope that doesn't become a habit.

By four o'clock the roof was done, all new and shiny and glorious.  Yianni said he'd be back for a final visit tomorrow.

On Saturday Yianni and Rap finished the final bits of bracing, and removed all the temporary struts, which we were glad of, to be able to finish treating the wood, especially those two porch uprights at the front right of the photo above.

So here's the house on Saturday 23 March - with a nice roof, and a neat frame, all ready for us to take over for the next stage(s).

Flying High

Thursday 21 March 2013

0805 hours, the weather's looking good, and a car pulls up outside the camper van.   Four workmen, including Yianni the woodworker and Rap his helper in the early stages, emerge and leap into action, building a strange structure on the house roof.  As it started to take shape, I worked out that we had a delivery coming - Constantine had always wanted the tiles to be delivered all the way onto the roof, and the structure was a reinforced flat platform, with extra supporting posts, to take pallets of tiles.  Dave and I rushed around clearing the ground and moving the cars, just in time for the truck to appear on the track.  The lads guided each pallet down, and rapidly distributed the tiles into piles around the roof.  It was all very efficient.

Amid all the excitement, we were at a loose end, Dave practiced guitar, and I finally got round to tidying up the studio hut after a winter of neglect.

 

By 3.30 in the afternoon, when the lads left, the back roof slope had been tiled, and half the front.

 

There was a huge amount of litter, in this and other piles - a job for me!

Money Hiccups

Monday 18 March 2013

Constantine got in touch with us and explained the delay with the roof.  The estimate we'd had, had not covered all the materials that were needed, we were a few square metres short of a fully tiled roof.  So we sorted out the extras, and waited for the weather to improve, while getting on with the wood treatment in the house.

Dave's Birthday

16 to 17 March 2013

Dave's birthday started early with the Rugby to watch (Wales won - hurrah!)  Then we called in at Mamma Mia to see people, and had a bit of an impromptu party.  It is carnival week in Lefkas, so there was some silliness, and live music from White Beach.

It's a scary thought, but these are our employers for next season - Kate and Laurie from Nisos

The birthday itself dawned bright and sunny with wild flowers flowering and little birds birding in the hedgerows, so we met up with Pete, Ed and Sid the dog, and went for a long walk from Poros village above Rouda Bay round the coast opposite Meganissey up to Dessimi Bay.  Fabulous views and lots of butterflies.

Honeyminute

Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 March 2013

Pete called from Meganissey, and said he didn't care what the weather was like, he was coming over for Dave's birthday on Sunday - actually, he was coming over for the last day of the 6 Nations Rugby on Saturday, but the birthday was a good excuse.  We suggested he take our spot on the Neilson Pontoon, and we'd move Tropi out and come back alongside him, so he had a safe berth.  This meant we had to take to the high seas - we decided to go and meet him.  A micro-honeymoon, halfway to Meganissey and back!

 Camera on autopilot

 

 Pete on autopilot

Back to work

Thursday 14 March 2013

We took Wednesday off to recuperate, then got stuck into the work that needed doing.  Dave continued the tedious job of preservative-treating all that wood, after sanding the new bracing.  I uncovered the dining table we'd been given, and turned it into a workbench to rustle up some shelves for the storage trailer, now there was some spare wood to use up. 

But by Friday the weather turned bad again, and we sat under the awning, watching the hailstorms bouncing off our new-membraned roof.

 Even Skits needed comforting - she almost never sits on anyone's lap, least of all Dave's. 
She must've missed us after all!

I took to the shed, with a warm fire, to play at collage with the wedding cards and get some paint fiddled with, I'd been a long time away.

 

A brief burst of sunshine, late on in the day, gleaming off our shiny roof.

Back Home!

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Arrived after dark, 10pm-ish,  Too tired to do anything but sleep.  So next morning, we surveyed the property, to see what had transpired while we were away.

The chickens were probably as pleased to see us alive and well as we were to see them!  This is moments before Astro pecked the camera, to check we were real.

The cats just acted unconcerned, and made out they'd been starved while we were away.

Cat - chicken relations seemed to be at an all-time low, however

but the wild asparagus was in spear and flourishing under the olive trees.

 

Meanwhile, the build:  the roof was not tiled, but at least all the membrane was completed, so the interior shell was waterproof, and some more bracing had been put in - the uprights under the roof weren't there before,

Encouraging Dave to carry me over the threshhold may have been a bad idea - we need to keep him strong!

 Lots of new cross-bracing in the bedroom, and some rafter-ties put in under the roof.

Winding up

10 to 12 March 2013

We had a lazy Sunday, as you can imagine.  George, Phillie and Richie stayed for lunch

 Feeding frenzy

 Camera still mysteriously misty.

Compare the two photos.  This is when I realised how mucky the lens was.  It was the first time I'd tried to take a photo of the bouquet, which had travelled for a week in our luggage at this point!  Many thanks indeed to Onone, who thoughtfully arranged this for me - it's very beautiful

Jono modelling the Russian army hat that Dave found in a great little army surplus shop in Coldstream.  Just what Dave has planned for a furry hat in Greece, I don't know.

And finally, the drive from hell that started the gruelling trek back.  6am in Gatwick after blizzard conditions on the motorway, utterly relieved to have got this far in one piece.