October 2010 - Tiling, ballustrades, windows, bathrooms, wardobes and kitchen

This month's reasons for slow progress are:

(1) "the worst October weather on record"

(2) the lorry drivers strike - so no supplies

(3) the economy - our window fitters are really struggling with cash flow

(4) feast days and holidays

We had to spend our first day sweeping water out of our flooded roof space which was leaking into the sitting room. The rain had been coming down the chimney and through some broken tiles. Marc fitted an Ikea bag over the chimney but we're still waiting for the tiles to be repaired.

And there has been quite significant progress.

Our ballustrades are now finished.

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The windows and shutters are almost finished. The glass door in the photo on the right is the extra door we had put in so that we could see our favourite view. You can see the same door in the photo on the left with the blue roller shutter pulled down. (Also, note Ikea bag on chimney - carefully chosen to match the shutter colour)

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The tiling is finished and all the patios look great

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We also have running water in the bathrooms


Our internal doors are fitted and the wardrobes and kitchen are almost there

October 2010 - The Wildlife

Bosco the dog was adopted by the owner of the bar at the bottom of 'our' lane after being dumped at the harbour. Apparently he has his own Facebook page .


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A very small chick(look carefully!) and a kitten who were sharing the same garden - I'm not sure how long the chick survived the kitten's attention.


And finally, a smiling goat and two cats outside the lighting shop.

October 2010 - the weather

Remind me not to take another holiday in Corfu in October.

Our local friends always seem to say that the weather when we visit in October is unusual, and this time it was "the worst October on record".

Our plane had to abort its first attempted landing but managed at the second attempt. We were lucky, as some planes were diverted to the mainland or Italy.

So here's a summary of the weather, though not the torrential rain which happened mostly at night.

Wet and Windy Days

Sunny Days

17th September - how things looked when we left

Our 2 houses from the road below


A line of boats heading for the beach


From the lane at the side



From the green belt side




From the back

Biker boys

George has wheels! Although he is now remarkably fit and healthy, the famous hill is too much for him (and for most of us!). So now he'll be able to go up and down to Bar 38 - can you be drunk in charge of a mobility scooter?

And here are Makis and Thanassis burning rubber.

Stelios and Stella

Stelios arrived at our house with a bad leg - apparently the result of an attack by another cat. So, of course, we had to give him a bit of love and attention and he would be on our doorstep every morning.

He soon got better and was joined by a very shy lady called Stella.

We know they will be fine because they disappeared for a few days - and turned up again well fed and happy.

Slowly, slowly - Windows and shutters

"The windows and shutters will be in by 30th August" - oh well.

We have some windows in but no shutters and some shutters in, but no windows!



But they will look great when (if?) they are completed.

Slowly, Slowly - Ballustrades

Well - the plan was that the ballustrades would be in place when we arrived at the end of August (sound familiar?). But things started moving (very slowly) during the second week of our visit and, by the time we left, we were about half way there.

Slowly, Slowly - Tiling

Costas is working at his normal pace - measured in tiles per litre of ouzo. He has been exclusively working on our house since the beginning of June and still had a few more ouzos to go when we left on September 17th !

Bathrooms

Outside - Front patio

Outside - back patios