Writing once again from Puglia where we are not experiencing quite the same weather that we had this time last year. It’s been incredibly windy with the Sirocco blowing most days and some fairly spectacular rain and thunder to boot. But as can be seen from the header picture here we have new doors on the cupboards which means we can start to install appliances and store certain items down there to get them out of the house. The washing machine for example is now resident behind one of those white doors you see there. It’s difficult to get too excited by cupboard doors but given what this build has had to endure, every step forward feels like a significant one so forgive us if we get emotional about the smallest of things.
The new ensuite bathroom is now really starting to look nice. The towel rail, shower and sink are all in and it looks very slick. A few little snagging items in particular with the floor tiles have to be resolved but we’re pleased with how this looks.
The marble surround for the sink looks really nice and we’re glad we took that decision. But we still live and learn on the assumptions front. We just kind of assumed that they wouldn’t build a nice surround for the sink and leave all the pipework underneath completely exposed. That, perhaps, they might put some doors on the front? What we realise increasingly is that nothing should be taken for granted and that extras like doors have to be factored in. We have an ongoing joke at the moment that every time we meet the builder at the house he leaves a good few hundred Euros better off. But it’s all worth it to make the place look as good as it can be.
We’ve also ticked off another box with the gate posts. These are now clad in the same stone as the rest of the house which finishes them off nicely. All that remains here is for us to purchase a new house sign. Being in quite a rural and remote location it will help guests know that they have actually turned up at the right place. We know from experience that some of the later flights that tend to bring you in to Bari Airport result in your arrival at the house being in the dark. It can get a bit fractious if you are in a strange place and not sure where you are. GPS and Google Maps have improved this massively of course but a welcoming sign adds that little touch to round off a journey in the right way.
As we speak, we have been assured the permit to build the pool should be finally signed off by end of October which is a blessing. Why it has sat on someone’s desk at the town hall since this time last year we can only guess but with lockdown and restructuring of departments at the Comune in Martina Franca to contend with, we are only too pleased that someone is still aware that we exist. We can gaze on this year’s crop of pomegranates and hope that by December we will have sunk a spade into the earth and begun the process. But we know from the past that until we have that piece of paper signed and in our hands we will not be opening the bubbly just yet.
But the next post on here should be one that shows the current building work just about complete. And we’re talking weeks not months.