Fravill

Here we are in mid August. The pool has taken 8 weeks so far which, amazingly, is up to schedule. We still have the steps to build, the patio to lay and the tiling to do before we put any water in it but, unless something goes seriously awry, we should be swimming by the 'Pool Party' around the the 20th Sept.

This week we started on the Barn which entails building new walls inside the existing ones, putting in the windows, the electrics, a sound proofed ceiling and rendering all the walls inside and out. The aim is to have it all done by the end of the month. I've hired in some outside help because of the time restraints.

Sas has officially become a co owner of La Callera and is planning the furnishings and garden. It's abig relief to have someone else to take some of the strain.

The brickies have a teabreak. these guys are expensive but lay bricks at an amazing rate. They expect to have all the walls up and the windows in in three days. 

The inside walls of the Barn going up 

The metal work is in. When the spray guys came they added even more 

The pool being sprayed 

The end of the pool where the steps will be built. The mounds in the corner are for backfill behind the steps 

The concrete is in and ready for tiling 

The Pool surround. The polysyrene will be covered with a screed of cement before the tiles go on. 

The Patio starts to take shape 

The Pool- Before 

The Pool- The Start 

The Pool- Piles of blocks 

The Pool - george and Sima laying Block 

The Pool - Onwards and Upwards 

The Pool - Getting close to the top 

12th June 2206. A red letter day. The official start of the pool. The digger arrived and for the next 4 days hammered and dug into the mountain to prepare the base. By Saturday the 17^th, we had the footings for the walls in and a floor layed in the first barn. Mark came out for two weeks and his expertise has proved pretty essential because I hadn’t fully realised all the intricacies. Sas arrived on the 19^th and Jus and her baby came the next day.

Ryan and his mate George have come out to help and the walls are going up.

It’s now the 9^th and the walls are up to the top course. Next week P&Wen arrive and we should begin ‘topping off’ as we say in the building trade. Onwards and Upwards.

I was having tremendous trouble getting the town hall plumber to move the water main from under the pool. There was always something more important for him to do. At one point we went and turned the mains off at the pumping station and were then summoned by the mayor for a dressing down. As it turned out it was a good thing because she promised to help us get the thing done. Two days later the main was moved and the Planning App was finally approved.

At last we can begin.

P&Wen popped out for a week over the half term.

Mith died. Grief and relief. I felt that PB was in the room; a strange dichotomy between my heart and head.

The twins and I decided to go ahead with GM’s b’day party in Spain and have the funeral afterwards.

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Nic, Tash, Ollie and I arrived at La C. on the 23^rd April. There was a bit of a kafuffle with the keys but luckily they were not left hanging around in the dark trying to get in.

P&Wen arrived on the 1^st May: Sas, Mark and Rene (2^nd) , Tash and Olli went home on the 3^rd, Gillian & Sandy came on the 4^th as did I&M. Lil, Tom, Shane and Katie arrived on the 5^th and Jenny and David on the 6^th. Rory and Karen couldn’t make it because R’s back was too bad to travel. A sad but sensible decision. The grownups stayed at La Palloma, which seemed to suffice although the bedroom walls were disconcertingly thin. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as, I think, did everyone else. The waves and eddies of family politics were mild enough so that noone was too seasick. I&M had a great time and seemed keen to repeat the experience.

By the 9^th, everyone had left except P, Wen and me.

I flew back on the 14^th and stayed at Lil and Tom’s rather splendid new house and then the next day we drove down to Reading. The funeral was a rather rushed affair. A conveyor belt of hearses and mourners and clock watching ushers. I gave a rather garbled eulogy and then we all retreated to the Bull at Streatley. All the Fraser aunts and uncles turned up, as did many of the cousins. It was lovely to see them all after so long.

Thanks to the twins, the whole affair ran smoothly and was as enjoyable as these things can be.

P&Wen flew home on the 17^th and we met up briefly before I returned to Spain the next day.

P.S. does anyone have any pics of the B’day party?

I arrived on the 9th of Feb to good weather.

The next day the digger came in to prepare for the pool but unfortunately went thru the water main. Not a big deal but it took a couple of hours to fix. The planners have suddenly got the jitters about pool construction and are now wanting full architectural plans. This is a bummer because all the 'techs are v busy building all over Andalusia and can't be bothered with such a small job.

P and Wenny arrived on the 15th and the weather immediately went cold and rainy and stayed like that for the duration of their visit. Nevertheless, we got a lot done since most of the work needed was in doors. Ryan turned up at the start of March just after P&W went home ( the weather needless to stay, then turned sunny if not particularly warm)

On the 4th, we had a joint birthday party for Sima and me. His B'day is the fifth. 12 or so people came for dinner.We had the sitting room furnished so everyone was comfortable and it seemed to go well since they all stayed until 2 am. It was a kind of rehearsal for the May fest.

On the 6th, Greg and Sam arrived for brief 5 day visit. Luckily there were blue skys and it started to warm up, so they went home looking pinkly healthy.

We seem to have got a lot done. The sitting room is finished. The new window at the top of the Old House stairs is in and the new bedroom is coming on. Most importantly, we managed to get the loo in the new bathroom in and tested ( greg and Sam)

All in all I'm pleased with progress. There's still quite a lot to do before May, but it should be possible. Apart from the horrible shock of the gigantic water bill (3,500 euros) which I am fighting ( not easy without much Spanish) , it's been a great visit.

I'm back to the UK on the 14th March and hoping to come out again around the 20th April.

La Callera----March 2006 

Miranda painting the sitting room ceiling which was a hell of a job requiring three coats. 

Sima knocking thru for the new window at the top of the old house stairs. After it was in we realised that we had managed to install it up side down. 

The entrance to the new bedroom with kitchen to the right. The bathroom is thru the arch on the right. 

The new bedroom with ensuite bathroom thru the door 

The kitchen. Prepaired for guests 

The sitting Room. painted furnished and ready to party 

We left Spain on the 5thNov. The new bathroom is in and working although it's not tiled yet. The upstairs bedrooms now have basins and electrics and the sitting room ceiling is down tho' the replacement beams aren't in yet. Just before we left, I pruned the vines and Ryan stripped the old bark off. His girl friend Catherine came for a day before they set of for Morrocco. 

2 

Wenny and Miranda planted a lot of mimosa trees which we hope will survive the winter. 

Nic Came out for 5 days at the start of Nov and spent her time writing essays and cooking.