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00:01Would you risk it all to start again?
00:04I always wanted to live in Spain.
00:06I don't think I could give up these blue skies and sun.
00:09We followed hundreds of Brits as they left their UK lives behind
00:13to take a leap into the unknown.
00:15It's not like it's been easy.
00:18Paying us might not actually like it.
00:20I just hope near the customers come.
00:22Setting up businesses in Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal, France, Italy and Spain.
00:28We've invested everything we've got into this.
00:31Now we're back to find out what happened next.
00:34We never expected to be working this hard. We really didn't.
00:37Did their dreams set sail?
00:40We genuinely love doing this, don't we?
00:42This is what the vision was.
00:44Or were they forced to abandon ship?
00:47It's been a very long road. Very challenging.
00:50There's no telling what will happen.
00:52That's fun.
00:53When you try to build a new life in the sun.
00:57I'm enjoying this a bit too much.
00:58Cheers.
00:59Good luck.
01:01On today's show, we catch up with a couple who opened a B&B and tea room in Spain.
01:07Here we go. Here's some lovely canopies for you.
01:11With ambitious expansion plans on the horizon, have they taken on more than they can manage?
01:16This really was the herringbone. You know, it was letting us down.
01:23In Spain, we revisit a couple whose creative business success left them burnt out.
01:29I didn't have a day off. So much so that I actually got ill last year.
01:35And we return to a couple in France whose jeep business got off to a slow start.
01:41The problem is we don't have any reviews.
01:44But can they turn it around to keep their dream alive?
01:47You don't have the monthly salary or the fees coming in as I used to have.
02:01The province of Granada sits in the east of Andalusia.
02:05With over 300 days of sunshine every year, it's no wonder Brits flock here for the good weather.
02:12Let's go. Come on.
02:15Two of those Brits are former air stewards Steve and Martin.
02:20We first met the pair in 2023 when they decided to invest their savings in a 200-year-old farmhouse
02:27with plans to run it as a B&B.
02:30For the price of a four-bed detached house in the northwest,
02:34they bought a property with 16 bedrooms, a tennis court and a swimming pool
02:39on 12 and a half acres of land.
02:44We couldn't afford this sort of lifestyle back in the UK.
02:48So we're making the best of it here.
02:50Steve and Martin had problems with red tape
02:53that meant they had to open as a tea room before they could launch as a B&B.
02:58But Martin's food proved popular
03:00and it led them to make private dining a key element of the business.
03:05Here we go.
03:07Oh, my God. You've done me proud.
03:11In June that year, as they were in the final stages of preparation
03:15before opening their doors to B&B guests, a storm hit Andalusia
03:20and left their garden and pool area in a state.
03:24With the tourist season in full swing, the pressure was on to repair the damage
03:28or risk losing lucrative bookings.
03:31We expect it to be at least 70% capacity by now.
03:35We're now back to 10%, 20%.
03:38Two weeks later, keen to start welcoming guests and refill their coffers,
03:43Steve and Martin opened the B&B doors without a pool.
03:46I'm Martin. Hi, Ben.
03:49Hi, Ben. How are you? Nice to meet you.
03:52All right.
03:53But it didn't dampen their guests' stay.
03:56They were blown away by the attention to detail.
03:59First impressions, fantastic.
04:01And it's a lovely place.
04:02They've obviously put a lot of love into it.
04:04Very nicely done.
04:06Sympathetic with Spanish decor.
04:08Where they temporarily lacked pool facilities,
04:11they made up for with Martin's cooking.
04:14Here we go. Here's some lovely canopies for you.
04:18Oh, wow.
04:19The food was a hit with the guests and a welcome cash injection.
04:23And with the money starting to roll in,
04:26Steve and Martin were able to finish the outdoor repairs
04:29and take some bold steps with the business,
04:32investing in a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen.
04:35All done.
04:36But there was no rest for the wicked.
04:38They still had to juggle guests whilst renovating.
04:42It's been quite stressful.
04:44As you can see, I'm working off two trestle tables
04:47and a makeshift piece of worktop.
04:50To add to their workload,
04:52the couple also decided to expand their business
04:54and branch out further.
04:56Come September, with a half-complete kitchen,
04:59they welcomed nine Pilates students.
05:03Hello, ladies. Welcome to Casa Lucia.
05:05And the pair pulled out all the stops.
05:09Woo!
05:12Woo!
05:15Woo!
05:15Woo!
05:16Woo!
05:18Woo!
05:20Woo!
05:21Woo!
05:22Woo!
05:22Woo!
05:22That's what all the girls say.
05:26By the end of the summer, they were able to
05:28officially celebrate their B&B opening eight months later we're catching up
05:43with Stephen Martin and business shows no sign of slowing down last year it
05:49seems a bit of a blur now it seems a long time ago everything just really
05:54sort of went a bigger a quicker pace yeah than we expected having found their
06:01feet with the kitchen now complete and bookings coming out of their ears they're
06:05constantly looking at ways they can improve and expand from the feedback that
06:11we've had from last year and the interest that we've had this year we are taking
06:18the retreats a little bit more seriously the pair are now looking at investing
06:24into their retreats but in order to make a success of things they need to make
06:29some improvements and improvements cost money at the beginning it's robbing
06:35pieces to pay for so we've just rediverted the finances in two different areas
06:42Stephen Martin have decamped into the office and are converting their living
06:47space into overflow accommodation to allow for bigger retreat bookings this was
06:52our living room as you can see with all the furniture in it it does look a bit of a
06:57mess we don't usually live like this but unfortunately we've had to because all
07:03this stuff will be coming out and this will be turned into a twin bedded room and it's
07:09not just their living space Stephen Martin are updating they have plans to
07:13redesign outdoor spaces as well and we've decided to make a few little changes you
07:19know because we've had a lot of feedback yeah and the biggest change obviously is
07:24what was the tennis court is now going to be a multi-functional outside space with
07:28ambitious plans and guests due in a week will Stephen Martin get it ready in
07:37time Tani Garon is a department in the Occitani region named after the two rivers that run
07:45through it the area is a rich rural paradise
07:56it's peace and beauty drew photographer Lynn and her architect husband Brian to buy a holiday
08:02home here 19 years ago what do we love about France for me it's the countryside the nature
08:09the wildlife the beauty it's the pace of life as well we first met the couple in 2022 when after
08:1725
08:17years living and working in Dubai they decided to move to France permanently to escape the rat race
08:24I was on the edge of it it was frantic we never had any time to ourselves it's lovely to
08:31be to have
08:32time to to to do more than just work to fund their new life here they plan to renovate their
08:39four bed
08:40farmhouse and two outbuildings into a luxury holiday village aiming to attract big groups and families
08:47for longer bookings we need to make it work as a business it's not a game it's not a hobby
08:52it's
08:53it's it has to be a viable business their main focus for their first year was to get the pool
08:59and
08:59one outbuilding nicknamed the bread oven ready for a soft launch that summer whilst Lynn stayed in Dubai
09:07with their son Brian got started on the renovation hard of work he's sitting in an office for 25 years
09:17not doing any physical labor and now I'm doing a bit of physical labor yes sweating to keep costs down
09:25Brian decided he would do a lot of the work himself down the field of pressure actually I'm thinking if
09:32I'm
09:32going to get this soft opening by August I'm really going to have to pull my finger a month later
09:38Lynn
09:38arrived back in France and finally had a chance to check on Brian's progress doorway is gone wow in here
09:48so wow it's big yeah wow what a difference stairs look fab by early July they felt their vision for
09:57the site had started to take shape the site is is now is busy it's good good to have the
10:03people here
10:04all making progress in the right direction yeah feels as if all systems are finally go and everybody's
10:10kind of coming together but there was still a lot of work to do to get the bread oven ready
10:15for that
10:16summer before they knew it it was mid-august and they had failed to meet their deadline the pool was
10:23ready and the bedrooms were finished but they still had kitchens to fit and bathrooms to plumb
10:29it was very very hot and you know the swimming pool was too inviting uh-huh and for you know
10:36for
10:36for a couple that actually have been living in Dubai for 25 years you think we were used to the
10:40heat
10:41well no it crucified us it absolutely crucified us working outside in the heat they set themselves a
10:48new deadline and by October they transformed the bread oven they were finally ready to welcome their
10:54first trial guests it's really really amazing what I've done feels very different if you're ready
11:11to relax disconnect and enjoy nature it's perfect test guests are one thing but to make this business
11:19work they needed to secure paying guests it's all very real it's all very real yeah this is it now
11:25isn't it it's it's it's it's the real starting point two years on we're catching up with Lynn and
11:38Brian who've gone from test guests to real ones and at first it looked encouraging getting through those
11:45first bookings and getting the first morning when you were asking them how did you sleep and you get the
11:50thumbs
11:50up that was like wow brilliant that's that's great that's when you think well there's a tick in the box
11:55it just makes us feel that we're doing it right but despite the positive feedback their first season
12:02wasn't as lucrative as they had hoped the first the first year would you say it was slow
12:10because we didn't have any reputation and nobody knew us so we had a few hotel bookings through various
12:15sites and the problem is we don't have any reviews you know it's a bit nerve-wracking on the commercial
12:23aspects and all of those things you don't have the week the monthly salary or the fees coming in as
12:28I
12:28used to have will these newbie sheet hosts be able to bring in the bookings to keep the dream alive
12:37still to come we're checking in with a couple on the Spanish coast whose store became a roaring
12:43success it's all like nearly 200 big paintings in two years but has the pressure of it made them
12:50rethink their dream it's not all about business and it's not all about money and work and back in
12:57rural Spain the clock is ticking for Stephen Martin we've already been asked if they can
13:02see photographs of these rooms but unfortunately we can't because they're not ready Lescala is a
13:20beautiful fishing village on the Costa Brava that lies a stone's throw from the birthplace of one of
13:26Spain's most celebrated artists Salvador Dali popular with surfers as well as holidaying families
13:34it's chock full of trendy shops and cafes it's beauty and artistic heritage proved irresistible for designer
13:45candy and visual artist husband Alex who moved here from London in 2020 it's less of a hard grind here
13:54I
13:55cycle every morning from home to work the sun shines pretty much every day which is great
14:06we first met candy and Alex on the day they rented this vacant shop they planned to fill it 50
14:1350 with
14:13their creations to sustain their new life in Lescala location is pretty amazing we have the sea right
14:22outside and then the space is great we've got enough window to show what we do which are wedding dresses
14:30and art it's a good spot but before they could open their doors to the public there was a mountain
14:36of work
14:37to do to transform the premises into a trendy space for candy's dresses and Alex's art we plan to do
14:45everything in
14:46in a sort of one month it took us nearly two it's been pretty stressful I feel 20 years old
14:58the delay in renovations was frustrating but Alex and candy persevered and a few weeks later they were
15:06tantalizingly close to the finish line and happy with the results the light in here is so clean and
15:14pure that I can see every single stitch detail in the garment it's amazing you know it's great to be
15:23able to work in this kind of lighting not long now until their dream new business in the Sun would
15:29become a reality that's it that's it cool we're aiming to be fully open as soon as we get the
15:38paperwork and the license through a few weeks later and the shop could finally open to the public and
15:46candy's customer Pietra had booked a fitting for a bespoke dress we haven't discussed style at all
15:55she's just completely given me the go-ahead to design something for her she may not like the fit and
16:01it
16:03could go drastically wrong and the time had finally come to see if candy and Alex's new business would
16:16become a hit in Lescala you look gorgeous nice it feels wonderful and luckily Pietra was over the
16:26moon not just with her own dress but also another of candy's designs Pietra might be interested in dress
16:37number two in plum in plum thank you thank you thank you you too cheers it was a great start
16:46and
16:47things got even better later in the season when candy's clients took a sudden interest in one of
16:53sixes portraits is it not that would look great in the diamond ring babes and I think I think we
16:59should get it what a memory a memory yeah well it's to say though it is for sale yes so
17:05I so wasn't expecting
17:26these two years later we're back in Lescala where we find candy and Alex still living their new life
17:33in the Sun and running their businesses so since we opened two and a half years ago the business has
17:41been actually doing quite well a lot better than we had ever imagined especially on Alex's art side I
17:49sold like nearly 200 paintings in two years but all the success came at a big cost especially for candy
18:01I basically was so busy and the first year of opening I didn't have a day off so much so
18:08that I
18:08actually got ill last year and I had to take a step back from my own business and what I
18:16have realized
18:17is that it's not all about business and it's not all about money and work business was always 50 50
18:25but with candy's health concerns can this couple adjust the balance and keep their dreams alive
18:36on our revisits tour we're back in Granada and Steve and Martin have been working hard to improve
18:43their tea room and B&B we've increased the space in here anyway well the seating because we had a
18:50big
18:50table and it it's the max it was eight people now we've got 16 this year the pair have decided
18:56to
18:57invest in their retreats and have been renovating the property and grounds to accommodate the demand
19:02for bigger bookings this will be another double room that we can use there's a letting room but it'll
19:09be nothing like it looks like now it does look quite a mess but we'll get there the work will
19:18give
19:18them 12 rentable rooms during peak season having previously only had eight rooms available and in
19:26six days they'll be hosting their biggest retreat booking with all of the rooms occupied but with
19:32walls to be painted rooms to be cleared and soft furnishings to be put in place they've got their work
19:38cut
19:38out we've already been asked if they can see photographs of these rooms but unfortunately we
19:45can't because they're not ready and I think if I sent photographs out now some people would start
19:52panicking the pair have a busy day ahead of them in order to prepare for the guests they also need
19:59to
19:59transform their disused tennis court the rest of the renovation is done to sort of like a fairly high
20:07standard this really was the herringbone you know it was it was letting us down so we had to do
20:16something with it and because the pilates and the yoga retreats are becoming quite popular it's it's
20:25necessary for having an outside area like this with only a few days to get things ready Steve is
20:31tackling the biggest job revamping the tennis court floor I could do all the cutting in first and then
20:40it's like when your kids you just draw around the edge and then color the middle bits in it's a
20:47slow
20:47process but it's important it's done properly as the paint isn't cheap I'm an expensive paint this
20:54is nearly 90 euros a tin to fund these changes they need the money to keep coming in so while
21:01Steve cracks
21:02on with the court Martin is flying solo in the kitchen with all the work going on in the in
21:08the
21:09in the building we can't stop running the business you know it's full-on every day so basically we'd sort
21:15of chuckle in from here to there it's a you know everywhere six guests are due for afternoon tea in
21:22just an hour's time but this isn't Martin's first rodeo and with food prepped in advance he has time
21:29to head over and check on Steve are you gonna use a big roller on it yeah but I'm good
21:34around the
21:35edge first and then filling it in right see he's been here two minutes and he's now trying to
21:40interfere yeah yeah Steve's getting on all right slowly surely not long after the guests begin to
21:51arrive this is that everybody loves sure he's on here actually and the food is served right so we've
22:01got egg mayonnaise we've got roast beef and horseradish we've got tuna and red onion even on
22:08his own Martin's food never falters it's been absolutely brilliant beautiful experience this
22:17exceeded everything especially the scones the cream and the gym but back on the tennis court there's an
22:25issue I have to leave that bit there because it's where we fill the cement in it's really powdery
22:33so I'm gonna have to paint all these bits here by hand with only a few days left the last
22:39thing the
22:40couple need is a delay so Steve avoids the problem areas and carries on regardless but he's getting
22:46restless I'm bored this is mind-numbing soon there's another stumbling block he's run out of paint and it's
22:55not an easy one to find so that has now taken one two two large ones and three small ones
23:05tubs of paint
23:07to do half of it the work on the court can't continue until they have more paint but the grind
23:16doesn't
23:16stop there's still plenty to do inside now I'm gonna put some furniture together so I've got to go
23:22upstairs now and start putting flat packs together so that's gonna be fun with four new guest rooms to
23:29finish an activity space to complete and only seven days until their largest retreat booking will they
23:36be ready in time still to come in France it's crunch time for Lynn and Brian just got a few
23:47last
23:47preps to do to the bread of a house the gique before they arrived and back in Spain just wanted
23:53ready for
23:53sale or yeah it is for sale yeah it is for sale can Alex secure his biggest sale it's got
24:00a value higher
24:01than anything else in this gallery as we travel through Europe on our revisit tour we're back with
24:18Lynn and Brian who had a slow start to their new sheet business but they're not giving up we're you
24:26know we're really passionate about what we've done here we're but we're passionate about France we're
24:29passionate about this property and we want we want everyone to come here and feel feel that passion
24:36and enjoy the place as much as we have done for all the years that we've that we've owned it
24:40they're
24:41determined to make the dream work so they've been working hard to improve the site to attract more guests
24:47and with Lynn and Brian's attention to detail they seem to have thought of every luxury new outdoor bar
24:55and planter area at the back with a with our sailcloth shading for for enjoying a refreshment in the late
25:01afternoon in the shade and we've got our outdoor outdoor kitchen area which features a ice machine new
25:08barbecue area and then the garden sound system and they've converted their barn into a games room
25:15complete with an inside bar big screen TV and a pool table all of their hard work to make the
25:23property
25:23stand out has paid off it's September and this season their bookings have doubled compared to last
25:31summer and the extra features have been going down well we have really been quite surprised how well
25:37it's done we have I mean it's like anything when you do something you know your own expectations but when
25:42you hear
25:42people's feedback and how nice it's been it's just it's a lovely feeling isn't it it is so long may
25:49it continue
25:51today Lynn and Brian are expecting some returning guests and they're keen to hear what they think of the changes
25:59just got a few last preps to do to the bread oven house before they arrive and one of them
26:04is the
26:05welcome pack all our guests get this on arrival so this always goes down really well as well as all
26:11the improvements Lynn's thought of a creative way to use her photography to bring in some extra cash
26:17so we do the welcome cards and the welcome cards are also artwork which is displayed in the bread
26:24oven and again we've had lots of requests from our guests if they can purchase prints from us so
26:30that is also a another new thing that we're incorporating into it which works really well
26:35I'll just finish writing that and then we're good to go and soon after the guests arrive but Lynn and
26:44Brian aren't the first ones to welcome them
26:56Bethann and Steve are on a four-week tour around France to celebrate their retirement and have
27:01stopped off here for a week of relaxation how long you been in France this week and a half
27:06week and a half already yeah it's just week and a half okay well you're in the right part of
27:10France
27:10now you've been in the wrong part now you're in the right part I just said we'll spend the first
27:13two
27:14or three days we're in cagoules oh dear well you brought the sunshine I know they may have the weather
27:19but will they be impressed with the changes new gravel it's all there absolutely yeah after a quick
27:25tour they leave their guests to settle in so here we are there's a few little tweaks inside which
27:33you should notice yeah truly nice isn't it that's wonderful it's been so much new this year they've
27:42they've continued to improve the pool there's a there's a wonderful new bar and barbecue area we
27:48thought it was great before but they've made it even better where next all that's left to do now
27:53is relax in the new pool and bar area absolute pleasure to welcome you back to La Cousa Hall here's
28:00to
28:00the next week and and big congratulations on your retirement Bethan and Steve have already booked
28:07again for next year and with the repeat bookings rolling in Lynn and Brian are proud of what they've
28:13achieved here you have to always remember that people have always got a choice is kind of like
28:18the greatest kind of indication of what we do when somebody comes back absolutely absolutely yeah but
28:25Lynn and Brian won't be stopping there they've still got big plans for the future to get the
28:30maximum potential out of the whole place it has to be the whole place yeah um let uh to one
28:36group of
28:3612 to 14 people so we have got the hunger to drive on and make sure that we achieve that
28:42and until we've
28:43done that I don't think we can say that we've finished this journey yeah no absolutely but I mean we've
28:49got the
28:49time and we'll we'll we will get it done yeah not come here to fail no absolutely and we're not
28:56going
28:56to fail yeah on our revisit trip we're back in La Scala northern Spain where designer Candy has been
29:13run ragged since opening her shop in 2022 we had an extremely busy first year here a lot busier than
29:23we had ever imagined and I took on an extreme amount of orders but it cost me my health I
29:30became
29:30extremely ill and I was forced to slow down Candy's success meant she became physically and mentally
29:39exhausted and she's had to rethink her priorities I'm only taking orders um at the moment for as much
29:47as I can manage because I just can't work under the pressure that I was putting myself under when we
29:53first opened I just ended up in here for a whole year and not seeing the outside world and that's
30:01not
30:01what I moved here for Candy's revised approach to work means that visual artist husband Alex has
30:07increased his workload and gradually taken over the premises I think it was probably 50 50 paintings
30:14and dresses and now it's definitely around 85 15 85 paintings 15 going to 90 going to 90 yeah
30:26but definitely the space is definitely Alex's space luckily Alex's work has well and truly taken off
30:35with lots of artwork sold and many commissions providing the couple with much needed income
30:42I need to basically send this parcel to Chicago US it's a print it's a frame print and one of
30:54Alex's
30:54bestsellers and main source of inspiration has been none other than the local superstar Salvador Dali
31:01whose portraits by Alex are being sold all over the world Dali has ignited my the artist in me I
31:09have
31:10collectors art collectors and returning buyers that they they come back to purchase more Dali's and I'm super
31:19super satisfied of what what I've been achieving Alex's dazzling Dali portraits have been selling well but he can't rest
31:29on his laurels he constantly experiments with different colors and media to keep his collectors interested and today he has
31:39a chance to dazzle Dutch art lover Bjorn who's come to the shop in Leskala to pick up a commission
31:45he ordered
31:47I guess I guess you want to see your painting right so let's go I'm just gonna put it up
31:54here and
32:00there you go perfect perfect it looks like Alex has another satisfied customer but Bjorn's eyes
32:08are soon wandering off his commission and landing on the many other Dali portraits in the shop
32:14because this one is ready for sale or yeah it is for sale yeah it is for sale is actually
32:19my uh my last Dali and learning about the painting Bjorn would like to add to his shopping list so
32:26it's time to try and make a deal
32:30that piece it's an original it's no it's full original and it's full it's unique it's got a value higher
32:36than anything else in this gallery and there is a high value in this painting
32:41Bjorn's first offer isn't quite enough but he's fallen completely in love with Alex's latest painting and isn't letting go
32:50this is the price of your Dali you're getting okay so I put yours okay so it's time for a
32:57counter offer
32:58put it this way yeah I put it in a list of 250 extra think about your heart
33:10it takes a few minutes to work out numbers but after a while Bjorn finally gets his way
33:16yeah okay deal deal
33:23you're a good do you know what you're a better businessman than me
33:26but my wife's gonna kill me
33:29it's been a fantastic day for Alex who sold not just one but two paintings
33:34I saw this
33:36well absolute wonder piece of a Dali and
33:41it sucked me right into it
33:43I was lost
33:44and customer Bjorn is over the moon with how today went
33:48it's a really nice guy approachable and he makes great artwork and that made us decide to
33:56to buy not only one but two pieces
34:01as Bjorn leaves Les Gala there's still a long season ahead
34:04can Candy catch up with Alex's success as she tries to readdress her work-life balance
34:12coming up in rural Spain it's showtime for Steve and Martin
34:17well today's quite important so we've now got the other side open so we've got another three bedrooms
34:22with guests arriving will their hard work pay off
34:26and that sounds like somebody's at the gate
34:29and back on the Costa Brava time is of the essence for Candy and Alex
34:34we're not even halfway there so this is getting a little bit hairy
34:52back in the mountainside province of Granada
34:55Steve and Martin are prepping for their biggest booking yet
34:59well today's quite important because we've now got the other side open
35:02so we've got another three bedrooms that we're filling up
35:06so we've got more guests so we're catering for more
35:11so yeah it's quite important that everything goes
35:16you know to plan you know
35:18and everybody's happy with the new bedrooms
35:21on top of having three out of four new guest rooms open
35:26they've also revamped their tennis court into a multifunctional event space
35:31and by doing it themselves they've made a big saving
35:35I think the whole cost of it came to about 900 euros
35:39because it's a special servicing
35:43and it would have cost more if we actually would have got a company to do it
35:46it was going to cost something like 5000 euros to have it done
35:51seven of their guests and fitness instructors Kelly and Ann checked in last night
35:56but there's still four more to arrive
35:58this is one of the newly renovated rooms
36:02so it'll be the first night that somebody stayed in here
36:08just make sure everything's okay
36:10but having been their living space before it's going to take some getting used to
36:17well you've now got the other side of the house
36:20where we've now got three rooms open to people staying
36:24so we've got people coming in both front doors and using both staircases
36:29which is feels a bit odd at the moment
36:32because we were the only ones that ever came up to the second house
36:36and came upstairs so
36:38an hour early three of their guests arrive
36:42who's that?
36:43and that sounds like somebody's at the gate
36:46could you do that?
36:47because I've got to pop this floor
36:49and
36:51the audience
36:51that is what you call
36:53timing
36:54that's the nature of the game
36:57as Martin finishes up
36:58Steve shows them to their rooms
37:01do you want me to carry them?
37:03yeah
37:03that's all mother-in-law
37:05give me that
37:06this weighs as much as I do
37:09and it's clear that their attention to detail is a hit
37:14I didn't realise I was going to be the first guest
37:16it's really, really nice
37:17it's looking at
37:18last year we came
37:19we were over the other side
37:20and the rooms were lovely over there
37:22but smaller than this room
37:24this is quite a big room
37:26it's gorgeous
37:26really nice
37:29it's important that everything stays on schedule
37:31so Steve and Martin crack on preparing the meal
37:35I need to get some tongs for those, tongs for those
37:39and after a spot of lunch
37:43where do we start?
37:44it's gorgeous
37:46it's time for their new multifunctional event space to be put to the test
37:51come into the centre, take a deep breath again
37:53come into a small little Pilates squat
37:56I like to sit your weight into your heels
37:58extension and lighting
37:59the newly renovated space is the perfect spot to begin their Pilates retreat
38:05and the guests love it
38:07although it's on the concrete
38:10it meant you could get really good balance
38:12and they've got this shaded area as well
38:14so you don't want to be in full sun
38:16you can stand in the shade
38:17and then because you're outside as well
38:19you feel like you work harder
38:20because you're getting hotter
38:21so yeah it was a great
38:22great spot for the Pilates session
38:25the pair have built a thriving business from the ground up
38:29a G&T
38:31and they couldn't be happier with their success
38:35I'm proud of what we created here
38:38because bear in mind this was just an empty farmhouse
38:42that had been left to go to rack and ruin
38:44for 11 years
38:45for 11 years
38:48and we've brought it back to life
38:58back in Lescala it's another busy day for visual artist Alex
39:03in the shop he shares with his wife Candy
39:05and this is her
39:07oh that's lovely
39:08you like that too?
39:10we've not seen it yet really
39:11it's now the end of summer
39:13but his Dali portraits remain very popular amongst collectors and tourists alike
39:18he's done this lovely print for me
39:21and I wanted the mount a slightly different colour
39:25so he was kind enough to do that for me overnight
39:28hello you
39:31sharing the shop floor with wife and designer Candy
39:34means that Alex's success sometimes comes at the detriment to Candy's business
39:39we are in constant race
39:43whoever makes the most is allowed to have more space
39:47and I took over sorry
39:51so bad
39:54but today Alex is going to have to make room for Candy
39:57as both her dressmaking and Fashion Academy businesses are thriving
40:03today is going to be a super busy day
40:06because I have a client collecting two dresses
40:10and we have the children and adults from my fashion academy arriving to set up for their presentation
40:19Candy has her work cut out
40:20as after making a few final tweaks
40:23customer Rosa Maria arrives at the shop to try out a dress she commissioned Candy to make
40:41and customer Rosa Maria seems very pleased with her new purchase
40:46in its famous
40:48two times
40:50two times
40:51two times
40:52two times
40:52two times
40:52two times
40:53I say I'm not the one who's in the mirror
40:56that can't be me
40:58but I'm me
40:59Candy's bespoke creations continue to dazzle customers both existing and new but it's not
41:06just her designs that are going from strength to strength her fashion academy is too this is a race
41:13against time right now because the event starts in less than an hour and we're still not ready
41:20so this is where the pressure begins candy set up her fashion academy two years ago as a way
41:28to pass on her skills to young fashion designers today the latest group are about to show off what
41:34they've learned in front of friends and family so everything has to be perfect we're still trying
41:41to finish off their garments for them we need to set up a whole range of items to present and
41:50we're
41:50not even halfway there so this is getting a little bit hairy but thankfully there's
41:58help at hand with help from Alex and some of the students the evening is finally back on track
42:13could you take your sketchbook please and the event can finally start we will like to introduce you to
42:22some of the works by my students please have a drink you have a few nibbles
42:32this year from these fashion academy has had a total of 22 students and it's clear to see that some
42:39of candy's creativity has been rubbing off here we have a garment constructed by Alice Pop and after the
42:52students creations are presented they decide to let candy know just how grateful they are we couldn't
42:59finish our presentations without thanking candy for all her help her inspiration for always supporting us in
43:07every single way for finding new ways when we got stuck
43:10thank you
43:21it's been a crazy few years for candy but being able to pass on her creativity and craft has reignited
43:28her
43:29passion for dressmaking
43:31yeah it's emotional it's a hard industry to be part of but the learning process i can't imagine anything
43:39more exciting more creative and more satisfying than than what we do which is making dresses yeah
43:48after two years of being in business together it's been a learning curve for candy and Alex and although
43:55they've had to make some changes they've worked hard to find a balance that works for them meaning
44:00their dream life in Spain can continue we've learned a lot in you know in two years and we managed
44:08the
44:08the challenging times and and also the inspirational times I think well yeah we make a good team
44:20next time we return to a boutique hotel and vegetarian restaurant owner in Almeria will she be able to turn
44:28the old building next door
44:30look at the old beam the bark still on it into part of her sleek modern hotel been really really
44:38successful really successful across in France we're back with the wedding venue operators who are growing quickly
44:45we've got our busiest summer ahead of us 11 weddings this summer and we revisit the horse trekking farm in
44:52Italy
44:53this is tight for sore eyes after such a long time
44:58we're ding家
45:00a lot ofieli this
45:02one wants our bikini home and our view is so quick to get back to Dziękuję that
45:02yeah yeah thank
45:18you
45:21it
45:22thank
45:23you and
45:27thank you
45:27it
45:28You
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