It's a Wrap!

24 November 2014

Finally, we are enclosed.  Okay, most of the windows are polythene, and two of the doors.  But all the walls are in (although they need plastering and limewashing).  The cathedral window was the last to be covered - but now at last the local stray cats can't get in (except through the cat flap).

Winter Prepping

20-23 November 2015

The weather is finally breaking, with storms forecast, so we have been making some preparations for cold weather.

 Dave working on a box for the fan that will push warm air from the chimney heat exchanger to the bedroom

 While I started construction of a new bigger log store

 and then deconstructed the temporary wall boxing in the kitchen - time to open it up to the living room, since we have no more bales to store there.

 View from the kitchen to the cathedral window

 and along the living room

 A few days clear, so Dave could sand and paint the cathedral window.  Looking rather smart in its white paint.

And I started the second coat on the south wall.  With all the vents and bottles it looks like a Mexican adobe building

Shakin' all over

Tuesday 17 November 2015

First day back from our holidays, and we were rudely awakened at 0910 by a minute-long 6.5 magnitude earthquake, centred just off the west coast of Lefkada.  We later found out that Vassiliki was hard hit, two people died in rockfalls and the west coast beach of Egremni disappeared in a landslide.

We were badly shaken, but nothing broke, and all the plaster stayed on, suffering only a hairline crack in one place.

Before we went away, I had made a temporary door of wood and polythene for the south front.  I didn't have hinges, so I put it in with wedges, so it could be removed easily when we were working there.  It fell out.  When the first aftershock hit, it fell out again.  As the shocks kept coming, it kept falling out, becoming our quake indicator.

The shocks continue, at time of writing, for 10 days.  But we didn't know that at the time.  So having been sensible (and tired) on Tuesday, we stayed off ladders and scaffolding, but on day two, we reckoned it would be okay to carry on plastering.  There were two sharp aftershocks while I was up the scaffolding: luckily I had rafters to hang on to.

 The quake door in action

 Dave checking for cracks

 No ladders on day one, so I built us a front door - complete with cat flap

 Day two after the quake, assuming it was all over ...

 Dave installed the front door lintel, the other half of the south door one.

First coat complete on the south wall.  From a distance, we can start to see how the house will look when it's finished.

Meteora: the long road home

16 Nov 15

We decided to make a circuit and take the mountain road home.  This was not a brilliant idea.  We were surprised not to see any road signs for Arta, which wasn't very far (on a small scale map).  Unfortunately, it was about 5 hours by extremely winding mountain road.

 Top of the world

 A defunct or unfinished dam, lost in the mountains

 Hours later, back in civilisation, time for some more fishing (and gardening book reading) to calm our nerves

 and, of course, some photography

Meteora: the monasteries

15 Nov 15

Nothing but photo opportunities everywhere you look:

 This is one for extreme gardeners everywhere ...

 As a female in trousers I had to wear a tie-on skirt for modesty!  At one point it slipped, exposing my (jeans-clad) bum, and I was told off by a monk (oops).

 

 

 The old way in - not the modern crate, but the rope bucket, hanging up left. 

Meteora: arrival

12 Nov 15

Day two.  We stayed overnight near Ioannina, to give ourselves lots of exploration time.  The next morning, it was cold and foggy, but we'd had a claustrophobic night in a room with walls - not what we're used to!  So we left early and popped over the road to Ikea, to see if we could afford a sofa-bed sometime soon.  They weren't open.  But the cafe was, so we had coffee and then did a whistle-stop tour of the shop.  Back on the road by 11am, just ahead of the crowds.

The road from Ioannina was marked by extensive tunnels, up to 8 km long.  It was disconcerting, and we were glad to get to Meteora for lunchtime.  By the time we'd eaten it was a bit late for monasteries (ses Dave) so we went to explore the Pineis River that runs nearby.

 That's Meteora in the background: monasteries built on precipitous rocks to defend the inhabitants from the invading Turks a few centuries back.  Six still active and visitable, if a bit touristy.  

Zoom in on the rock formation behind Dave, above.  That's a monastery right on the very top!

 Evening falls on the river, while Meteora still glows in the sun.  This camera is great fun!

Found our little hotel, this is from the balcony of our room as the sun sets

Meteora the long way round

Long weekend 13-16 November 2015

Sometime around the turn of the year, when we were grousing as usual that despite living in Greece we never seemed to see any of it except Lefkada, I said, Right, let's make sure we go somewhere this year.  So I picked Meteora, and booked rooms in mid-November.

We spent a day sorting out the Punto before its mega road trip (about 400km, but  it usually only goes to the shops).  I applied some Lidl seat covers and foot mats to pimp it up, and Dave took off the roof rack that acts as a speed limiter at 80km/h (about 50mph).  Into the garage for an oil change, and we were off.

 The pimped-up Punto

 Following a random roadsign got us to Zeros Lake, very beautiful.  This photo snapped at the exact moment Dave said, Is that a fish jumping over there?  A little later, as we walked around the shoreline, an enormous fish broke the water only three metres away from us - something the size of a small dolphin! (Possibly a catfish?)  Dave decided not to cast a fly if there were monsters in there.

 A surprising find: snowdrops - in Greece, in November, in 25 degrees ...

 A Roman aqueduct - yes, in Greece.  Built by Octavius/Augustus to get water to his victory city of Nikopolis - celebrating the defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.  Nice bit of history to be fishing under.

 Great place to play with the new camera

Third and final stop on day one: the spring-fed pool that is the source of the Louros River.  Incredibly clear and still and deep. 

Olivewood Lintel

10-11 November 2015

We had this well-seasoned olive roundwood, that we needed cutting in half longways, so we went down to the boatyard where they have a bandsaw.  The old man who is the father of the current owners was in charge of the cutting machine, and he made a long wavy cut for us - a lot different to the sharp, straight cut we'd been expecting.  No problem, it will all disappear into the plaster.  So we came back to the house, and got on with finishing the first coat on the south wall.

 Here is the (mock) lintel, ready to go.  But while thinking about woodwork, we realised that with all the excitement of Fran's help, we'd forgotten to put in the essential wood uprights at each end of the area that will eventually be glassed in.  Without wooden uprights, there will be no way to connect the glassed structure to the main house.  So I took a claw hammer, and hacked off a strip of plaster back to the ladder frame edging the south wall at each end.

 Plaster stripped back to the edge of the ladder frame, to fit wood that will stick out proud of the plaster to build the conservatory wall from.

And the lintel in place - just fitting under the glass bottles.  Looks rather nice (if you like rustic)!

Gone Fishing

8, 9, 10 November 2015

Sunny Sunday, so we took the day off, and went to a beach along the coast from Dessimi.  Dave had his fly rod and I took my monster gardening book to study while he fished.

 Monday, Fran was finally reunited with Geoff, and brought him up to inspect her wall

Meanwhile, under the kitchen table, things were starting to grow ...

Fran's help

Friday 6 Nov - Saturday 7 Nov 2015

Last Sunday, on our way to the quiz at JD's, we stopped to top up with eggs for Dave's breakfast, and were approached by a vaguely familiar face, who, it turned out, had met us in the summer at Nisos.  This was Fran, and she was in town waiting for Geoff, her partner who was sailing their new boat from France to join the Nisos fleet.  Due to endless weather delays, Geoff had not yet arrived, and Fran was on her own.  We scooped her up and took her to the quiz and Sunday Roast at JD's.

By Friday, Fran had explored the island enough and decided to come and see what we were up to at Goat Bottom.  We quickly put her to work plastering the new wall - which she turned out to be very good at.

 While I got the third coat onto the South East wall

 Well-earned glass of wine at the end of a very productive day - Dave making mixes as fast as we could slap them on the wall.

Fran couldn't get enough of it, and came back on Saturday - SE corner finished, and first coat on the south going strong - even a couple of patches done round the front door (far left).  Many thanks Fran, come back any time x

Fifth of Nov

5 November 2015

Robbie and Sue had organised a bonfire party down by the sea.  The police called by to find out what was going on, and Sue explained it was an English tradition that celebrated politics and democracy - two things very dear to the Greeks, so they nodded, and said, fine. So it went ahead.  My new camera (Panasonic Lumix TZ70) took some fabulous low-light pics.