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Renovation

All our experiences tips and trick as well as sources for renovation projects

The wet days of January – Wet yes – Dull NO – but partially vegan

We seem to inherit – no not monetary wealth BUT nice people. Jeff and Elaine had a German couple Steffen & Karin house sitting. Long story short, it turned out they both are travelling on a sabbatical (year) and Steffen had to go back to Germany for 10 days to attend urgent business. Just in time our holiday apartment (Casa de las Flores) became available and we said, well Karin if you help a bit you are welcome to stay and await the return of Steffen.

Virtual office
Virtual office

Steffen did return ! and as we got along quite well they stayed a bit on to help and organize their further travel plans.

The weather wasn’t great but we could show them a bit of Galicia and galician live as well – One memorable evening/night was spend with our neighbors at a typical galician dinner and Karin, solo at that time, was invited as well. Nothing to it, except Karin is VEGAN, a very alien concept to Galicians. Some salad leaves where found, we could just prevent lacing these with tuna and Karin indulged in a huge helping of local potatoes. An extra Filoa baked in sunflower oil rather than the usual fat and the typical loud and happy congregation will have made a lasting impression.

The two cooks
The two cooks

I had the unmissable experience of two cooks preparing a huge selection of evening dishes vegan and non vegan – EACH night.

Steffen, who organises tours for punk groups across Europe, came back happy, tiered and deaf but recovered sufficient to help with some chores.

Mechanised mule
Mechanised mule

Among these was the unloading and locating of the famous “Bauwagen”. This arrived on a low loader in driving rain and there was no way this lorry could get across our wet field. As the usual ever so optimistic guy I am, I said “it doesn’t weigh that much its just a bit of steel and sheet metal”. One tug at the towbar and the concerned face of the lorry driver had me scampering away to round up the smallest tractor and an experienced driver.

Our neighbors are just wonderful and seem to tolerate our weird ideas. Juan arrived, took one look and went off to get the old green mechanised mule of the village.

2015-feb-bauw-8
Bauwagen in – Tractor out

Whilst this was going on more neighbors congregated and together we manged to hitch the casa on wheels and drive it across the field to its designated place – all in driving rain.

My wife Barbara got  elevated blood pressure and accelerated heart beat when she found out that the tractor had to negotiate the garden to get the “Bauwagen” in and itself out again. But Juan, with encouragement of us all, managed serene and without any destruction to highly prized plants to “plant” the “Bauwagen” and get the tractor out again.

Color scheme To be discussed
Color scheme To be discussed

She did think about an offer to buy the tractor and inter it in situ, but now she can and does spend that money on even more plants, some of which are necessary to obscure our newest acquisition.

 

 

Today Otero delivered more sand & gravel to finalize the stand, insulation material for the interior and some tiles for yet another project. I am happy to report that divorce proceeding could be avoided when discussing the color scheme by simply agreeing that two or more coats of paint simply add to the insulation factor therefore are not wasted.

Here are so called  “artists” impressions – done by cheap software rather than expensive artists – and we apologise in advance for any damage done to animals nearby that maybe the result of our color trials.

Color trial
Color trial

 

The Option
The Option

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly Karin & Steffen are moving on – but they left us the legacy of being properly schooled in all things vegetarian & vegan – not converted – but capable of guaranteeing the survival of future visitors that are vegetarian or vegan.

 

 

How to start a new year – Gengalic style……

well one way is to have good friends around and even better have friends who can cook.

Glorious Food
Glorious Food

 

 

 

The custom of the 3 reyes singers is still upheld in our parish –

 

 

Tres reyes
Tres reyes

 

 

 

 

 

After all this exitement and having to go to Germany for a funeral we decided to take the train from Porto to Lisbon, because we could!

2015-jan-bauw-5
Squash the tourist

 

 

 

 

In Lisbon the main challenge is to not get squashed by one of the very frequent trams.
A quick tip for Lisbon – Go to any Metro station and face off one of the ticket vending machines – Buy a card (verde) 0.50€ and load it with meager 6€ – For this you get 24h unlimited travel on all metro, bus and the famous tram. A single ticket on the tram is 2,85€ (really).

 

Another tip: Eating – Swiss – Portuguese cooking !!  Bistro Gato Pardo Just perfect

 

Now that we are back – unflattened – the project Bauwagen will go ahead.

2015-jan-bauw-2
Inside
2015-jan-bauw-1
Door & Window

 

 

 

 

This outer shell should withstand whatever the Galician weather can throw at it – it will be painted of course – if we ever finish the discussions about the exact color that is to be applied……

 

Insulation, wood paneling and then the sumptuous furniture …….. maybe some electrics and lights ….  oooooch and this little wood burner from Oteiro …. it would look so cute ……

OK, OK, but it is a BAUWAGEN and people are going to live in it …..

This is our start into 2015

PS. GENGALIC   German English Galician ………

Project “Bauwagen” – Proyecto “Bauwagen” – Casa con ruedas – Shepherds hut

As we had nice helpers from workaway and helpx this year we thought about the arrangements for the next year when we would like to again welcome helpers but also would like to rent out our now fully licnsed holiday house. This we used to “park” the helpers in, but we need to recuperate the exorbitant expenditures to legalize this somehow.

I'm a Bauwagen
I’m a Bauwagen

 

Project “Bauwagen”was born. In Germany these ubiquitous vehicles are still pretty much standard wherever outside building works are undertaken that are not near a useful shelter. Standard is 3,5 x 2,20 Meters at 2,30 high.

Like this....
Like this….

 

 

These are available in used or new condition but transporting one of there 2000Km is slightly daunting or expensive.

Yes a nice trip with a tractor at 25Km would do it in about  5 – 6 days –  but than one either buys a tractor as well, or drives it back (six days sleeping very rough) or put the whole hing on a low loader. It was just not viable.

Whilst taking delivery of steel parts I thought this company in Monforte builds remolques (trailers) as well. So I asked.

Yes, you draw it, give us measurements we can build it.

Framed !!
Framed !!

 

Explaining that we do not need this “street ready” as it will only be used on private land the offer (presupuesto) became very competitive and allowed us to slightly change the standard measurements to 4 meter length and 2,30 width. This will allow a nice comfortable insulation of 6cm Rockwool and 1 cm of wood, as well as little extras like a small wood burner.

Now here is the base frame, looking good and sturdy, just awaiting sheeting, the overlapping roof, flooring and door and window and so on and so on and so on ……..

 

The door will be  a normal aluminium door with a nice large glass pane rather than the standard steel thing and there shall be more light thanks to a 100 x 80 window.

The glass was challenging as we want the so called “Invierno / Verano” special which does not transmit warmth  in either direction !!!

 

Here it shall go...
Here it shall go…

 

 

 

 

 

A cubic meter of gravel awaits its move on top and it will be the space (island) for the “Bauwagen”

 

But now we are preparing for the Feria de navidad en Mer estilo Alemana !!!

2014-feria-de-navidad-small

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bye for now M

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