Monday, February 4, 2019

January 2019 - New Year, New Trees, New Planning Permission News


After spending the first week of January in Scotland, we arrived home to some surprising, exciting but project-altering news. Our architect urged us to come in to sit down with her ASAP, so there was our first stop from the airport. She informed us that our two ruins have been approved for restoration under the "rural tourism classification" which we need for the EU rural tourism financial assistance that we applied for (still pending) but either way... Great news that we're all set with that classification! The thing is that the council did not approve the extension of ruin 1, which we have been planning, designing, and redesigning for about as long as we have had the property...

One of many sketch ups from early days for the extension of Ruin1
So we've had to make some new plans, and design a new structure for the kitchen dining room that has to be 3 meters from the ruin. It's in the shape of a trapezoid, and will be built from cedar wood and have a rustic barn look. New sketch up designs for it below....



Although it caused us some late nights of brainstorming, playing on "sketch-up", and marking it out to see what and how we could make work, it has completely worked out for the best that the council are in favour of a new build rather than an extension. No matter how time-consuming and mind boggling it seemed at the time, things always do work out for the best. A lesson we've learned over and over again as we work through this massive project!




With the help of friends we have planted about 50 trees this month (thank you Dean and Evelyn!). We planted an orchard of fruit trees - apple, pear, peach, plum, nectarine, cherry - and nut trees - almond, hazelnut, chestnut, walnut... Plus some big trees which line the track coming into Cara Creek such as liquid amber, oaks and tulipfera. We put in some trees down by the river too - willow, silver birch, and gynko. After a few days of hard work getting all the trees in, we enjoyed a Saturday of showing Dean and Evelyn some of the gems around Serra da Estrela, including the old schist village of Piadao.





Another friend came for a few days to lend a hand this month too. Mullett and Rory put their engineering minds and skills together to fit some large stone stairs onto the outside of ruin 1. He also planted a nut tree in the orchard and helped to level out the area where the bathrooms are going, behind ruin 1. He got a really awesome go-pro video summarising the construction site, farm, and rustic life we're living. It'll be awesome to look back on it as we progress!








Other things in January... We've weaved some mimosa to create a bit more privacy for the rustic cob shower, dismantled the good old faithful temporary kitchen, and finalised plans and designs for the "glamping" pentagons which will be along the river. For February, Rory and Spike will be focusing on getting the kitchen/dining building done, our friend Jon will be constructing the decks for the 5 pentagons along the river, and our friends at Mytipi will be sewing the canvas for them. WatersEdge (Paul and Shelley) will be planting the filter side of the pool, which we're so excited to have for the spring!






Keep posted by following us on FaceBook and Instagram. Thanks for following along and reading!
View of our cleared little piece of paradise from the other side of the valley....