Well it wasnt quite spring when we first arrived at our house in 2008; it was early January but we found the first night that it was much warmer sitting outside than it was inside.

We'd arrived from Rome having met some friends from Cornwall there.I was far too hot in my UK covering of jumpers and waterproof although everyone in Rome had thick puffa jackets on!

Instead of getting a hire car in Rome we decided to catch a regional train from Rome to Pescara and were relieved to find it a complete contrast to 'sleeper train' from Paris.The problem seemed to be it was so new none of the staff knew how to work the computerised heating system! We alternatly froze and boiled!

It was lovely to arrive and see the sun shining;even to see some brave lizards out basking on the rocks.It was still to early in the year to risk any work in lime because it will not 'set' properly if temparatures are lower than 5 degs.We did manage to remove the old bathroom and shovel several tonnes of gravel into the sitting room to make up the floor that will later be covered in antique bricks.

Our carpenter, Nicola had made a new frame for the old Piedmont door I'd manages to find on ebay and we soon had the whole thing in place.

Nicola insisted we buy a new lock which to me looks like something you'd find in a bank but he assures me this is normal in Italy! The door is painted dark brown now but we are going to sand it down and paint it so that it fits in with our shutters and the stone work.

flooring Abruzzo style

bathroom going.....

Buttercups

Wild Cyclamen

One job outside that did need doing was some olive pruning.I bought a strange tool which resembled a short walking stick!

Even so most of the trees need a chainsaw taking to them;it will have to wait until later in the year.The pruning I did should regenerrate new growth on some of the worse trees.

The largest tree on our property is a Hop Hornbeam (see picture) and I've managed to grow 2 new trees from the seeds from this aged tree!I hope to plant them again in Abruzzo where they can be well cared for!

We met up with David and Pauline Brenner from the UK who are in the middle of a big rebuild near Casoli managed by Abruzzo Project,

David's written about his impressions of our project! Click here to read it and find out more about his villasfor2 holidays.David and Pauline have decided to have their old houses totally rebuilt and this seems to be an option for many buyers in Abruzzo due to the poor state of quite a few old stone properties.

I love the new builds that Abruzzo Properties are selling as they've managed to reuse the old beams,stones etc to produce beautiful 'new' houses that look like they've been around forever!

By our next visit in April spring was really well underway. All of the oak trees were in full leaf and blue tits and great tits were working through them, searching for insects to feed their newly hatched young.Our land and the surrounding fields were covered in wild flowers, including some delicate Lady Orchids and a white 'Star of Bethlehem'.

We did manage to do some work on the house when we could drag ourselves away from the flowers! I repointed the bricks around the old door and did some much needed infilling with my lime mortar upstairs on the wall that got exposed when the old bathroom came down.We also bought some 'lovely' castorama plastic drainpipes to replace those ones nicked last year.A large empty oil drum is now acting as a water butt on the back wall.I can't really see any point in putting in a new one as that will get nicked while were away!

Of course the week flashed by and soon it was time to come back to the UK.

Only 3 months before we can get out again and then its for 1 whole month!!!

Hop hornbeam

ebay door in situ

Lady Orchid

olive pruning in Jan

summer 2008