It was HOT today — 32° celsius hot!
But now that we have our building permit in hand there is no time to waste.
Luckily, our building inspector swung by this morning and approved our footings.
The concrete pumper arrived as he was pulling out of the drive and we were off to the races.
After a long hot day the footings are finished and it feels great to finally be underway!
The best little boutique hotel in the world is officially under construction! We have been planning this day for more than fourteen months and it is wonderful to be officially under way! Many thanks to everyone down at city hall that helped us get our bright orange card! We will start pouring concrete as soon as our first set of inspections are complete - it is getting VERY exciting around here!
Some folks say that the Copper Crown is the ancestral home of the 'Crown' family, an ancient line of aristocrats. Apparently, no less than 11 princesses lived here at one time or another. Other folks claim that it was the 'Copper' family that built this little castle after making their fortune farming hazelnuts or tarragon or some such.
Both versions of the story, however agree that whether they were princesses or paupers, the family was famous for having the curious hobby of dragon hunting. Whether they ever caught a dragon is, of course, up for debate. However, at least one local claims that their great-great-aunt-whats-her-face once spotted a person riding across the sky on the back of a "giant lizard."
Regardless, the Copper Crown takes its name from the motto found on the coat of arms which reads "coronati apud aercus" or "crowned with copper." Our family acquired this magnificent manor some time ago and we have been diligently restoring its former glory for our guests to enjoy.
The Copper Crown Suite will be our final room to open and we are really looking forward to seeing it completed!
The Under Hill is the residence of one P. H. Burrows. Indeed, it seems like Mr. Burrows' family has lived there for time out of mind.
Some suspect that the Burrows’ are descended from rabbits because they built there home under the ground and carved into the lintel above the front door is the phrase:
eɪ hoʊl ɪn ðə ɡraʊnd miːnz ˈkʌmfət
Which, roughly translated, means something like "a comfortable hole in the ground" and the Under Hill really is a grand little gem, stuffed full with the little comforts of home.
Now, old Mr. Burrows has gone away on an adventure (or some such nonsense) and while he is away he has asked us to look after the place for him. Seeing as it is the perfect spot for visitors, you are more than welcome to stay for a night or two. We are sure Mr. Burrows wouldn't mind!
The Under Hill Suite will be the Hazelnut Inn's second room to open. And importantly, because our other two suites have quite a few stairs, we designed the Under Hill specifically to facilitate easy wheelchair access. We can hardly wait to open this room!
You can see the entrance to the Under Hill tucked between the Copper Crown and the North Star.
Today, it was finally time to begin sculpting the Avallena's hull. The bottom portion of the hull is upside down at the moment which makes it easier to sculpt. About two thirds of the planks were finished today. Tomorrow, the remainder of the "planks" will be troweled into place and then carved with a realistic woodgrain. It is very exciting to see this signature piece of the North Star suite come to life!
Many of the sculptures in the North Star's garden are rather large to say the least. Two of the largest are the elephant on the wall and the sleeping giant. It is going to be a magical garden!