Once again, a long interval between entries. But the work has been progressing.
Now we have an access ramp to the new gateway.
I originally contacted our local 'calceteiro' last year to determine if he was willing to do the work for us. It turns out that he is very probably the only one in the area and works across a large region but was happy to take on our jobs when his time allowed.
There are three parts to our requirement; firstly, a ramp from the roadway to our new gateway which is quite a bit higher than the old entrance because we planned to install swing gates which need to be level - the road outside is on a slope. Secondly, we want to install the traditional granite sets along the driveway to the house, and finally (when the time and money allows) we want to extend the driveway to a car port a little further along the drive.
We started the project after a couple of visits from Sr. Manuel where he explained the process and was very helpful in getting the required permissions from the Junta.
He turned up at around 8:30 on Tuesday as indicated and worked solidly in the heat for a few hours taking up the existing blockwork and loading the blocks onto his truck. I was slightly confused, thinking that surely he would not be using new materials. However, at the end of the day, he simply backed his truck to the side of our garden wall and tipped the lot onto the ground.
The next day he arrived even earlier and waited for a mini-digger to turn up. They then dug a deep trench along the outside of the house wall in preparation for installing a plastic membrane that should prevent most of the moisture from getting to the wall and seeping through into the dungeon room.
A quick trip to the local builder's merchant brought the required materials to get the new drainage tubes installed.
Before lunchtime they already had the drainage solution installed.
The afternoon was spent preparing and installing the large drain tube to run under the ramp.
By the end of Thursday, the whole job was complete.
Except for a suitable grid cover for the rainwater drain.
But we now have an entrance to the drive, even though it cannot be used because the inside step is too deep.
We provisionally agreed on a date of "near the end of May" to commence the work on the actual driveway.
Before then I need to make some concrete platforms next to the house and install a retaining wall along the garden edge of the drive.
As well as the painting and installing the bathroom downstairs.