Trullo Mar' e Stelle is christened - and the bargain hunt begins

Trullo Mar' e Stelle. Do you like the name?

In Italian it means Trullo Sea and Stars because the land  these little stone huts sit on is on a hill and the sea fills the horizon and I am sure when we finally get to sleep there, we will drink in both aspects of its name. (The name also alludes to a touch of romance - Robert and I have a teeny tiny starfish on our wedding rings and the sea animal has long been a sort of talisman for our, ahem, rocky beginnings.)

So, now it has a name, time for an update: we are now into our seventh month of work and when the photos pinged in today via DropBox, I had this great rush of excitement not only because the first, undercoat of lime wash has gone on and the trullo is starting to look dressed but the little chimney over the fireplace we didn't know we could salvage is rebuilt and I utterly adore it in its new, cylindrical incarnation.

Why a chimney should excite me is beyond me. But it has! (Ignore the electrical pole, it is going ... ) That window you see in the back of the trullo is the little bathroom Mimmo the Magician managed to fashion out of what truly was a small pile of stones. A picture of it inside is below...shower at window, loo in the little inset, small hand basin and there you have it!).

Ooooh, she is in her underclothes! First white lime wash is on. However the upside down V shaped stone roof over the door has yet to be reconstructed and that will make a difference to the proportions and front view I think ... looking forward to seeing it.


I've been incessantly trawling the net (and markets) for bits to furnish the teeny tiny spaces and when we visit next - in two weeks time -  decisions have to be made about taps, kitchen sink yada yada. All will be uber simple because trullo living is minimalist and almost like living on a boat or camping. However I have a very clear idea of the 'look' I want which is based on the first, used and furnished trulli I saw as a kid. They had a humanity and simplicity about them which I'd like to emulate. So, treasure hunting second hand stuff has become my favourite pastime when I'm not working.

Last week, I found the cutlery - 30 quid all up so cheaper than an Ikea set for 12 - and all fabulously different, quirky and delightful. The outside table, hugely important as you live outside in the summer in Puglia, is also bought and comes in the guise of an Indian street banqueting table (zinc top, foldable, legs). It will live under the pergola in summer and now I'm a hunting chairs foldable chairs.

London markets are amazing!

I was also overjoyed that I found a little wooden ladder because trawling the net, "vintage" wooden ladders had 60 or 70 quid price tags on them! At the markets, I found a small, four rung old, wooden ladder and bargained the guy down from 20 to 15 quid ... I can see it there already, holding tea towels or towels, dunno something/anything, I know it will get used.

I am constantly scouring our house here thinking what I can send over there. The plan is to buy everything except the beds and divan beds here in markets and send a truck over when the trullo is ready. A market dealer told me about a website where truck and van drivers bid for jobs and you can choose the cheapest quote.

Strangely, the Italian markets so far have yielded little of interest - my feeling is that Italians prefer either real antiques or opt for the high end designer stuff and what is recycled/shabby/old just doesn't cut it.

I am also crocheting like a mad woman - bedrooms in winter will need colourful blankets and I've finished one with this one on the go!

Wow, as I look back, we have come so far and I can scarcely believe that the pile of stones is no longer.......