The start of this project marks the beginning of implementing a vision that not
everyone may understand, but for me, it is crystal clear. Above all, this is a project of passion. Six months ago, I purchased an abandoned farm
in the picturesque mountains of Montenegro, and finally, it's time to begin
the work. My family and I have been living in Montenegro
for over a year now, exploring the different regions of this stunning country
by car. We've been fortunate enough to embark on beautiful
road trips, discover places not accessible to many cars, and revel in the rough and exquisite
natural landscapes of Montenegro. We've even spent nights sleeping on top of
our car in a rooftop tent, under the stars high in the mountains and by the wild
rivers, relishing in the raw beauty of this land. It's time to leave the 'Heid' feeling behind.
The Heidi vibe It's just amazing Being on this mountain plateau is something special It was during one of these trips that we stumbled
upon this property in the spring of 2022. The abundance of wildflowers and butterflies
combined with the untouched landscapes of this region left us mesmerized. In the future, I will share an episode on
how we discovered this place, and what it's like buying a plot like this in Montenegro,
and what price range you can expect. But for now, the present. Winter is coming, and with it, snow. In one night, it can even snow up to two to
three meters high, as it did last year, leaving people in the village trapped in their
houses for two days. So, we are here to assess what needs to be
done before the snowfall arrives. And while being here I just can t stop imagining
what a beautiful white magical landscape will unfold in a couple of weeks. In my home country snow can be rare, but when
I was young I remember enjoying the snow and ice skating every year
and I feel blessed to be able to give this magical experience to our kids as
well. As I look at the property, I see the roof
of our goat shack slowly collapsing. We fear that the roof actually will collapse
under the weight of snow, which would damage the roof tiles that are still
in pretty good condition. Preserving the history of this property and
rebuilding it in its traditional style is one of our main priorities. And although we haven't yet decided whether
to restore the original roof tiles or give the roof a more eco-friendly twist,
we want to preserve the roof tiles for ourselves or others to enjoy. Unfortunately, the roof structure is not sturdy
anymore. Some beams have
rotted. We plan to reuse the wood on the property
for building raised garden beds, compost piles, fences, and anything
else we can imagine, or any great ideas suggested by you? Overall, this project is an exciting adventure
that has just begun. It is a chance
to embrace the beauty of this land and preserve its rich history. When we first embarked on this project, we
knew that working with locals would be an essential component for us. Not only would it provide us with an opportunity
to connect with others in a foreign land of which we don't speak the languase and build relationships, but
it would also allow us to contribute to the local economy in a meaningful way. So, when it came time to remove the old roof
tiles from our property, we knew that enlisting the help of the community would
be the way to go. It would give us a chance to test the waters,
so to speak, to see how local workers operate, what their rates are and
whether we could partner with them on larger projects down the line. Its something we always do, split big projects
up into little ones and start with a simple one to figure things out. If you make a mistake, by hiring the wrong
people or making the wrong price arrangement, then you learn fast with little risk. And so the work started before winter. We uncovered a wealth of hidden treasures
on the property - old glass bottles, rusted farm tools, and old schoolbooks that
hinted at a rich and storied past. We even found the skeletons of goats that
had long since passed away, reminders of a simpler time when customs were different and
the land was wild and untamed. One such custom that we found particularly
fascinating was the practice of placing a goat's jawbone on the stonewalls
beneath the roofline to ward off evil spirits. It's a custom that we may very well follow
ourselves, a way to honor the history of the land and the people who came
before us. As we worked, we noticed that the condition
of the walls became more and more apparent. I understood when I bought the property that
many of the walls were in need of extensive repairs and some would have to be
completely torn down and rebuilt from scratch. It will be a daunting task, but one that we
were willing to take on in our quest to restore the property to its former glory. Of course, all of this is just the beginning. In my next story, I'll be sharing more details
about our plans for the project and the timeline we're working towards. As winter approached, we finished removing
the old roof tiles from the property. And just a few weeks later, the snow arrived,
transforming the landscape into a winter wonderland. We couldn't resist the urge to see how our
property looked under a blanket of snow, so we made our way there. When we first discovered this property, we
were told that it was situated on a paved road that would be kept clear of snow in the
winter. This was an important factor for us, as we
wanted to be able to access the property year-round. However, when we arrived, we found that the
road had not yet been cleared and we had to get creative to make our way through. This is fantastic
Gerben is going to one of the neighbours To ask if we can get to our property in another way In the meanwhile I'm trying to lift up the drone and take a look around It's is quite incredible beautiful
The winter landscape The property is located at the top of a valley,
surrounded by dirt roads and small communities of people who live there year-round. We knew that these roads would likely be cleared
first, so we set out to find a way up to our property. After a few harrowing adventures, we finally
arrived just as the sun was setting. It was a magical sight. The entire property was blanketed in snow
and the silence was broken only by the sound of the wind and Gerben and Benjamin making
their way through the snow. Despite the challenges we faced in getting
there, it was all worth it to see our property in such a beautiful state.
