OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
Hopefully my summary clears it up.... :-)
As a "Plus" it's great to know that someone is actually reading this!
Cycling B&B in the foothills of the Pyrenees
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Hopefully my summary clears it up.... :-)
As a "Plus" it's great to know that someone is actually reading this!
OP
OP
Bonus
Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
Some pictures from "The Office" . . . .
During the Lockdown the boss got me a "Permission to Work" letter based on the fact that he needed me to work so that the campsite would be ready to roll once Lockdown was over.
It was strange to see the sight empty in June - the family have been running the place for 30 years and have never once seen it like this during the season before......
During the Lockdown the boss got me a "Permission to Work" letter based on the fact that he needed me to work so that the campsite would be ready to roll once Lockdown was over.
It was strange to see the sight empty in June - the family have been running the place for 30 years and have never once seen it like this during the season before......
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
These are my babies . . . . every day starts with a couple of hours getting them ready :-)
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
I can look up at Ainsa Old Town any time I want to and remind myself of just how lucky we are living here!
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
Yesterday was my first day off of work in 114 days :-)
After our enforced Lockdown - mid March until the end of April - I finally returned to work at Camping Ainsa on 30th April (with a letter of permission) working a 6 day week until mid June. From mid June I worked a 7 day week until last Thursday.
The site actually opened on the 1st July and closed on Wednesday 30th September. Before 1st July was "prep work" and after we've had a few days off now, I'll go back and we'll do all the shutting down and disconnecting work that needs doing before winter.
7 days a week isn't as bad as it sounds. Pretty much everyone here connected to tourism works a 7 day week during the summer season, as do the farmers of course. My hours varied depending on what was going on - so the first 6 weeks were 10am-2pm & 4-7pm - a nice 2hr break for lunch and a siesta. Then when we opened I did 2 months on contract - 7:30am to 2:30pm allowing for afternoons/evenings swimming at the river or cycling :-). Through September I did 8am to 2pm on contract and then went back for 2hrs in the evenings to tidy up and shut down the swimmng pools. During July and August this evening work was carried out by a Spanish lad but he wasn't kept on for September because the boss wanted me to "have some extra cash in my pocket"....
Overall it's nice to be busy and see money coming in, and knowing that this sort of work is available and I have "first shout" at it is very reassuring because when we eventually get our own place built, any supplemental income I can earn takes some of the strain off of the B&B when it first starts running.
Yesterday was a rest day. Today we're off on a hike together up above Ainsa . . . .
:-)
After our enforced Lockdown - mid March until the end of April - I finally returned to work at Camping Ainsa on 30th April (with a letter of permission) working a 6 day week until mid June. From mid June I worked a 7 day week until last Thursday.
The site actually opened on the 1st July and closed on Wednesday 30th September. Before 1st July was "prep work" and after we've had a few days off now, I'll go back and we'll do all the shutting down and disconnecting work that needs doing before winter.
7 days a week isn't as bad as it sounds. Pretty much everyone here connected to tourism works a 7 day week during the summer season, as do the farmers of course. My hours varied depending on what was going on - so the first 6 weeks were 10am-2pm & 4-7pm - a nice 2hr break for lunch and a siesta. Then when we opened I did 2 months on contract - 7:30am to 2:30pm allowing for afternoons/evenings swimming at the river or cycling :-). Through September I did 8am to 2pm on contract and then went back for 2hrs in the evenings to tidy up and shut down the swimmng pools. During July and August this evening work was carried out by a Spanish lad but he wasn't kept on for September because the boss wanted me to "have some extra cash in my pocket"....
Overall it's nice to be busy and see money coming in, and knowing that this sort of work is available and I have "first shout" at it is very reassuring because when we eventually get our own place built, any supplemental income I can earn takes some of the strain off of the B&B when it first starts running.
Yesterday was a rest day. Today we're off on a hike together up above Ainsa . . . .
:-)
OP
OP
Bonus
Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
At the end of last year the work we'd been gradually doing to transform our sloping back garden into a terraced back garden was looking good.
The retaining walls were coming on nicely - it's slow work but we're getting there - the weeds and brambles were all cut back and everything was under control. Nothing grew much over Winter and then just as Spring and the sun & rain came along, everything started growing just as we went into Lockdown!
For the next 6 weeks everything grew like crazy but we were not allowed out. Then the day we were allowed out it was to go to work, not to go up to our Project.
Once work started it didn't stop, until last week. Now I'm back up at our Project in Guaso starting to clear up the weeds and the brambles again so that I can start building the next walls.....
In any case, it's nice to see ourselves making progress.....
The retaining walls were coming on nicely - it's slow work but we're getting there - the weeds and brambles were all cut back and everything was under control. Nothing grew much over Winter and then just as Spring and the sun & rain came along, everything started growing just as we went into Lockdown!
For the next 6 weeks everything grew like crazy but we were not allowed out. Then the day we were allowed out it was to go to work, not to go up to our Project.
Once work started it didn't stop, until last week. Now I'm back up at our Project in Guaso starting to clear up the weeds and the brambles again so that I can start building the next walls.....
In any case, it's nice to see ourselves making progress.....
straas
Matt
- Location
- Manchester
Looking good!
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
Cheers straas.
The plan with the wall was to follow its original line (the wall is not as straight as it looks in some of the photo's) and use any existing parts of the wall that were strong enough - so as to retain its "character" (so to speak).
The plan for the garden overall is that despite being brand new, it will blend into the surrounding scenery.
When the buildings are renovated and modernised (which is the bit we need to find an investor for) we'll follow the same principal. After a couple of years of "weather wear" the whole Project should look - from the outside anyway - as if it's been there forever....
From the inside of course it will look and feel like a top-notch place to stay with wonderful helpful owners - one of whom is obsessed with riding & guiding and the other who just wants to feed you all the time.......
People will enjoy it so much they will have to come back for more!
The plan with the wall was to follow its original line (the wall is not as straight as it looks in some of the photo's) and use any existing parts of the wall that were strong enough - so as to retain its "character" (so to speak).
The plan for the garden overall is that despite being brand new, it will blend into the surrounding scenery.
When the buildings are renovated and modernised (which is the bit we need to find an investor for) we'll follow the same principal. After a couple of years of "weather wear" the whole Project should look - from the outside anyway - as if it's been there forever....
From the inside of course it will look and feel like a top-notch place to stay with wonderful helpful owners - one of whom is obsessed with riding & guiding and the other who just wants to feed you all the time.......
People will enjoy it so much they will have to come back for more!
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
In between knocking the garden back into shape over the last few days, we managed to squeeze in a little hike up on the top of Zona Zero Route 10 - ZZ-010 "La Coasta Doble".
It was a lovely day and the views are great. It's a nice place to go for a "quick hike" because it's only a 10 min drive from Guaso and you can drive a lot of the way up!
It was a lovely day and the views are great. It's a nice place to go for a "quick hike" because it's only a 10 min drive from Guaso and you can drive a lot of the way up!
BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Stage 5 now? This Saturday?
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
Yep. The race was pushed back and will now pass through Ainsa this Saturday. Ainsa is about 100km into the stage
We'll be watching at the side of the road :-)
We'll be watching at the side of the road :-)
OP
OP
Bonus
Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
I've just posted a bit about Saturdays Stage in my "The Pyrenees...." thread.
:-)
:-)
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
At https://www.cyclechat.net/posts/6170501/ for others like me who hadn't seen that thread yet.
OP
OP
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Veteran
- Location
- Ainsa, Spain
Colin Grigson
Bass guitarist - Bad News
- Location
- Slovakia
Just read the whole thread from the start - fascinating stuff 
. Good luck with your funding - if anyone deserves some success it’s you and your wife 
. Good luck with your funding - if anyone deserves some success it’s you and your wife 
