For the aspiring troglodyte

If this was a book or a movie, the pitch would go something like this: "A Year in Provence meets Hole meets my Big Fat Greek Wedding: a couple living a fast paced life in the corporate world falls in love with a greek village, and starts digging."

Some people dream bigger than others. I'm always inspired by those who make things happen in life. This blog I see as a step by step to a dream come true via guts, imagination and backbreaking work. For this Australian family, the dream was not a white picket fence, the dream was to live in a cave in one of the most beautiful village in the world.

The blog follows the family's relocation to Greece, their quest for the perfect cave house in Oia Santorini and the ensuing remodel ...mostly by donkey's back.(and I though our remodel was difficult.)

Here is what Michael wrote to me: 

"The building season starts end of November (when tourist season ends) and finishes in March. This means that in a short period of time you have to try and get things done, weather permitting. The cliff of Oia is not your "normal" building site either. In any other place in the world it would be a sheer cliff - here its prime real-estate. The narrow pathways and steps make it impossible to bring or cart away building materials with anything other than a mule.

 When you start digging a cave the dirt - known here as "aspa", which as really volcanic ash compressed - expands on a 3:1 ratio...which means if you dig 3 cubic meters you end up with 9 cubic meters of dirt...and all that has to be put in bags and carted away by mule.  

You can see all the amazing pictures and follow the journey on the Oia Santorini blog, 

Comments

[Hazel]

thanks corine - I favourited her right away.

[alis]

Oh well, at least the sea is still as clear on this side of the Aegean sea. It's the amazing and pure blue and white architecture that makes the difference.. Truly breathtaking.

[josephine]

i feel like i keep reading about santorini in the blogosphere. could this be a sign? :)

[amanda]

These pictures are amazing...they break my heart... I dream to go to Greece one day...sigh...

[Alisa: Ink Caravan]

Wow, great post. We stayed in a troglodyte dwelling on our visit to Oia and yet I never gave the building of them a seconds thought. I was, however, happy that they are completely whitewashed. It made finding and dealing with the mosquitoes a lot faster.