One step at a time!

Since our return from Portugal, we've been busy on improving the steps that lead from the courtyard up to the Haybarn gite. The original steps (above) we're very uneven, steep and really not very user friendly.

So first thing, knock out and move debris from the offending area and plan the way forward, or upward in this projects case!

Four simple and straight forward steps leading down from the existing path above was our decision and after laying concrete and building the walls to the left and right of the new steps, yesterday we finished off using local stone (the same as used on the patio in front of the house). After 2 weeks hard work, we're very pleased with the final result and are looking forward to hear the thoughts of our guests when they see them!  

A change of scenery!

Tuesday November 2nd saw our last customers of this year leave, so we decided that after a very busy 9 months since our first guests of the year arrived it was time to head south as we usually do for some r&r! Rather than Spain where we've been for the last 3 years, we decided to go a bit further and drove to the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal.

Carveiro, a beautiful seaside resort, is a place we visited with our daughters probably about 20 years ago and it was a bit of a surprise that after all that time we had actually booked into the same villa complex that we had stayed in all that time ago. Great weather for all of the 10 days there and plenty of rest plus local food & wine did the trick of recharging our batteries ready for another winter of renovations and decorating.

We're back home in France now and already the first project is underway, pics to follow soon of the gite courtyard improvements, it already seems a long time since we were sitting on the balcony watching the sun set from our apartment (above), here's to next years possible visit!