A Transformative Return
After several weeks lurking about the countryside of New Zealand, eating way too many meat pies, and enjoying a gluttonous Asian food tour NOB (it really was shameful the rate at which we slurped those noodles), we flew back home ready for warm weather and anxious to see the progress on our house.
We weren’t disappointed on either front. Along with tropical temperatures (for winter at least), we found our house amazingly transformed. Old walls have come down, boundaries defined, buildings have been destroyed, and piles of rubble are gone.
The central courtyard is now a wide open swath of land ready to receive the indoor/outdoor living area. It’s amazing how with the old structures gone, it’s so much easier to visualize how the new building will take shape.
As for the rear garden, the old mamposteria wall is being raised up to 3m in height using stones recovered from demolished walls in our media room and kitchen. For this to happen, the old wall had to come down as it lacked the proper footings and reinforcements to get us up to 3m.
After three attempts at building the wall according to our “aesthetic specifications” (code for we were being fussy), the builders are finally on the right track.
We will soon be in proud possession of a stone wall, built from large irregular limestone salvaged from the demolition of internal walls in our house. These stones will be held together by an organic pattern of small chinked stones held in place with a recessed brushed morter. It reminds us, in hindsight, of the stone work at Teotihuacán.
