Over the past three days, the timber for the finished ceiling of the garage has been fitted onto the joists. Next comes the instruction of the roof membrane, followed by the insulation.

All that remains now is the lay the roof tiles and install the Velux window above the storage room.

All the stone walls of this garage have now been fully completed. The finished garage now measures 9.9 meters long x 6.5 meters wide and 4.6 meters high at the back wall.

Bojan, an expert in olive trees, is performing hard pruning on the four olive trees, prepare them for uprooting and transportation from Ulcinj, near the Albanian border, to my villa on Luštica, approximately 108 km away.

Stefan and Vlado are celebrating their official return to work now that all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

This team of builders managed to continue working quite a bit during the pandemic in Montenegro, which wasn't the case in the UK.

We are removing the roof off the original villa because it needs to be replaced due to structural unsoundness. This will allow us to raise the walls slightly so that four new, larger windows on the top floor can be positioned correctly.

There are three additional benefits of this this major construction work: first, this original villa will be at the correct height to join seamlessly with the newly rebuilt villa; second, the ceilings will be higher; and third, the rafters will be able to be exposed, adding architectural interest.

The windows in the original villa are being framed with real stone and are being enlarged to match the size of the windows in the newly built villa.

On the lowest floor, we have also added a second window, replacing the single original window that was there.

A few months ago, we suddenly encountered major problems with the previous stonemason's boss. We eventually decided it was best to part ways, as he had become extremely difficult to work with.

It was challenging to find another stonemason, as they were either already busy with other buildings projects or reluctant to complete work that someone else had started.

I've also contributed to the difficulty, as I've become much more particular about how I want the stonework to look. After seeing various styles, I now insist on stonework having a more fluid, organic appearance. In this part of the world, most stonemasons prefer the simpler, straight-line style, which I find unacceptable.

Parking Space & The Precarious Parking Platform in The Distance

Today, I completed the purchase of additional land in Zabrdje, located right next to the house I had already bought. This plot includes two lovely trees, one of them an olive tree, and I purchased it to extend the existing garden.

This extra land was originally part of a much larger plot, but I was only interested in buying about a third of it. The seller agreed to my request on the condition that I also purchase a smaller plot on the opposite side of the road, almost directly above my house. This second plot was offered at a significantly lower price per square metre than the rest of the land. In the end, I accepted his terms.

Map of The Plots I Purchased

On the map above, you can see my original purchase of villas and land on Plot 286. The new garden occupies approximately a third of Plot 287. Plot 229, situated on the other side of the small road above the villas, is designated for parking and a garage.

This smaller, additional plot 229 is proving to be a fantastic extra investment. It will be excavated to create parking for five cars and, eventually, a garage. All the excavated stone will be used within this project, effectively providing me with my own mini quarry.

The existing parking platform that came with the villas is both precarious and unsightly, so I'll be glad to see it removed.

The purchase of this land was a necessary step before the main project could start.

It is now April, and I've just been into Tivat, Montenegro, to meet my new builders, or rather, their representative, at Prova Restaurant.

Prova Restaurant in Tivat

Stefan, my new project manager from a company called Prostor-Projekt, is a very capable and intelligent young man who speaks fluent English, which, in my experience, is quite rare in the Montenegrin building trade.

He works closely with Vlado, an extremely knowledgeable engineer and building contractor with many years of experience, including designing and constructing the new cathedral in Bar, a costal town and seaport in southern Montenegro.

Stefan will begin by handling the planning approval process with Herceg Novi Municipality on my behalf. I now need to focus on completing all the drawings as soon as possible.

My New Project Manager Stefan

I felt extremely confident, after years of dealing with different building companies in the UK, that I was going to be able to work really well with the Prostor-Projekt team, as we approach our work and understand what needed to be done in exactly the same way.

I was in the middle of a large refurbishment project in London, so I felt really torn, wanting to stay and get more involved with what was about to begin in Montenegro, yet needing to rush back to my commitments in London.

Back to London I must go.

Over the last 18 months, I've learned to adapt to my new way of life and have come to realise that I cannot let having a malignant melanoma define or ruin my life. 

I began the healing process by going on a summer holiday this year with my family, and our dog, Otto, to Haarlem in the Netherlands. It was warm, but not so hot that I had to hide from the sun. I spent my time walked and cycled through this beautiful country, which gave me a sense of freedom and reminded me how important it is to do what truly makes me happy.

Lovely Haarlem

I visited Montenegro in May and October, choosing the cooler months and simply avoiding the midday sun. In fact, I discovered that these are some of the best times of year to go to Montenegro, it's much less touristy, everything looks even more beautiful, and found out that these are also the favourite months for many local people as well.

While in Montenegro, I had several meetings with builders and am back on track to start the project next year.

After trying to turn myself into someone who enjoys being completely out of the sun, I began to feel a bit trapped, like I could no longer be my true self.

Inviting Sveti Stefan Beach

I started to think I should never go to Montenegro again, unless it wasn't summer. Yet the whole reason I had bought these properties was because I loved the sun, the warmth, and the sense of freedom it gives me.

I was really, terribly confused by my new situation.

The one thing I didn't mention in my last post was that I had recently been diagnosed with the most aggressive form of skin cancer, a malignant melanoma.

In June 2012, I noticed a tiny black dot on my upper right arm. I instantly knew this wasn't good a sign, and fortunately, I saw a skin cancer specialist within three days. A biopsy was performed immediately, confirming that it was indeed a malignant melanoma.

The results showed that the cancer had already spread. I underwent two more operations in quick succession, and the doctors hoped they had removed all of the malignancy. The only follow-up treatment available after these surgeries is regular monitoring: full-body skin checks and lymph node examinations every three months for five year.

Foolishly Out in The Midday Sun

I have natural strawberry-blond hair and lots of freckles, and knowing that people with my colouring are among the most susceptible to malignant melanomas, I couldn't help but think how foolish I'd been to ever sit in the hot sun with my type of skin type.

The doctors were clear: I must never go in the sun again, or it could be fatal. From now on, if I am in a hot country, I must avoid direct sunlight entirely and be fully covered whenever I need to walk outside during the day.

The Sun in All its Dangerous Glory

In August on my last visit to Montenegro I had just had my last lot of stitches out and was feeling extremely vulnerable and unable to go out in the sunshine. I was in a sort of state of shock about what had just happened.

Overnight I had got to change from being a very active outdoors sort of person, into someone I just did not know how to be. I could definitely no longer go on holiday to hot countries without being constantly extremely careful.

I began to question what I was going to do about my future in Montenegro, one of those very hot countries I had once loved so freely.

Blue Horizon Hotel as it Used to be

We Stayed in Muo on The Other Side of The Bay of Kotor