Top-Wall Nearly Finished
20/12/2018 12:19
This top wall, which incorporates the entrance steps, will be 30 meters long and 4.6 meters high when fully completed.
It will truly be a massive wall, and it's very necessary as it will protect the villa from the road above.
It will truly be a massive wall, and it's very necessary as it will protect the villa from the road above.
Base of Top Wall Started
31/10/2018 09:37
The excavation work for this wall is now finished, and the stonemasons are carefully building it while cars pass by above them.
Excavating Top Garden Wall
26/10/2018 09:29
We needed a much smaller digger to carefully excavate the area where the top garden wall will be built.
What makes this work even more challenging is that they are working right next to the road above the villa, so they must avoid excavating any part of the road itself.
What makes this work even more challenging is that they are working right next to the road above the villa, so they must avoid excavating any part of the road itself.
Middle-Wall Finished
21/10/2018 08:59
The stonemasons have cleared everything around the middle wall, making it look much better.
They added good quality soil for the ground in preparation for the flowerbed, I plan to have there in the future.
They added good quality soil for the ground in preparation for the flowerbed, I plan to have there in the future.
Left-Side of Middle Wall
14/10/2018 08:53
After the huge rock was removed with great difficulty, they have made excellent progress on the left side of this middle wall.
When finished, this middle wall will measure 25.8 meters long and 3.5 meters high.
When finished, this middle wall will measure 25.8 meters long and 3.5 meters high.
Huge Rock Removal Needed
01/10/2018 09:13
This huge piece of rock must be removed before the left side of this middle wall can be constructed.
It's going to be extremely hard work, as there is no way to get even the smallest digger down there, it will have to be removed by hand.
It's going to be extremely hard work, as there is no way to get even the smallest digger down there, it will have to be removed by hand.
Faik Our Stonemason
30/09/2018 09:00
This is Faik, another one of our truly gifted stonemasons. He's cooling himself down under in the shade of my largest tree - a Košćela (Celtis australis).
Right-Side of Middle Wall
17/09/2018 08:38
The right side of the long middle wall is nearly finished and is looking lovely.
Getting The Detail Right
07/09/2018 08:23
I was in London, and with Stefan's help, constantly updating me via WhatsApp, I was able to see how the new stonemasons were building up the wall. Eventually, they began to fully understand how I wanted the stonework to look.
You can clearly see in this photo that, at the bottom of the wall, they were still trying to follow their simpler straight-line approach (though slightly curved). As they progressed upwards, their composition became more fluid and organic in appearance.
You can clearly see in this photo that, at the bottom of the wall, they were still trying to follow their simpler straight-line approach (though slightly curved). As they progressed upwards, their composition became more fluid and organic in appearance.
Middle Garden Wall Started
04/09/2018 10:18
This is our main stonemason, and believe it or not, his name is Rok. He's a truly clever and thoughtful man.
All our stonemasons have come from Albania, as they have a real gift for stonemasonry. It must be difficult for them leaving their homes for weeks at a time to be able to work for us, and their dedication is greatly appreciated.
All our stonemasons have come from Albania, as they have a real gift for stonemasonry. It must be difficult for them leaving their homes for weeks at a time to be able to work for us, and their dedication is greatly appreciated.
New Stonemasons Started
05/06/2018 12:51
Today, at last, our new stonemasons have started by first pointing the already completed stonework. They've come on a trial basis to see how things go, as all work must soon stop for Montenegro's summer building work break.
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 Area Cleared
17/02/2018 07:11
After excavating the top road parking area, which was a particularly challenging task due to the incredibly hard rock and that required two very large diggers. We now know we will have enough space up there for at least five cars, a double garage, and a storeroom.
An added bonus of excavating this land is the abundance of stone we uncovered. This will be gradually sorted and prepared for building all the garden walls, terraces, barbecue area, the walls around the lower road and upper road parking spaces, and eventually the garage.
It's difficult to appreciate the full scale of the parking plot from this photo, but it measures at least 30 meters in length and 10 meters at its widest point.
Some additional excavation work will be needed in the future to enlarge the plot further, as we will require more stone for the remaining construction.
An added bonus of excavating this land is the abundance of stone we uncovered. This will be gradually sorted and prepared for building all the garden walls, terraces, barbecue area, the walls around the lower road and upper road parking spaces, and eventually the garage.
It's difficult to appreciate the full scale of the parking plot from this photo, but it measures at least 30 meters in length and 10 meters at its widest point.
Some additional excavation work will be needed in the future to enlarge the plot further, as we will require more stone for the remaining construction.
Purchased New Property
26/01/2018 14:17
Today, I purchased another property in Montenegro. This time, it's a complete ruin located in Gornja Lastva, an extraordinarily beautiful, centuries-old Mediterranean settlement perched on the slopes of Vrmac mountain, directly above Tivat.
This property offers ample space to create a spacious villa featuring three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two reception rooms. It will be a project for the future.
This property offers ample space to create a spacious villa featuring three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two reception rooms. It will be a project for the future.
