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Help! We Bought a Village - Season 4 Episode 27
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00:01Many Brits have made the journey to foreign shores
00:05To find the perfect home
00:09It's rather delicious
00:11But a rare few are deciding to take a path less well-trodden
00:15Believe it or not, there is quite a large building under that
00:19They're embarking on a bold mission
00:22To preserve the past and save Europe's lost villages
00:27800 years of history is a lot to be responsible for
00:32Sawyer coming to help
00:33In this series
00:35Keep clear
00:36We step into the forgotten villages
00:40On this beam here, there's some medieval writing
00:43To meet the brave new visionaries
00:46This is gonna be fun
00:48And seasoned saviours
00:50On top of the world
00:52Who are fighting to bring these abandoned settlements back to life
00:56We're just trying to pick up the pieces really
00:59And hope they somehow go back together
01:01As they turn ruins into homes
01:03And rubble into extraordinary businesses
01:07And you can just lay down and sleep under the stars, literally
01:10But will they buckle under the strain?
01:13Good way to get it out!
01:15Or find the strength to see it through?
01:18That weighs a tonne
01:20As they restore the past
01:23To build their future
01:25I can't believe it!
01:26I bought a village
01:35Today in France
01:37Hopefully this will be done
01:38Time is of the essence for a Sussex couple turning back the clock
01:42To save a 400 year old building
01:45We've got guests in there at the end of the month
01:48So we need to pull our finger out
01:51We're gonna have to put in some big shifts
01:54In Romania, a couple are pulling out all the stops
01:58This is fresh, this is full of flavour
02:01This is what we need
02:02To fund one of Europe's biggest restoration projects
02:07We just hope that these guys are getting on with it
02:11And that we'll be able to host people in here by October
02:16And in Bulgaria, we go property hunting
02:19It's sad, isn't it?
02:21It's sad
02:22It looks like people just left
02:24And they never came back
02:25In the land of the lost villages
02:28There is a gaping big hole in the roof
02:30Which would need to be done
02:32So I'm kind of torn now
02:3780% of Brits dream of a life in the country
02:52And many of our village saviour's journeys
02:54Began with a simple property hunt
02:58Three years ago, Lolly and Sean from Sussex
03:01Visited France in search of a characterful home
03:03That they could convert into a bed and breakfast
03:06But when an estate agent showed them
03:09The abandoned village of La Galliserie
03:11They instantly noticed potential
03:13Where others saw only weeds and rubble
03:16Worried that the village would crumble
03:19If they didn't answer its cry for help
03:21The couple paid the asking price of 141,000 euros
03:25And began work restoring it to its former glory
03:29We thought with our heads first
03:34And my heart was still pounding
03:36And we just went for it, didn't we?
03:41It's just been more than I could have ever imagined
03:45To be honest
03:46So I'm loving every minute of it
03:48Part of the building is 500 years old
03:53But the main manoir was built in the 17th century
03:56As the central hub of a large farming community
04:01It's a very important building
04:03It was the centre of the area that we are
04:06There's a very small commune by us
04:09And I think it was...
04:10Or farming
04:11Yes
04:12We have a massive bread oven
04:13So that would have been keeping everyone fed
04:15Yeah
04:16There would have been a lot of people here
04:17Yeah
04:18We often talk and wonder what this property has gone through
04:24Who lived here, all their stories
04:26So it's kind of a little bit sad that we don't know all of its history at the moment
04:30We will get there
04:31Because it would be lovely to find out
04:32Yeah
04:33For now, Lolly and Sean's focus is the future of the village
04:38Following two and a half years of renovations
04:40They recently opened two bed and breakfast rooms
04:43And they're now working to transform this former hay barn into a holiday let
04:50We've got a business to run now
04:52Yeah
04:53So we can earn money
04:55Every step of progress that we make
04:58It just changes
04:59It unfolds
05:00And it just becomes more magnificent really
05:07It's early July
05:09And Lolly and Sean are close to opening the second area of their village holiday
05:12complex
05:13A one-bed jeet
05:16Their first guests are due in three weeks
05:19But they're behind
05:21Converting farm buildings into modern homes is never a straightforward task
05:26And every day presents a new challenge
05:31We've had to raise the floor slightly
05:33So it's coming off of this board will be the same height as this board so
05:38It's always playing around a bit tricky but it's okay
05:40Old buildings don't conform to modern rules
05:44And the barns walls are made of limestone not plasterboard
05:50Hopefully this will be done
05:52This means nothing is straight and no job is straightforward
06:00I probably will have to just chisel out a little bit of that back wall
06:06Outside Lolly is preparing one of the exterior walls for another major modification
06:10We're going to have a doorway opening here which is the back of the cocktail lounge
06:14So that will be a nice flow
06:17From cocktails to playing petonc, watching the sunset
06:22Once cleared this doorway will eventually lead to an outdoor swimming pool
06:26But lazy days by the pool currently feel a long way off
06:31As the jeet dominates their every waking hour
06:35I've never done anything like this so it's a learning curve
06:39This is so old
06:41I think the barn's probably been here two, three hundred years
06:43So everything's moved
06:45A job that should have been wrapped up in a few hours has now taken several days
06:53Perfect
06:56So the board is in which is great
07:00But with one floorboard finally in
07:03Sean eventually finds his rhythm
07:05And the entrance to the bathroom soon slots into place
07:11Where farming once provided the landowner with an income
07:15To maintain la galiserie
07:17Holiday accommodation will soon secure the financial future of the village
07:21For decades to come
07:23Very good, it worked, well done
07:24But with less than three weeks before their first guest check-in
07:29Lolly and Sean still have a worryingly long to-do list
07:33We've got guests in there at the end of the month
07:37So we need to...
07:39Get it done?
07:40Pull our finger out
07:42We're going to have to put in some big shifts
07:43Yeah, it's going to be done, it'll be done
07:44Yeah, it's going to be done
07:52While all our village saviours strive to preserve the history of their settlements
07:56Some seek to actively rekindle their spirit
07:59In the heart of Transylvania
08:02In the heart of Transylvania lies the village of Kund
08:06One of over 200 surviving Saxon villages in the country
08:11The Saxons migrated here from the Rhineland in the 12th century
08:17Granted land in exchange for a promise to protect the kingdom from the infidel
08:21They built a community here and fiercely defended their Germanic faith and traditions until the late 20th century
08:33But when Jonas and Ulrika, who are originally from Germany but Jonas studied in Scotland
08:39Came here on a relief mission in 1993
08:43The Saxon exodus was well underway
08:48German states paid to bring the people back to Germany
08:54They immediately received German citizenship
08:57For us it was always very weird that people consider themselves German
09:04Even though they haven't been to Germany for 750 years
09:07But as many Saxon villagers departed, the couple embarked on one of the biggest village restoration projects in Europe
09:1720 years ago, Jonas and Ulrika bought their first property here
09:24Which they converted into a holiday let
09:26Now they run a 92-bed scattered hotel complex and restaurant
09:33Employing more than 30 locals
09:35So our village is pretty much alive
09:42Everybody is like
09:46Sees a purpose so the people are more optimistic
09:51Giving hope to a place where people have
09:55Not necessarily been seeing a future for themselves
09:58The village now attracts visitors from all around the world
10:02But Jonas and Ulrika's rescue mission is not over
10:06Their focus now is restoring Kun's 14th century church
10:10But this sacred site has protected status
10:14Meaning reconstruction will be expensive
10:16So they're on a fundraising drive
10:17This is fresh, this is full of flavour, this is what we need
10:27Jonas is a self-taught chef with a passion for introducing tourists to local cuisine
10:34Now this sideline has become the inspiration for an exciting new project
10:40This is the old vicarage barn and this is where there used to be animals
10:46Where there used to be a stable for the horse of the vicar
10:51But as we have no more horse and carts
10:54We have thought of repurposing it and now it will be a cooking school
11:00Food tourism is one of the world's largest and fastest growing niche travel markets
11:06And Jonas and Ulrika are keen to cash in
11:09This will be where the main cooking island will be
11:12So we're going to have two cooking stations
11:15Here we will have the convection oven
11:18And here there will be lots of prep space and stuff like that
11:23It's hoped the school will be open in eight weeks
11:27And while renovations are slightly behind schedule
11:30Jonas's vision is already well in place
11:34A real focus is going to be embracing nature
11:40So it will always, all our cooking courses will be connected to going out into the wilderness
11:47To forage, to find whatever we can find at the time of the year
11:53We're going to work with pickled ingredients
11:56Pickling itself is going to be a huge part
11:58Because this has an immense tradition in rural areas
12:05Centuries ago, self-sufficient Saxon communities relied on foraging and preserving
12:11To endure the changing seasons
12:13Jonas is hoping the cooking school will mean these ancient skills
12:17Are brought back to the community
12:20We just hope that these guys are getting on with it
12:23And that we'll be able to post people in here by October
12:35Coming up
12:37Oh gosh, it's a day of
12:39Busy, busy, busy day today
12:41With time running out on their renovation
12:43Lolly and Sean are pushed out of their comfort zone
12:47The plumbing is kind of like a big jigsaw
12:49I don't know, I always panic over jobs like this
12:53And it's a buyer's market for a former truck driver in Bulgaria
12:58This is a big old curveball
13:00Just had a phone call now
13:02And they are willing to sell me that property again
13:05Now I don't know what to do
13:06When it comes to rural decline
13:21Bulgaria has suffered more than most of our European neighbours
13:25In less than four decades
13:27Almost a quarter of its population has been lost to emigration or old age
13:32The countryside is the worst affected
13:35At last count
13:37A thousand Bulgarian villages had a population of 30 or less
13:41Earning it the title
13:43The land of the lost villages
13:46Now Bulgarians are looking outside of their borders for support
13:51Since the pandemic
13:53A lot of English and British people are coming here
13:55And the good thing is that a lot of them are coming mainly to start to live here
14:00It's good for Bulgaria because it helps our country to put more life in the villages
14:06In northern Bulgaria, Ores is one village in decline
14:12Established in the first century as a station between the Roman fortresses of Beline and Shvizhtov
14:19Ores is home to one of the oldest churches in Bulgaria
14:22But without an injection of life these streets could soon be deserted for good
14:29But there's a flicker of hope
14:32Ten British families recently relocated here
14:35And following the death of her husband
14:38Kate from Bournemouth could soon follow suit
14:41I'd actually been watching other people that have made the journey moved over to Bulgaria
14:46In different areas of Bulgaria because obviously it's a huge country
14:50And then once I'd started making contact with people within the village
14:54It just made sense for me
14:57Since her husband's passing 12 years ago
15:01Kate has battled addiction and mental health problems
15:05Now she wants to create a sanctuary for others who've experienced similar hardship
15:09I'd like to see a lot fitter me, you know, physically and mentally fitter
15:14I'd like to see me being able to help other people
15:19Whether that be, you know, in recovery or renovating a property
15:24So yeah, five years I'd like to see the village thriving
15:28And back to how it really should be
15:30But having made the decision to move to Oresh
15:36Kate's plans have hit a stumbling block
15:39The house sale fell through
15:41And now she's looking at other options
15:44Today she's viewing another property in Karamanovo
15:48A village 30 kilometres east of Oresh
15:51With a dwindling population
15:53I've never seen this property
15:55So I'm hoping that it's going to look as good in person as it does online
16:01The estate Kate is here to see is on the market for just seven and a half thousand euros
16:11Right, okay
16:14Kate's due to view the property in less than ten minutes
16:18But now she's received a call that could change everything
16:21Hi, okay, hi, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye
16:26And this is a big old curveball
16:28So I came over in September to look at a property
16:31Which I absolutely loved
16:33A lot of reasons, it didn't work out
16:36Just had a phone call now
16:38And they are willing to sell me that property again
16:41And take off the money that I'd already deposited on that property
16:44Now I don't know what to do
16:46The estate in Oresh is 4,000 euros more expensive
16:49Than the one she's seeing today
16:52So Kate's decided to keep her options open
16:56Hi there
16:58Oh, not too bad
17:00So the property actually is, I think we discussed this in the show on the video
17:04It's about 1,700 square meters
17:06Yep, yep, yep
17:08This small farmstead complete with barn, outbuildings
17:10And just under half an acre of land was built in the 1950s
17:14Okay
17:16Yeah
17:18And it's soon clear that the low price tag
17:20Reflects the unlivable state of the house
17:23This is the, this is the stuff we discussed
17:26The hole in the wall, yes we did
17:27The hole in the roof
17:28Yeah, the tree
17:30This room, I think, could be a nice bedroom
17:35And I think, the good thing is the two windows
17:38Two windows, yeah, two windows, it's bright enough, you know
17:40It is
17:41It is
17:42The estate once had everything required to be self-sufficient
17:45But it was abandoned more than a decade ago
17:49So this is, I think, best place for living room
17:54Yeah, yeah, yeah
17:55So who are the pictures of?
17:57They are the owner who built the house
17:59Wow
18:01So why are the pictures left? Like, why are personal things left?
18:06Sometimes I feel, when I see the properties like this
18:09It's sad, isn't it?
18:10Almost of the property, it's sad
18:11It is
18:12It looks like people just left and they never came back
18:14And never came back, yeah
18:16While the asking price is low, it's instantly clear that renovating and modernising this estate
18:23Would require significant time and investment
18:26I've got a couple of concerns
18:29There's, like, the back of the property, I've only just noticed
18:32There's no fence between myself and the other neighbour
18:36So it's just, like, open land
18:38So I'm kind of a little bit concerned about that
18:41Because it then doesn't become private
18:43Obviously the roof, you know, there is a gaping big hole in the roof
18:47Which would need to be done
18:50So I'm kind of, I'm torn now
18:53So yeah, I think I'm just going to go away
18:55Have a good think and then decide what I'm going to do
18:57Even with new custodians shaping their futures
19:11Life in Europe's ghost villages can only be sustained through continued upkeep and investment
19:18At La Gallisserie, Laurie and Sean hope to generate an income through bed and breakfast rooms and holiday lets
19:25It's July and the couple are preparing to welcome their first ever Gitte guests
19:31But it's fair to say they're not quite ready
19:36Oh, gosh, it's a day of, um
19:39Busy, busy, busy day today
19:40A thousand jobs
19:42So, um, I'm putting my hand to a bit of plumbing today
19:46I say a little bit of plumbing, it's all of the bathroom and I have no idea what I'm doing
19:50Um, and you're
19:51I think just to take a job off of Sean, I'm going to try my hand at grouting
19:57But making sure the Gitte has a functioning toilet and shower
20:01Is only the start of an epic snagging list
20:05And time is not on their side
20:07It's Friday
20:10And our deadline is Sunday
20:13And not even late
20:14Sunday afternoon
20:15Sunday midday, actually
20:17Um, so it will be as finished as it could be
20:21Lolly and Sean are avid upcyclers and want to use this old English sink in the bathroom
20:31We've got a little bit of an issue because half of our plumbing stuff is French and half our plumbing stuff is English
20:37And we're trying to adapt both together, which is awkward
20:42And because I have never done plumbing, it's kind of, it takes me a lot longer to think about and what to do
20:48Right, let's take this up
20:50Come back and get a few bits
20:52To make matters worse, the sink waste outlet doesn't line up with the pipe work Sean has already fitted into the wall
21:02That's where I originally guesstimated where my pipe was going to come up
21:07And clearly my pipe needs to be a little bit lower
21:10While Sean ponders the plumbing, Lolly's receiving a crash course in grouting
21:14Don't be afraid to make a mess
21:17Don't, don't make a mess?
21:19No, don't be afraid to make a mess
21:20OK
21:21It's a case of lathering it in there, I think
21:24Oh God
21:27Oh God, you put yourself under so much pressure doing these silly jobs, don't you?
21:31This roll-top bath will add a splash of luxury to the jeet
21:37But means tiles are essential in this section of the bedroom
21:41Oh, the pipe is in
21:44It probably could be trimmed a tiny bit more, but at least it's in
21:48I don't know, I always panic over jobs like this
21:53I'm not very confident, but it looks OK
21:56But just when it looks like everything is running smoothly
22:00I just need to now cut the pipe
22:03For the, erm, for the hot and the cold
22:05And attach them, and then it's job done for the day on, on this sink, so
22:10Yeah
22:12Sean makes a rookie mistake
22:15Obviously the waterworks up here
22:17Yeah
22:18Do you want some help?
22:19No
22:20What happened then?
22:21I just chucked some water down here
22:23And then I remembered that
22:25There's holes in the bottom and it's not sealed
22:27So I've now plugged the holes
22:29And I'm going to put some water in there and see what happens
22:33We could be running away very sharpishly because we get too wet
22:36But, erm, hopefully, fingers crossed, we'll be alright
22:39We might have a flushing toilet
22:41We will see
22:43Oof!
22:48We have a flushing toilet
22:50It may have taken me longer than most people it takes, but
22:53It's working
22:56For the first time in its history, this building has a flushable toilet and running water
23:02We have water to a sink
23:05But that's not the end of Sean's plumbing list
23:08The shower still needs fitting and tiling
23:11And the kitchen sink also needs connecting to the water mains
23:16The plumbing is kind of like a big jigsaw
23:19But it's just making sure that the jigsaw is watertight
23:22And they now have less than 48 hours before their guests arrive
23:29Patience, well done
23:33I didn't have a lot, I didn't
23:35There's an enormous amount of work to do, but, yeah, we were kind of dreading today, really
23:42Because it's kind of that
23:44It's out of our comfort zone
23:45Yeah
23:47Massively out of our comfort zone, so it's kind of, yeah, well, we're not skilled tradespeople like they do it every day
23:53So you have to really think about it, and it's kind of worked
23:56Yeah, so
23:58And we'll crack on early tomorrow
23:59Yeah
24:09Coming up, running on empty
24:12Started at nine yesterday, finished at midnight
24:14We're not as far ahead as we wanted to be
24:16Can Lolly and Sean summon the energy needed to reach the finish line?
24:20I think adrenaline's kicked in, because we know it's got to be done
24:24And Jonas and Ulrike wrestle with red tape as they fight to keep their village alive
24:30The standards are way too high for us, led to an explosion of a budget here
24:34Back in Transylvania, it's September
24:50And Jonas is checking the progress of his new cookery school taking shape in the former Vicarage stable
24:58And after a slow start, the project is progressing at pace
25:09So we're just witnessing the windows to be delivered
25:14That's great, because it's going to have us have this place watertight
25:19That's the good news
25:22But as with any renovation, progress comes with its fair share of setbacks
25:26The challenging part here in the cooking school is that in order to get it certified
25:33We were digging into how to certify it in the first place
25:37And it appears there is no set of rules for a cooking school teaching amateurs
25:44So we're just going to have to adhere by the same standards as these professional cooking schools
25:50The standards are way too high for us
25:52Led to an explosion of a budget here
25:57The adaptations include building showers and office facilities in the building
26:02Costing not only money, but time
26:05Their October deadline is now out of the window
26:14Jonas and Ulrike need to get creative to raise renovation funds
26:18This is local responsibly forced firewood that we're using
26:23And as summer turns to autumn, they're preserving a harvest practice that has sustained this region for almost a thousand years
26:31Today we are prepping about 50 kilograms of vegetables
26:35And the idea is to preserve them for the winter
26:38Today they're making zakuska, a beloved Romanian preserve
26:44Packed with roasted vegetables and rich smoky flavours
26:48It's very tasty, it's healthy, it's vegan
26:53Each family in Romania used to make their own zakuska
26:57And we tried to keep this tradition
27:03In the past, for the farmers, this was the only source of vitamins you could get in wintertime
27:11Where in the past zakuska would have been served to farm workers
27:16Today it's sold in both the restaurant and hotel
27:19It's an incredibly satisfying aspect of our work to be able to work first of all such fantastic produce
27:28To know that all of this is coming from the village
27:30When you be able to taste at the end of the day the fruits of this labour
27:34It's just for me
27:36An utter joy
27:38Jonas and Ulrike hope to keep traditions like these alive at their cookery school
27:43Whilst the eggplant is being steamed in its own skin
27:49It is also being smoked and that additional smoke is just for me such a beautiful thing
27:56It's a labour-intensive process
28:01But in the past this would have been a village-wide event
28:04Neighbours would gather to share the workload and preserve the abundance of the harvest together
28:10After hours of slow cooking
28:13The smoked and blended vegetables are ready to be sealed in jars
28:18The glasses here have been sterilised before
28:22Now we are adding a little bit of local fire water to the lids
28:26And it's being set on fire
28:28And whilst it's burning
28:30The glasses are being closed and then fire is going to stop
28:34But it also kills off all the air that is in there
28:37So it creates a vacuum
28:40This tradition is about as old as drinking alcohol is
28:43While preserving an ancient village tradition
28:47Today's harvest will also help raise valuable funds
28:51Needed to restore the village's 14th century church
28:54Living with the season, embracing them
28:57Harvesting the seeds of what you've been producing for such a long time
29:01An utterly beautiful period for me
29:03In France, Lolly and Sean are also battling to boost their bank balance
29:17They're now hours away from opening their holiday let
29:20I think adrenaline has kicked in because we know it's got to be done
29:23But have finally admitted defeat in their battle to have everything ready
29:29We started at 9 yesterday, finished at midnight
29:34We're not as far ahead as we wanted to be
29:36We had wanted at all but we haven't got round to doing that as of yet
29:38But it is what it is, you know, at least they've got baths
29:42They've got a flushing toilet and a sink
29:45They are friends, so there's an element of relaxation with it
29:51A small element
29:52A small element
29:55But one thing they're not relaxed about is the stairs
29:59Which are functional but precarious
30:01Luckily their neighbour is a master joiner and has come to the rescue
30:06We've got our guests arriving in about four hours, five hours
30:10So we need a handrail at the top
30:12So kindly Robert has come round because he's a skilled joiner and a legend
30:18It enables me to do another job
30:21They didn't find anybody else
30:22No, they were all busy, weren't they?
30:23So they just dragged me off the street
30:26While Robert cracks on with the handrail
30:29Sean has one final job to finish in the bathroom
30:33With plasterboard walls and a shower that doesn't work
30:36It's never going to be the Ritz
30:39But Sean does want their guests to be able to use the toilet in comfort
30:42Have a toilet seat
30:52Beautiful
30:54Lolly and Sean's first holiday let has been 12 months in the making
30:59And they now have just 30 minutes before their guests arrive
31:03What's left to do?
31:04What's left to do? So it's just clearing away everything for you
31:07Yeah
31:12When they bought this abandoned village
31:17Lolly and Sean set up camp in this dark damp hay barn
31:21It had no electricity, no running water
31:24And a native population of field mice
31:28Now this former agricultural space is unrecognisable
31:32With an inviting open-plan living and dining space
31:36And a chic bedroom complete with a roll-top bath
31:39I can't believe that we've got to this point
31:46Obviously, you know, you want everything finished
31:49But another few weeks, it'll all be done
31:53The shower room may be a few tiles away from completion
31:57But the transformation this building has seen is remarkable
32:02Voila
32:04Gorgeous
32:05Arriving today are friends Sarah and Tim
32:08Who are staying here overnight together with their daughter
32:10On their way to the south coast of France
32:12How are you?
32:14Good to meet you
32:15Come, come, come through
32:17So this is your little spot for the evening
32:19I can say till it's yours
32:21Thank you
32:23And then this is your bedroom
32:25I'll have a look at the nearly finished
32:27Yes, nearly finished en suite
32:28Oh, it would be great though, wouldn't it?
32:29Yeah
32:30The toilet works and the thing works
32:32So we've made you rush to get this ready, basically
32:35We've had a few 13-hour days and then last night we finished at midnight
32:38We're going to have a drink on the terrace, shall we?
32:40Oh, I think that sounds like a very good bath
32:42It may not be perfection, but Sarah and Tim are impressed with what Lolly and Sean have achieved
32:46The jeet's lovely, it's very lovely, you can very clearly see her style and all those little touches are absolutely beautiful and very much looking forward to staying in it
32:47Absolutely
32:48Absolutely
32:49So we've made you rush to get this ready, basically
32:50We've had a few 13-hour days and then last night we finished at midnight
32:53We're going to have a drink on the terrace, shall we?
32:55I think that sounds like a very good bath
32:57It may not be perfection, but Sarah and Tim are impressed with what Lolly and Sean have achieved
33:05The jeet's lovely, it's very Lolly, you can very clearly see her style and all those little touches are absolutely beautiful and very much looking forward to staying in it
33:15Absolutely
33:17And in the end, the setting outweighs the lack of functioning facilities
33:22We're not worried about the bathroom not working, we built our own house a few years ago and know how difficult these things can be, especially when you're up against it
33:30So yeah, for one night it really isn't going to worry us at all
33:33Not a problem
33:35They're very generous in nature knowing that things weren't finished for tonight's stay, but yeah, all in all, a good few days
33:45So we are now really looking forward to sitting down
33:49I'm not sure I need to, I don't think it'd be good for me to sit down, I might fall asleep
33:53I know
33:55The jeet's completion marks another important milestone in La Glisserie's journey from dereliction to salvation
34:03Now Lolly and Sean can move on to the next stage of the rescue plan
34:06Cheers
34:13Cheers
34:15Coming up in Romania
34:17It's like an easter egg hunt but in a culinary manner
34:20Jonas and Ulrika go in search of nature's bounty
34:24So we'll go and hopefully find some of the black gold in the Transylvanian wilderness
34:29And Kate dares to dream in Bulgaria
34:33As you can see there is no roof, we have no windows, we have a doorway
34:38But this will be brought back to life
34:40In Northern Bulgaria, the rural population is rapidly dwindling
34:54But as locals depart, Brits are snapping up properties here, helping to stem the tide of rural decline
35:01Former truck driver Kate recently viewed two abandoned estates
35:06And now needs to decide if this is where her future lies
35:10The property that I looked at in Karamanova, I think that's how you pronounce it
35:14That was a lovely property, it had a huge barn
35:18You could do a lot with it, it had really nice views
35:21The other property that I looked at in Oresh had amazing views, stunning views
35:27It was more contained, it had a lot more outbuildings
35:32And that property was pretty much done, ready to move in
35:36In as much as it had electric done, it had, you know, lights done, it had double glazing
35:43So I'm just weighing up what to do really
35:45The estate in Karamanova is 4,000 euros cheaper than the one in Oresh
35:55But in the end, Kate decides to buy the first house she viewed
36:01A few hours later, a deal is agreed for the farmhouse in Oresh
36:06And Kate visits the local notary to sign on the dotted line
36:09The notary deed for buying, selling real estate
36:15Lured by low property prices and a simpler way of life
36:18In recent years, ten British families have relocated to Oresh
36:23Kate will join a blossoming expat community
36:26Fighting for the future of this storage settlement
36:29The deed was read to the parties
36:34The text was translated by the translator to the buyer in English
36:40All searches and legal checks on the plot have already taken place
36:45Meaning the sale is a simple process
36:4712 years ago, Kate lost her husband Darryl
37:03And for more than a decade, she's lived in a one-bedroom flat in Bournemouth
37:07Battling her demons
37:09I remember this gate from last time
37:12On England's south coast, 10,000 euros wouldn't get you a garage space
37:18But for that price, Kate now owns a half-acre estate
37:22Complete with two houses and multiple outbuildings
37:26What I'd like to do is have like a little retreat
37:29So these are perfect for if guests come over
37:32Um, there's just sweet little rooms
37:35And they're all double glazed as well, ready
37:38The first dwelling constructed on this site
37:41Was a humble single-storey farmhouse
37:43Built in the 1930s, part of the house still remains
37:47Together with cattle sheds erected at the same time
37:50As you can see, there is no roof
37:54We have no windows
37:56We have a doorway
37:58But this will be brought back to life
38:01A second home was built on the estate in 1959
38:04In 1959
38:06Like the original farmhouse
38:08It had only one bedroom and one living space
38:11But it was recently modernised
38:13Adding a shower room, plus modern electrics
38:18So this will be my forever home
38:22Wood floors, I love the wood floors
38:26So this will be my bedroom
38:27This will be my bedroom
38:29I'm thinking this will be my bedroom
38:32And then this room will be my kitchen lounge
38:39But the beginning of her life as a village saviour
38:42Is tinged with sadness
38:44As it's one journey, Kate would rather not be making a loan
38:50The money that I had was because of the loss of my husband
38:54So to be able to buy a property in his memory
38:58Going forward with my life now on my own
39:01Yeah, it's really emotional
39:03But because of him, you know, I've got this
39:06And obviously he's here with me
39:08And the property will be called Daryl's Spirit
39:11In memory of him
39:12Rescuing Europe's ghost settlements
39:18Requires selflessness, strength and willpower
39:21Virtues Kate has in abundance
39:24But one person alone cannot save Oresh
39:27Now Kate joins a legion of local Brits
39:30Determined to breathe life back into another
39:33Of Bulgaria's lost villages
39:36There is a lot of renovations that need doing
39:37But the actual accommodation side of it, the house
39:42There isn't a lot that needs to be done
39:44So it is a case of I could move straight into it
39:47So now the next step is to just move over
39:52Drive, I'm driving over
39:55And yeah, to get settled and start my new life over here
40:00Back in Kund
40:14Jonas and Ulrika are on a mission to raise the funds needed
40:18To restore the village's 14th century church
40:21Food tourism is central to their plans
40:25And beyond the meadows, hidden beneath these ancient forests
40:28Lies the region's most elusive, lucrative delicacy
40:33So here we are in one of my favourite places of all of Transylvania
40:38This is a piece of forest
40:40About four kilometres away from the Valle of Edda
40:43Where we are finding truffles
40:45So as a chef this is like winning the lottery
40:47To have a place so close by where you can find truffles
40:51At this time of the year
40:53Jonas regularly hosts truffle hunting tours
40:55Giving guests a taste of this deep-rooted tradition
41:00Sharing this experience with them is something that we are really known for
41:05And what people just really enjoy
41:07So we'll go and hopefully find some of the black gold in the Transylvanian wilderness
41:12Local hunter Sandru is leading the group
41:15He comes from a long line of truffle hunters
41:18With skills passed down through generations
41:20His highly trained pointers sniff out these pungent delicacies
41:25Which grow underground, near the roots of ancient trees
41:29How old are you?
41:32My age!
41:35I'm old
41:37My age!
41:39My age!
41:41My age!
41:43You can smell it
41:45You've got a old species
41:47It's a Melanosporum
41:49You've got a Perigot truffle
41:50You can find a rich pungent
41:52You have a rich pungent
41:54truffles have been hunted in these forests for centuries their culinary fascination began in
42:01the 18th century when french chefs introduced them to the aristocracy of europe today some
42:09varieties command prices of up to 5 000 euros per kilo making this centuries-old practice a vital
42:17source of funds for the village first of all people are enjoying a walk in nature and then
42:24with the excitement of going to look for something it's like an easter egg hunt but in a culinary
42:28manner and it's the first time for everybody who's here they've never been truffle hunting so
42:33i think it's an experience everybody really enjoys each guest has paid 50 euros for today's hunt
42:40which includes a glass of wine and lunch prepared on site using fresh truffles
42:45what a beautiful day and as pop-up restaurants go this takes some beating
42:56so this is where we're gonna have our wilderness lunch
43:02as you can see the guys have already started to set everything up in this really really nice spot
43:07so video is cooking a risotto on the open fire so risotto is a traditional dish from italy the
43:15background of this creamy rice is the perfect platform for a truffle to shine on top
43:23that's just perfect so it actually looks like all our guests are arriving from the trapland now
43:33these experiences have become a key part of jonas and ulrica's business
43:37when it comes to reversing decades of decay there's no set formula for our village saviors
43:48each project presents different challenges but for jonas and ulrica bringing back traditions from the past
43:56is helping them build the strong foundations needed for the village to survive and thrive being out and
44:04foraging for your own ingredient really deepens your own relationship and in a way surely also
44:10appreciation of the food that you're eating so i think that is something that we like to
44:16introduce our guests to and that we are passionate about
44:20next time dan takes his chateau restoration to dizzying new heights it's been such a struggle
44:31to get to the top for that to be finally done is going to be a great feeling
44:36high emotions and drama for lolly and sean unfortunately he's caught it with that arm
44:43a water shortage threatens kund never been imagining that in my lifetime i'll be having to deal with
44:50such challenges and kate hits the road i can't stay here anymore wasting any more of my life
44:57when i could be out living my life
45:20hard work
45:27so
45:29so
45:29so
45:31so
45:31so
45:33so
45:35so
45:37so
45:39so
45:41so
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