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00:01For ten years, we've been celebrating plucky Brits
00:04chasing their dreams in the sunshine.
00:08Isn't this just the perfect life?
00:10Absolutely.
00:11But there's plenty more following in their footsteps.
00:14Go on, close your nose.
00:16I don't know whether I dare.
00:17These expats are flying in the face of Brexit...
00:20They have kept my passport, which is a bit of a shock.
00:25..and joining Europe anyway.
00:27Suck it and see, as they say, eh?
00:29I need a bit of luck.
00:31..investing blood, sweat and tears...
00:34Oh.
00:35Oh, no. Now, look! Oh, no!
00:37What a pine in the...
00:40..from riding centres in Bulgaria...
00:43..to antique shops in France.
00:46We'll be millionaires next year.
00:48Rodney. Rodney.
00:50..they're queuing up...
00:52Whoa! Come on.
00:54..to build their new lives in the sun.
00:57There's no going back. Not gonna happen.
01:02Today, it's all changed for British sunseekers
01:05trying to put their own stamp on properties abroad.
01:08I think that's gonna look pretty cool.
01:10Who knew you could get so excited over a toilet?
01:13A B&B in Spain faces some tricky manoeuvres.
01:16Is this gonna work? Oh, my goodness.
01:18Is this gonna fit?
01:19This is such a tight, narrow little road.
01:22A DIY job is harder than expected in Portugal.
01:30Oh, what bloody good is that?
01:32A major renovation gets underway in Italy.
01:35The risk is that we go back to England
01:38with our tails between our legs.
01:40And two rookie hosts in France are being put to the test.
01:44If I'm honest, I'm a bit anxious.
01:46I'm a bit nervous about today.
01:47A bit.
01:55With over 300 days of sunshine a year,
01:59it's no wonder why so many Brits set their sights on Spain
02:02when it comes to making a big move abroad.
02:05Oh, look at this sand.
02:07They literally have combed the beach.
02:10And Norfolk couple Tom and Terry were no exception.
02:14The first thing with Spain is the weather, obviously,
02:16because you know it's gonna be hot most of the time.
02:19Sitting down here next to the sea in shorts and T-shirts
02:21is just like paradise, really.
02:24In the UK, it's probably pouring with rain,
02:26and it's probably windy and cold,
02:28and we got to the point where we just didn't want that.
02:32And we haven't really looked back.
02:34After ditching their lives in Blighty,
02:37hairdresser Terry and gift shop owner Tom
02:40are now hard at work doing a massive top-to-bottom reno
02:44on a two-bed Andalusian guesthouse
02:46to turn it into a vegan B&B.
02:50No, the dream is pushing out our vegan philosophy, I suppose,
02:55bringing a little bit of that to Spain, isn't it?
02:58It's July, and Tom and Terry have been living
03:01at a neighbour's house during the renovations.
03:03Does it work?
03:05After nine weeks, they're thrilled with the progress.
03:09Wow.
03:10Wow, rapido, rapido.
03:12Mucho progreso.
03:14This bit's very exciting because this is actually the entrance
03:17to the B&B part of the building,
03:20so this is where people will come, so to see all of this down.
03:23And it feels like a real achievement to start getting these key areas
03:28ready for guests.
03:30The heart of the B&B will be the kitchen,
03:33where Tom will be whipping up vegan feasts.
03:37It's now fully tiled, and the lower cabinets are starting to take shape.
03:41But they've just taken delivery of another feature
03:44their future guests are sure to love.
03:47OK, so here's the delivery.
03:49Three toilets, one beige and two blue.
03:52So that was a big decision to make.
03:54Yeah.
03:54So we thought blue would be quite fun,
03:56and we thought blue toilet with this would look...
03:58Cos it's like a soft blue,
03:59we thought it would look quite nice with this, didn't we?
04:02It's being quite bold, and it comes with that thing of...
04:05It can either work really well and you think,
04:08that's amazing and it's a real talking point,
04:10or you think, oh, my God.
04:12Open the box, what's in the box?
04:14Oh, wow.
04:15Wow.
04:16Mmm!
04:18So we wanted one that was quite a modern shape.
04:21Wow, look at it.
04:22This is actually the fun bit,
04:23where you start to put the cool stuff in.
04:26But I think that's going to look pretty cool.
04:27Who knew you could get so excited over a toilet?
04:31But, incredibly, the powder blue loo
04:34isn't the best thing about today.
04:38Wow, what's going on here?
04:40It's amazing.
04:40This has been what we've been waiting for.
04:43We suddenly heard a lot of commotion.
04:46This is, like, so exciting,
04:48because the dumper truck has arrived, the mini digger,
04:50they're going to get rid of about,
04:52I don't know how many tonnes of rubble,
04:53because in the village there's nowhere to put a skip easily
04:56and so they've just filled the courtyard,
04:59literally 10, 12 feet high.
05:01It's a really momentous day today.
05:03Because it is the space of where the plunge pool is going to be,
05:07it feels like another major step forward in our plans.
05:12As well as clearing the rubble,
05:15the builders will also be knocking down two of the garden walls
05:18to create space for a plunge pool.
05:21But before they get started, Tom needs to go on a rescue mission.
05:24So I've got to retrieve a fire pit and a few bits and pieces
05:29from the other side of the wall.
05:30I need to just nip round the corner and pull those out,
05:33otherwise they'll end up in the skip as well.
05:35So, bear with me.
05:39So, luckily, I can get in this side.
05:42I mean, look at this rubble.
05:47It's a nice fire pit.
05:50Right.
05:51We'll sit them outside here for now.
05:57Tom's old shop sign.
05:59So this is from the UK, a bit of memorabilia from the previous life.
06:05It actually looks quite nice here.
06:07We've got no real purpose for these,
06:09but it's just nice to keep certain things,
06:11prop them up in a corner somewhere.
06:12Yeah, I think we'll find somewhere for them.
06:16With the fire pit and memories of a past life safely tucked away,
06:21it's go time for the disposal team.
06:23If they can get to the debris, that is.
06:26Is this going to work?
06:27Oh, my goodness.
06:28Is this going to fit?
06:29This is such a tight, narrow little road.
06:32Even the little dumper truck is having a problem to get to the house.
06:38I think they're worried that the weight of the front
06:40on such a steep incline will pull the vehicle down out of control,
06:46you know, on the slope, so...
06:47Pedro's not too worried because he's stood right in front of it.
06:54Finally, the digger is in position.
06:57And now here goes the first load.
06:59Here's the first load.
07:00Whoo!
07:07Wow!
07:08The dust!
07:14Yay!
07:16After over two months of renovations,
07:19seeing the back of the rubble is a major milestone for Tom and Terry.
07:30Albuferra on Portugal's southern tip is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
07:37But the beaches are so long, you don't always have to jostle for space on its Atlantic coast.
07:44The water is cold, don't get me wrong, the water's freezing.
07:47But once you're in, it's the most beautiful water you'll ever be in and you just float and...
07:51I just want to get in, actually.
07:54It's so hot, I want to get in.
07:55With an eye to scooping up the steady stream of holiday makers, Leah from Oldham and her Portuguese husband Joao
08:03have opened a cocktail bar just a stone's throw from the beach.
08:07But it's a crowded marketplace and the couple have put everything they've got on the line.
08:12Here it's very difficult to get a loan, so we had to use every last bit of our savings to
08:16open the bar, finish decorating the bar.
08:20Just little things like painting the stools, that must have cost like 80 euros just for paint and everything like
08:25that.
08:25And that's just something small, that was some stools, so it's everything.
08:28And then you need machines and...
08:29Machines, licenses, stock, we put everything we have and then we go from there, yeah, exactly.
08:34You never know what's working and what's not.
08:37Yeah.
08:38And it is a challenge, every day is a challenge.
08:42It's September and Leah and Joao are taking advantage of a thankfully rare slow day to work on turning the
08:49basement of their bar into a second western themed space featuring a new mural.
08:55Complete as we want it is obviously by next season, but as much as we can.
09:00For people to see that it's starting to get the western theme is the aim, so the more things we
09:05can do the better.
09:07Leah's prepping a wall for some timber patterned wallpaper.
09:12It's a lot more paint peeling off than I thought it was going to be.
09:16While Joao makes use of some leftover paint from the mural.
09:23But he's soon running on empty.
09:26I'm going to have to go.
09:27You're going to have to go?
09:28Yeah, I'm going to go with my paint.
09:31But little does he know that Leah's got her eye on his prized sander.
09:38Well, try it while he's not here, that's the best time to work.
09:42I guess you just go up and down, no?
09:51Well, what bloody good is that?
09:55There.
09:56How do you put it on?
09:58It turns out to be a lot trickier than she thought.
10:07Why are you not sticking, mate?
10:11So Leah turns to the internet for a little advice.
10:14How to put paper on sander.
10:20How to put paper on sander.
10:20And then has another go.
10:30It's an arm workout.
10:41I think I'm going to give that up as a bad job.
10:45So it's back to sanding by hand.
10:47And when Joao returns with the paint, he's none the wiser.
10:51I'm going to start again.
11:02How's it going there?
11:04If I give DIY a good go, it doesn't mean I'm no expert.
11:08By the end of the afternoon, Leah's managed to get some of the wallpaper up.
11:12If you come close, you can see the issues.
11:14But if you go far away, I think it looks all right.
11:16And Joao has painted most of the bar.
11:20I'm going to move this to the drive.
11:25The bar is still a work in progress.
11:27But with the summer season coming to an end, Leah's thinking positively about getting it finished over the winter.
11:34This all started from a rustic vibe two months ago.
11:37And now we're going western.
11:38So everything changes as we go along.
11:40Run with ideas and just go.
11:49Coming up, everything must go at an old textile mill on Lake Como.
11:57Ripping everything else.
11:59And then on a couple of days' time, we've got a guy turning up to take it all to the
12:02tip.
12:03And a recently completed villa in France gets a professional appraisal.
12:08And there are no big ones.
12:09The pictures are, all the walls should be protected.
12:11Yes.
12:11So, with the lest, we see what we are.
12:14Yes.
12:14Yes.
12:14Yes.
12:17Yes.
12:21Yes.
12:23Yes.
12:32Yes.
12:33shoreline and vivid blue waters to explore 1.4 million visitors a year come here in search of a
12:40taste of la bella vita it's very different here you wake up and think which mountain shall we walk
12:46or you know which part of the lake shall we go to and one uk couple was unable to resist
12:52its call
12:53we came on holiday once fell in love with the lake didn't we lovely scenery absolutely fantastic food
13:00most beautiful pizzas so we've got to admit having pizza played a part in it yeah
13:10company director ashley and solicitor summer cheers cheers big ears are planning to give up their day
13:17jobs in bournemouth to move lock stock and barrel to trumezzo i don't want to sit behind the desk
13:23anymore you don't want to run a business forever because of the responsibility we would just want a
13:27different life he just got to the point now where we both said that it's time for us they've splashed
13:34out 360 000 euros on this four-story building which they plan to turn into a bed and breakfast what
13:42you're looking at here is a 300 year old uh silk house which is part of the whole building which
13:49was
13:49a textile mill for silk very old and gray at the moment but we've got big dreams and visions for
13:55it
13:56haven't we the property needs a top to bottom renovation as it hasn't been touched in years
14:03with their 150 000 euro budget they're hoping they'll have four ensuite bedrooms within a year
14:10and as they've had to take out an italian mortgage and they haven't yet had their visas approved they're
14:16betting everything on this gamble the risk is that we go back to england with our tails between our legs
14:22it's a little bit frightening because it's the biggest risks we've taken yeah yeah yeah
14:29it's march 2023 and work on the property has begun
14:34right then let's go summer has stayed behind in the uk to work so ashley has called in some extra
14:42muscle
14:42in the form of brother matt to help him gut the house
14:48we've got four rooms to clear two bathrooms uh ripping everything else and then on a couple of
14:54days time we've got a guy turning up to uh take it all to the tip so it's ready for
14:58the builders to
14:58get cracking because the quicker we get this done quicker they'll get done and the quicker the neighbors
15:03will forgive me for the noise it's going to create the construction team is due to start in a month
15:08but as
15:09ashley's only here for three days he's got to get as much done as he can not only will it
15:15save the
15:15extra cost of the builders doing it but it's also bringing back treasured memories
15:22we're builders sons so uh our dad would have loved this uh if he'd uh been alive to come and
15:28help so
15:29he would have this would have been his element we grew up on his building sites so uh and i've
15:34done a
15:35bit of work in the past but doing flats up and that sort of thing in order to bring the
15:44building up
15:45to code all the pipe work and electrics need redoing there we go so even though some of the fixtures
15:52and
15:52fittings could be reusable the builders have insisted everything goes yeah fold up yeah right
16:02they have to put new in throughout otherwise they can't guarantee any of their work so it's one of
16:08those where you just got to go for the brand new it'll be more expensive at least you know it
16:11gets done
16:12and it's done right with dreams of being open for business in 12 months the journey's only just beginning
16:24the long british love affair with the dordogne shows no sign of fizzling out the climate the
16:31landscape and the food in this little pocket of southwest france have lost none of their allure
16:37and the long roads that twist through the lush green fields are perfect for anybody who dreams of
16:43exploring its wide open spaces what a beautiful day for cycling today harry not bad at all is it
16:51pretty good it's here that paul and fiona from gloucestershire have put down roots after realizing
16:58that their nine to five lifestyle in the uk just wasn't appealing to them we would get up in the
17:04morning go to work come home have tea go to bed do the same the next day they bought a
17:11rundown property
17:11and have since turned it into a luxurious six-bedroom villa complete with a swimming pool and they've done
17:18all of the work themselves i'd say we're pretty good as a team we just seem to bounce off each
17:25other if
17:25i'm on a bit of a downer then paul's on on on a good day so we just seem to
17:29keep each other going that
17:30way don't we and it's in the contract you're not late to get in it's in our contract yeah
17:38it's june and while paul and fiona have already had their very first paying guests
17:44they need to keep the ball rolling to get the business properly off the ground the shirt is open
17:50all nice and light and today they're expecting a visit which could make or break their first summer
17:56season and it's got fiona's nerves in a tizzy have a glass of wine no no okay if i'm honest
18:05i'm a bit
18:05anxious i'm a bit nervous about today a bit i think i don't know whether it's my age as i
18:10get older i
18:11seem to feel um more anxious on certain occasions an inspector from the french tourist office is coming
18:19to give the business its official rating and he's expected in just a few hours i'll carry on then
18:26back on it would be nice to get a higher rating as we can get we i don't think we'll
18:33get a five
18:33star because we don't have air con um and there's a couple of other things that we don't have which
18:39i
18:39think will affect our five star rating but i mean a three or four which should be possible but we'll
18:44keep our fingers crossed and see what happens the renovations have lasted eight years and cost
18:52more than they anticipated even after doing all the labor themselves the star rating they achieve
18:58from the inspector today could help them attract business and affect their prices so the stakes
19:05couldn't be higher just making sure that everything's okay i did a quick flip when this morning
19:09normally um we have provided two two types of towels two sizes a big bathtub and a hand towel now
19:17when i read through the list they want three different size hand towels so luckily i had these
19:23in the cupboard and after a quick change of clothes they're just in time for the inspector's arrival
19:40it's clear the inspector will leave no stone unturned
19:48from measuring the size of the rooms to counting the cutlery to checking the width of the mattresses
19:54nothing escapes his eagle eye but he's also got a few suggestions for the newbie hosts
20:32the inspector departs leaving his verdict behind
20:43but after eight years of putting blood sweat and tears into the property how many stars has all that
20:50work got them it's better than i thought because we've now got four stars four stars yeah let's get
20:57the plaque so we've got a plaque we have a plaque we want a plaque and i'm like yes we
21:02want a plaque
21:03four stars we were very fortunate because he was such a nice man he was a really nice he's very
21:09pleasant very nice yeah very complimentary very complimentary of the work should you see how much
21:15fizz we can get going no
21:19an official four star rating is a huge boost for a brand new business paul and fiona can use it
21:26across
21:26all the booking websites and they'll be listed on the local tourist board's catalogue cheers my liver
21:33cheers to the four stars yeah hard work is paid out at last dear darling
21:43coming up i think it's just gonna fall down tom and terry come to blows is it possible to get
21:52divorced over the tiles around your pool leah struggles with technology come on please work
21:59and it doesn't help that the printer's in french so i don't have a clue what it says
22:03and a miscommunication
22:09it's ashley right in the pocketbook how much do you have to get over four hundred fifty years
22:27back in bedar it's day two of the rubble removal
22:34we were awoken this morning at about eight o'clock by beep beep beep and we thought well they've come
22:40again that's good with so many tons of tat to transport the builders have been making endless
22:46trips down narrow roads from the casa to the large skip parked on the outskirts of the village
22:56but despite the disruption tom and terry are thrilled
23:01wow look at that it's kind of like a whole timeline of the the field we've got everything
23:07yogurt pots we've got wardrobes bathroom fittings it's like layers of rock you know like we're
23:14excavating by midday the digger has been working its bucket off for hours and it's time for phase two
23:22this load is the last load apparently then this big skip is full capacity so then it's operation
23:34this is the moment drum roll please i think it's just going to pull down we're excited for this bit
23:43because it's the most exciting part of the renovation yeah because to think we will have to have our own
23:49plunge pool it's like the dream oh yay it's down it's down
24:08with the courtyard almost clear
24:11let's have a look wow wow tom and terry can finally get a proper idea of what their new plunge
24:18pool space will be like now the wall's been knocked down you can see how thick it was
24:25so it's given us that extra sort of foot foot and a half and this is all pool this whole
24:31area
24:31quite a big space actually you can really imagine it now just having a little drink in the pool and
24:37chilling out getting the last few rays of the day seeing all the sky and everything it's going to
24:43be really a really great space actually nearly a month later and the plunge pool is progressing nicely
24:52can you believe this is so close but you just can't wait to begin you know dangling your legs off
25:00the
25:00edge it's going to be amazing although there is one major bone of contention
25:06is it possible to get divorced over the tiles around your pool maybe possibly possibly so the big debate
25:16that the tiles to go on this terrace it's been really hard to find ones that we like
25:22so i think we've come up with some but they are a terracotta color which i think actually they're going
25:28to look amazing it's just persuading you they're going to look amazing he is fussy and hard to please
25:34no the outdoor areas are racking up a hefty 26 000 euro tab so it's vital tom and terry get
25:44the design
25:44exactly right and that means building the pool seating to the perfect height i think maybe a little
25:54bit higher do you think yeah yeah for me only because i'm only small so once you're sitting on
26:00the seat and then the water level here i couldn't you want to comfortably be able to sit like just
26:06maybe water to here would it be this way try and sit on that and then i would be
26:18oh yeah it's good because then it will be just like here i suppose
26:24with each little choice made the bed and breakfast is inching ever closer to completion
26:31now it's almost back to a regular house you start to see the the end and the finish and
26:35it'll be exciting to get back in there and start living our life won't it really
26:41i think it's come together really well we're really pleased with it so far
26:45and come september we'll be raring to go and get that last bit done
26:49so we can then just have that final push to bring it all together
27:01back in albufera business has been slowly but steadily growing at leah and joao's cocktail bar
27:08they've spent the summer trying new angles to keep their tables full and it seems to be paying off
27:14this evening is quiz night which has become a regular fixture in their diary
27:22yeah it's been a good month so far and the quizzes are doing really well thursday is always
27:26a really good day that we know is going to carry on and we're quite organized today we have a
27:31girl on
27:31tables and we have an extra barman in today just to help draw in the back of the bar even
27:36if it's
27:36just pouring beers or going to get ice out of the freezer little things like that so we're very
27:42organized today there should be no stress it should go nice and smooth fingers crossed
27:48come on please work but there seems to be a small snag with the question sheets
27:54it's not working and with the bar quickly filling up with quizzes it's the worst possible time for a
28:00printer problem i am printing my sheets but it seems like my printer doesn't want to work again
28:06and it doesn't help that the printer's in french so i don't have a clue what it says
28:08luckily the printer gods are smiling it's working and leah gets her sheets just in time
28:17it looks like it's going to be their busiest quiz night yet
28:25leah's even had to put a couple of trivia fans on the patio news okay outside after nearly three
28:33months of quizzes has everyone got a team name leah's got her patted down pat
28:42so we have three different rounds this is your school bit so remember what you learned in school i don't
28:47know how many years ago because some of you look a bit old no offense okay so question one how
28:54many wives did henry the eighties have
29:03question five who discovered the wreckage of the titanic to add a fun and fresh twist to the
29:11bog standard pub quiz leah's added a cocktail tasting round right your first drink is going to
29:17start coming round as i go it's a cocktail and unsurprisingly it's proving pretty popular
29:26okay so the one katarina is bringing around is number one the one i bring is number two
29:36what we're saying over here okay
29:41by the end of the quiz leah's got a bar full of happy customers and a winning formula for thursday
29:48nights in albufera and in first place with 61 points so not that much difference supermarket heroes
30:02it's nicer around here it's more kind of relaxed we were down this trip that night which was a little
30:07bit more madness i suppose younger people it's a far age group it's perfect beautiful lovely cocktails
30:16nice and clean we had great foods lovely service lovely staff yeah all very friendly we've had a brilliant
30:24night we came last week and we just loved it so much so yeah but it's not just about filling
30:31the bar once a week for an hour or two leah and joao are trying to build on each success
30:37because every
30:38drink or dish they sell will help them get through the winters now people stay after the quiz and they
30:45don't just finish the quiz get the prize and leave no they stay for another hour or two we have
30:51customers
30:51still there so yeah but it's massively made a difference to us like we have tables outside
30:57tables sat at the bar we never had that on a quiz night i'm just really hoping next year we
31:02can do
31:02two quiz nights at least two at least two back in tremezzo the clear out of ashley and summer's property
31:16has continued apace with help from his brother matt and friend andy every room has been gutted but
31:26choosing to renovate a 300 year old silk mill in a charming old town does come with a drawback or
31:32two
31:32when it comes to waste disposal we're in a small little village with narrow streets great for a moped but
31:42you ain't getting anything else bigger down there so paulo our guy who's going to ferry backwards and
31:46forwards the tip has turned up the piazza is the nearest place where he can park the car
31:50which is about a two three minute walk so it's just a case now of the argent's task of backwards
31:55and forwards of all of us getting rid of all the waste ashley's agreed on a price of 450 euros
32:04for paulo to take all the waste to the tip today in multiple trips
32:13and after half an hour of back and forth life is just a little bit sweeter now that i remembered
32:18this trolley was there a sizable dent has been made we're whistling through which is great hopefully we
32:24can get all the all the wood on this one and then we'll get all the appliances and metal and
32:28all that on
32:28the next one but just as ashley's feeling good about the clear out a problem arises
32:43this hip closes at 12 so that's now 10 so he doesn't have to get back in time
32:48to do the rest today so i said well we're not back until next month so uh yeah we're just
32:54now discussing
32:55what we're paying him today and what we're paying him next time but i just wanted to get everything
32:58clear but it's one of those and to rob more salt in the wound there's also been a miscommunication
33:05about the scope of the work yeah 450 for everything yeah 450 great okay you went right so that's it
33:11that's good one yeah but you're going to come out and do the rest aren't you i'm just holding the
33:14cost
33:15i don't think so well i agreed 450 all of it i want it all gone yeah oh yeah yeah
33:21yeah yeah yeah well
33:22i'll speak to the boss what do you have to give him 450 euros yeah all three of the lads
33:31are heading
33:31back to the uk tomorrow so ashley has no choice but to leave the rest of the rubbish in the
33:37house
33:37and hope the builders will clear it out i'm just going to stack all of it now up against there
33:43so
33:44at least it's out the way and that's pretty much all we can do it so it's over to them
33:47to start
33:48knocking walls and channeling wiring in and and putting the new stuff in
33:57a few months later it's all change at the house the rubbish has been cleared and the renovation has
34:03started in earnest and summer and ashley are over to check on the progress
34:09so we've started on the second floor working our way down through the development and here is going to
34:14be the new ensuite bathrooms which is channeled all the planes in for the electrics and in for the
34:20plumbing we're running all the pipes in the wall because the floor we discovered as we go through
34:25this project is only 12 centimeters thick and not thick enough to actually run the pipes through the
34:30floor without them dropping through to the room below so this is the second bedroom that's had a lot of
34:37work done as we can see we're going to have hopefully a big lovely king-size bed here shelves on
34:45either side
34:47this bedroom's ensuite will feature a unique quirk you show upon your favorite feature of the room
34:54so we position this because the window is going to be here
35:01it's a loo with the view
35:04plan is contemplation moment while you're on holiday look up at mont craccione let's hope the neighbors
35:10don't own any binoculars as they're already up in arms about the project building noise and drills
35:16isn't going down well but no we were told that we had to work within after half nine to half
35:21twelve
35:21after half three and we've and our build has been doing that but uh it's still too noisy but we've
35:28got to do the work and we've got to get it done and hopefully by the end of year we'll
35:30get it done
35:32and uh ready for next season weren't we yeah
35:39coming up there's no rest for paul and fiona or their friends
35:44here there just read it up a bit now which is your work experience in french and joao test drives
35:52the
35:52new basement bar brought bottles last night mixers cocktails and for drinks i don't think i need anything else
36:09it's june in the dordogne let's go let's go and although it's not quite the weather for it paul and
36:18fiona have a job to do outside they've been awarded four stars by the local tourist board and the plaque
36:25is getting pride of place and it's still raining even more rain even more rain yeah that one there
36:38any publicity i'm putting out on social media now it's all um advertising the fact that we've just
36:44been accredited with four stars so we're getting it out there slowly and surely
36:53and with a bit of drill handiwork the plaque is up for all to see
36:59how's that
37:05good job bob four stars we are officially we are official look at that harry four stars
37:13even with their official four stars paul and fiona are still investing time and money into adding new
37:20features to bring in the guests we need some entertainment for anyone to stay so the idea is
37:26is this area here one of the favorite pastor pastimes in france is petonc so this would give them an
37:32area
37:33here where they can play petonc paul dug it out a few days ago so after a bit of eco
37:38-friendly weed killer
37:41this is white vinegar washing up liquid and something else she puts in it
37:47the next step is a membrane to stop any other vegetation okay job done so that'll do now just
37:55waiting for the weather to change yeah dry up and we can get some gravel down the next job requires
38:02heavy
38:02equipment and some drier weather so instead it's time for lunch thank you very much
38:10and a catch-up with their friends anthony and ruth who are visiting from the uk cheers
38:17everybody cheers everyone lovely to see you life in france and good friends
38:25but there's no such thing as a free lunch the sun's come out and the grain's dried up nicely
38:31so anthony and ruth are put to work on the petonc pitch which is your work experience in french
38:39ruth even gets the chance to try her hand at driving the telehandler
38:43you just keep washing in your mirrors yeah right there yeah okay there straighten it up a bit now
38:51straighten up now yeah this way a little bit but it does take some getting used to
38:58get ready to push forward on the bridge
39:04they're quite vicious
39:14after the gravel is spread out paul gives it a pass with his whacker plate to flatten it
39:24considering the start we had of the day rain chucking it down with rain really cloudy
39:30we've actually done quite well haven't we yeah the petonc pitch will still need another layer of finer
39:36gravel and some finishing touches but soon enough paul and fiona are sure they'll have another outdoor
39:42amusement to market to their guests you've had a good team today yeah we've had a brilliant team today
39:48that's why people don't come and stay on only with us because every time they stay on all
39:51anyway we put them to work it's October and although the summer tourist season is over
40:05it's still buzzing at leah and joao's cocktail bar there's a group booked in for bottomless brunch
40:11and a hendu is coming in later for a cocktail making class it's nice to be still so busy almost
40:17the middle of october because not everyone gets the luxury of still having the customers this
40:23late on in the summer so it is really nice we are really grateful for everyone that still books in
40:27with us so late on even so early on in the season so yeah makes me happy but i am
40:33ready for it to end
40:33now the season joao's in charge of the lesson and he's holding it in their newly redecorated basement
40:42bar i'm just finishing preparing what i need to bring down i brought bottles last night mixers cocktails
40:48and the drinks i don't think i need anything else feels nice yeah it's first time that i'm i'm gonna
40:55work behind this bar downstairs so yeah i'm excited leah and joao have spent the summer trying out new
41:03ideas to make their bar competitive and leah's latest is to add to the options for bottomless brunch
41:10not only can guests choose from charcuterie but they can now opt for a dessert board too
41:17so the dessert boards are just kind of like an after thing it's got a little bit of chocolate in
41:21the
41:21middle on the teller and they can dip it all in a bit like you'd have a chocolate fountain but
41:25on a board
41:25and i always go get fresh cakes from the bakery in the morning make them a bit smaller to put
41:30on the board
41:30loads of different things biscuits donuts pashdaldi nachos which are a local delicacy and i made sure to
41:37get an extra one of this for myself i always do i love it if you want another pot of
41:46chocolate just
41:47let me know for dinner okay and it seems like the combination of tasty cocktails and sweet and
41:54savory treats has hit the spot for these brunches same again
42:01the cocktail making classes have been another big draw for the bar oh the actual bride
42:06i've been messaging are you all right let's head in and joao's students have just arrived for their
42:13lesson in mixology
42:28while joao has to pop upstairs just a few times to raid the main bar for ingredients
42:33having the class in the basement is otherwise a success
42:44having a separate space for kind of like the vip's
42:47when i was just just us yeah i feel like everything was just for us so yeah
42:58i think the fifth was the amaratus hour from us yeah yeah it was really good and you enjoyed your
43:03um i can't remember what mine was called but it was like um
43:05like it's beautiful well i've never drunk it it's really nice it's gone it's been a make or break summer
43:15for these two new business owners
43:17they've thrown everything they have at it including their life savings and now at the end of the season
43:24they've surprised even themselves it's been really busy a lot busier than we expected it to be
43:30which is really good i have no idea he was going to turn out like this we have done amazing
43:35this summer
43:36like so much better than we could have thought that was well cheesy
43:43their guiding principles of hard work and innovation have taken them far and they've
43:48got big plans for the future including finishing up the basement bar this year we recovered our
43:54investment we made some profit next year hopefully we'll be better and the year after and the year after
43:59then it's it's just like that with big dreams for their cocktail bar and newfound confidence in their
44:05business skills leah and joao couldn't have picked a better place to build their future it is beautiful
44:11here recommend it to anyone come to barge
44:20next time there's no end in sight for summer and ashley
44:28once you remove one bit you notice three other jobs that need doing but there's light at the end
44:32of the tunnel for tom and terry oh we have a wall a big wall quite a big wall while
44:39new arrivals in
44:40portugal get stuck in try to do it like this like this okay and the game's afoot for paul and
44:49fiona
44:51oh competition oh that's mine oh that's yours isn't it yeah you pick your own now excuse me
45:04you
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