December, 2021

It's a wrap!

We are not usually real big on before and after pics, but these seem to justify the time, effort and money we have spent over the last 4 seasons we have been working on the garden level (essentially, a 4th house) of the villa. As I have mentioned at one time, the street level of the house was pretty much turn key when we bought it (except for all the improvements that Janice decided it needed). The lower half was a concrete bunker. No power or plumbing and cement ceilings, walls and floors. A blank canvas of sorts. No renovation required as there was nothing to renovate. You can have anything you want, just build it. This allowed us to add a second living room, kitchen, dining room, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms making it a 5 bedroom home or two independent homes by merely closing an interior door.

                                                        Former lower living and dining room

3 Pics of the current version

Our bedroom. We jack hammered the cement floor to the dirt.

leveled the floor

Then we did this to it.

Garden bedroom when we bought the place

...and after a little love ( 2 pics)

Outdoor patio to garden bedroom (PRE)

...and post     

My favorite: Bedroom # 5

After

Bathroom 2 before

... and after

Our en suite bathroom before

After

Laundry room before

... and after

Breakfast nook before

After

Kitchen before

And after

More kitchen before

During

And after

All of this while Janice played chief cook, cleaning lady and gardener. Since our arrival, she has cut and bagged over 50 of these super sized bags of tree cuttings, weeds and leaves.

Now it's time to play!

On the road again...

Surprisingly, we got all our renovation projects done early. So, we decided to take a 10 day trip to see daughter Mandy and Markus and to check in on our mom-to-be as she is expecting their first little one in March. We drove through France to Annecy, through Switzerland via Geneva, back in France to Strasbourg (reputed to be the Christmas capital of the world) and through Germany to Munich to Mandy's. 

Herself, mom-to-be Mandy and Marcus

Switzerland is a great place to visit but very expensive. There is a $45 road tax to be paid upon entering the country. Gas is $9.60 a gallon ($3.06 Lt Canadian). A quick stop for a coke, fry and two burgers at Burger King was $34 after an .85c fee each to use the bathroom.

Traveling like a Canadian in Austria. 

I bought the Russian fur hat in Moscow years ago.

Throughout Europe over the last 2 months, the Covid issue has reared its ugly head once again beyond the worst estimates that had been predicted. One country after another has implemented new restrictions and has seen riots as a result. Austria is on total lockdown because of the latest Covid numbers and others are teetering on the same decision. Entering any restaurant requires producing our European version of our CDC Covid vaccination card as well as our ID to prove the card is actually ours.

Here, the 3rd booster shot will shortly be required for your Covid card to remain valid. Without it, they will consider you unvaccinated. In Germany, the  unvaccinated are required to be tested DAILY at a cost of $20 each day if they want to continue working.

Annecy, France

Strasbourg Christmas decorations outside of the Cathedral

First built in the14th century, this 30 foot clock was the precursor to the 'I' watch.

                           This inscription was carved into one of the columns of the Cathedral

While visiting Mandy, we took a side trip to Regensburg, a 12 th century medieval city and World Heritage site (#137 that we have visited) just an hour from the Czechoslovakian border. We drove through the Austrian and Italian alps and Milan after registering online for the Covid clearances with the respective governments. Finally, a drive by Monaco, Cannes and back home.

Then again...

Do you ever fantasize about owning a castle? Janice sure does. Here is one we came across that might just fill the bill for you, as well as your wallet. It is only 25,000 sq ft with 100 rooms on a mere 321 acres. It has the mandatory draw bridge and moat to keep the uninvited out. The price you ask? $16,900,000 US, or for our Canadian friends $21,403,000. Just think how cool you would look standing by the front door. On the other hand, if they GAVE it to you, you could not afford to mow the lawn, much less maintain it. It costs a lot of money to live like you're rich.

We're back!

As we go to press, we arrived home from Europe via San Francisco last night. We had sold our car before leaving California in October but bought a new one online a week ago. If that seems odd to you that anyone would buy a car sight unseen from 6,000 miles away, it was easy for us as it is the exact make and model of the one sitting in our driveway in France. Our 2021 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate was to be delivered to our home this morning.

Finally

We were on our way home at the airport in San Francisco yesterday when I got the message that I was being deployed to Mayfield Tennessee, ground zero for the recent tornadoes that left 75 dead so far, or to Everson Washington, or Waimea Hawaii for flood mitigation. 

Or to all three. 

Time to head to the airport with my pre packed go bag, to join my strike team where I will spend Christmas.