The opening of a new bar is something quite exciting here, in northern Istria. Although we have lots of choice when it comes to excellent restaurants, cool bars seem to be more of a thing on the coast. In fact, bar culture doesn't really seem to have taken hold here,...
Our bedroom is by far the largest room in the house, and could definitely accommodate an en-suite. We've thought about this addition so many times, but it's always seemed a bit of a luxury, when so many other more pressing projects have demanded attention. We also...
A little bit of a different renovation tale today. One that is slightly more ambitious than the one we have embarked upon! When we're out and about in Istria, we often stumble upon what we think are hidden treasures. Things that we think only we know about. Istria is...
Although the whole job isn't quite 100% complete, we do have a very, very unique feature in our house. If you've never seen any of our photos, or read any of our renovation blogs, you might not not know about our Well Room. And, that's clue. The name we call the room....
I love a good rummage around an antiques market. I dream of living in a village with a brocante. But I'm just not very good at bartering and securing a bargain. The last time we were in Ljubljana, the Sunday Market was on, along the river. I think this was my most...
Our stone house in Istria isn't currently a holiday home. Having relocated from Manchester nearly seven years ago, we have lived here full time, renovating the house from top to bottom. We've lived through walls being knocked down and out, kitchens and bathrooms being...
Summer this year, seemed to last way into October. We had two lots of friends stay with us over this month, and both times, we were able to sit out in the garden and soak up the sun, as well as eat outdoors. Even into November, it's been mild - and we can evidence...
We've missed sourdough bread since we moved to Istria. We did find it once, in a Konzum supermarket in Rovinj, but have never found it again. Italy, so far, hasn't turned it up either for us. We used to buy it from a very cute shop on Burton Rd in West Didsbury called...
When we lived in West Didsbury, we renovated our three bedroom terraced house, knocking down internal walls, and eventually creating a very contemporary, open plan home, which included a large L-shaped concrete bench, with storage underneath. When we bought our house...
When we bought our house in Istria in 2016, it looked very different to how it does today. It was kind of quarter renovated. The roof was new. The guttering was new. Windows had been fitted. And that was just about it. But, we saw the potential - even seeing ahead, to...