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00:01From the glistening waters of the Med to the mountainous Alps,
00:05all across Europe, brave Brits are chasing new beginnings.
00:09Let's get this show on the road, huh?
00:11I mean, just look at this backdrop here.
00:13Essex was nothing like this.
00:15The stakes are high.
00:17This is definitely a gamble. I put everything in.
00:19All my life savings.
00:21We've got a lot riding on this.
00:22Our futures, our children's futures.
00:24We have to make some money.
00:25As they launch B&Bs...
00:27Service.
00:28..and pubs in France...
00:30We're very new at this.
00:31Wow.
00:32Good job the wines, Chi.
00:34..to wellness retreats and holiday parks in Bulgaria.
00:38It's not big enough.
00:39We measured it. I don't understand.
00:41Ha!
00:41..it's a journey into the unknown.
00:44Whoa.
00:44That's cool.
00:46Boo!
00:47But we're joining them for the ride.
00:50As they tee off...
00:52Ooh!
00:53..their new lives in the sun.
00:55I just walk around with a smile on my face all the time.
00:58Best life ever!
01:01Today, a family from Hertfordshire have a taste for life in Italy.
01:07It's the best oil ever!
01:09Have they found the recipe for success?
01:12The idea of tonight, obviously, to showcase what we've done.
01:16And it's the first time a lot of people have come to see the glamping site.
01:18A couple in Bulgaria have big plans.
01:22This land is...
01:23We've got some vision for it.
01:25Maybe there will be where the van life has come.
01:27But can they battle bureaucracy to build their dream life?
01:31We'll put her on a flight to the UK and I will come back here.
01:35There are new skills to master for a couple running sheets in France.
01:39Just hammer the wood into the ground, man.
01:42Can they expand their business and make the numbers work?
01:45310.
01:46Oh my God, that's miles out!
01:49And can an antique shop owner from Shropshire...
01:51It's just a literally minute's walk around the back.
01:54...direct his shop and B&B towards profits?
01:58I've almost run out of money, bottoming out in my bank account.
02:02So I could just deal with some money coming back now.
02:13The lush green slopes of central Italy are still a somewhat undiscovered gem, compared to Lombardy or Tuscany.
02:22What have you been doing this morning while we've been up at the farm?
02:26Sleeping!
02:26I slept through my alarm. I was going to wake up and shower.
02:29What do you mean for a change?
02:30In search of adventure in 2019, Rob and Fran from Hertfordshire, along with their children Mabel and Alfred, bought a
02:3922 hectare farm for 390,000 euros.
02:45I wouldn't choose a different country in Europe than Italy.
02:47So I just think, ah, Italy. It's beautiful.
02:51And this village here, Montoni, is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
02:56Yeah. I'm all about the romantic notion of what Italy is.
02:59And obviously, being the number one fan of gladiator film, I obviously needed to come to the birthplace.
03:06That's why we built a coliseum, auditorium, mini, mini stone circle, yeah.
03:13And that's not all they've built.
03:15A new family home is currently under construction, and to fund it and generate an income,
03:21they've also established a luxury glamping site, which first opened its canvas flaps to visitors in April.
03:29Connecting to the land is a priority for the couple, and is part of the ethos that drives their business.
03:36In this region, there's an emphasis now on zero kilometres, so eating all the food that is grown really locally
03:42sourced,
03:43people making, you know, artisanal products.
03:46You go to a local shop, and it's not a farm shop that's going to charge you an arm and
03:50a leg.
03:51It's a real treat to be able to go out and just have something cooked beautifully, you know, Umbrian for
03:57us.
03:57Having inherited vineyards and olive groves with their purchase of the farm,
04:03becoming recognised as quality food producers is a big aspiration for the couple.
04:08It's a predominantly farming community.
04:10They're not antagonistic towards foreigners coming in and turning their hand,
04:15trying to maintain, you know, the landscape, yeah.
04:19It was amazing, the old owner. He's still farming it in his late 80s.
04:24He wanted it to go on to people that wanted to keep and preserve the farm.
04:28And so we've tried to do that, and the old vineyard, we've added a vineyard,
04:33and obviously just maintaining the olives is quite substantial.
04:38It's June.
04:40What do you want?
04:41We want a Euro sign and 25.
04:43Euro and a 25? Yeah.
04:45Space as well.
04:46And today at Rob and Fran's event space, yoga mats have made way for organic produce.
04:52So this is a little food cooperative called the Villaggio del Chibo,
04:57which is basically a grouping of local food producers.
05:01The idea of tonight for us is obviously to showcase what we've done, show off the beautiful landscape.
05:09Today we have lots of the food producers here, so people can actually meet them for a change.
05:14Normally they just collect the food, which has already been put together.
05:17And it's the first time a lot of people have come to see the glamping sites.
05:21So for us it's like, it's beautiful all around.
05:23Rob and Fran aren't just showing off the farm to the local community.
05:27They're showcasing another potential revenue stream, harvested from their land.
05:32We're also a producer, a local producer from these trees.
05:36So this olive oil is made and pressed last October, November.
05:41So our daughter is going to be giving out these samples and hopefully to, you know, wind people in.
05:48Just polishing them up a little bit so they're not so greasy looking.
05:52Nobody wants to buy a greasy olive oil bottle.
05:54You know, try and pour something.
05:56Yeah, yeah.
05:57Be liberal, don't worry about it.
05:59And then get it on the others.
06:04It's the best oil ever. I mean, come on.
06:07With everything in place, the community comes together.
06:11And all in the name of good food.
06:14We've got lots of different people from all over the region who've come.
06:20So that's gorgeous.
06:21Lots of people who've come originally to collect their produce.
06:24And now they're meeting all the producers.
06:26Some people are meeting for the first time.
06:29People catching up with each other who were neighbours who didn't know each other were coming here.
06:33So yeah, no, it's beautiful.
06:36Making valuable connections and squeezing every resource possible from the farm is vital to the success of their business.
06:44But also their new lives here.
06:46It's been lovely. It's like a crescendo of a day.
06:49Being part of the community, being able to open our space for people to come together like this.
06:55And then some beautiful music playing with the sunset.
07:01I mean...
07:01But it's so magic for me that so many people who live in the village have come.
07:06I mean, our neighbours, all our neighbours, all the people that we see in the village who, you know, we
07:11go to for our haircut or for, you know, a magazine or a coffee or whatever, they're all here.
07:16And that's what's so beautiful about it.
07:17I'm really stoked. I'm really overwhelmed.
07:20Yeah.
07:21For Rob and Fran's business to be as successful as it is beautiful, they'll need to pull together all their
07:27available revenue streams.
07:36For some, living overseas is not just about generating a healthy bottom line.
07:41It's a calling. A mission they must fulfil that can't be ignored.
07:47We've lived in the Balkans for over 26 years, moved to Greece in 1998 and then had a spell in
07:56Albania.
07:57And we've gone back to the UK thinking, that's it, that's our time out there.
08:03But in the end, we just both realised that our heart was still out here and that we really enjoyed
08:09the life out here.
08:13Everything is sort of saying, hey, look at us.
08:17I can come back to life.
08:18It was the small Bulgarian village of Levka, not far from the Turkish and Greek borders, that called to former
08:25missionary David and his wife, pastoral care worker, Lynne.
08:30We don't want to get bored. We don't want the grass growing under our feet.
08:34So we have thought about using what we've got here for the benefit of others and not just for ourselves.
08:43There's lots of space out the back for glamping, tents or vans.
08:48Yeah, so people like that, we envisaged, would be welcome here.
08:53Lynne and David bagged a bargain on the outskirts of the village buying a small farm with over 5,000
08:59square metres of land, a farmhouse and two outbuildings.
09:03We actually were able to buy this property for the same amount of money that we paid for our first
09:10house in the 1980s.
09:12So, yeah, we feel, you know, we've got ourselves quite a good deal here, really.
09:18Bargain it may be, but their own accommodation is in need of extensive renovation.
09:23And in addition, they plan to refurbish an old barn and offer bed and breakfast to guests.
09:29So despite David being a pensioner, there are no plans for retirement.
09:35A close family relative said to me, oh, for goodness sake, isn't it about time you two settled down?
09:41And I think that's been a landmark of, no, we're not going to settle down and wait out our days
09:49for as long as we can.
09:50And while we have the privilege of being healthy, we want to maintain the adventure.
09:56Otherwise, what is the point?
09:59It's now March, and six months into their tenure, David and Lyn have builders on site, tackling work updating their
10:07farmhouse kitchen and bathroom.
10:09But it's outside where their hard work begins.
10:12But this land is, we've got some vision for it.
10:18Maybe there will, this will be where the van life has come.
10:21Maybe we'll get a yurt or something eventually.
10:23As well as plenty of space for guests to pitch up outdoors, the couple plan to offer up the property's
10:30barn as alternative accommodation.
10:32Quite spacious inside.
10:34It's sort of been modernised and changed from a barn into accommodation.
10:40We understand it needs a bit of work to sort it all out.
10:43It's not just the barn in need of attention.
10:46A persistent leak is presenting the pair with problems inside the farmhouse,
10:51which is currently holding with a patch-up job by the builders.
10:54Done a bit of a repair already, but you can see this is where the leak was.
10:59The water was just flowing.
11:01It was pouring down off all these beams from the bathroom.
11:04They'll have to wait for a permanent fix while the source of the water is identified.
11:09But David and Lynn have a more pressing problem.
11:13They've yet to receive permanent residency status here in Bulgaria, something that could seriously derail their plans.
11:21I'm a pensioner, but Lynn isn't.
11:23So the way it works is basically I can actually get residency as a pensioner
11:27because I can prove I'm getting my state pension from the government.
11:30And when I get that, Lynn takes that certificate and then Lynn applies for her D visa.
11:36New restrictions brought in since Brexit could result in Lynn having to return to the UK for three months,
11:43leaving David overseeing the renovation solo.
11:46We're wading our way through it, and if I have to go back, I've just got to do it, really.
11:55It's a week later.
11:57So I just want riot of colour and bushes and trees.
12:01And with David's visa still not approved, Lynn has only a few days left before she must return to the
12:08UK.
12:10You've turned to spectating, have you?
12:12Oh, I don't want to get in the way.
12:15Returning will be a big blow for the couple.
12:18I will put her on a flight to the UK and I will come back here.
12:23I'm really hoping that it's going to run really smoothly and everything is going to fall into place for me.
12:29If I can hold out for six weeks, then anything sooner than that is a real bonus.
12:34If they want to open for guests before the season is out, they'll both need to be in situ to
12:40make it happen.
12:45Coming up, business is brisk for Gite owners in France.
12:49We've had 65 bookings so far.
12:52Can they tackle changeover days as a team?
12:56I'll just go make the tea, shall I?
12:58No, learn how to make the beds.
13:00And it's a big moment for a new B&B owner.
13:04It didn't seem long ago that it was completely full of dust and rubble.
13:07Can he polish his hosting skills and impress guests?
13:11Before I forget, I'll give you your key.
13:13Cheers.
13:14All right, lovely.
13:15Bye.
13:27Savignes sits in a patchwork of wooded valleys and fertile vineyards, where age-old villages blend with open countryside.
13:37It's a setting that tempts plenty of tourists.
13:40But it charmed Rachel and Jay from Nottingham so much, they crossed the channel and started a Gite business here,
13:47with their twin girls Georgia and Harriet.
13:50I think a lot of people go on holiday, don't they, and say, oh, I could live here.
13:55And then they look at property and things.
13:57And we went on holiday and thought, oh, we could actually live here.
14:02This is, like, within our limits here.
14:05Well, I hope so, because we've done it, so...
14:08In the UK, Rachel was a support worker in schools and Jay a decorator.
14:15But the dream to do something together drew them to a new life in France.
14:21The way that we would make our living over here would be us working together.
14:26Working together, yeah.
14:26It would be nice, yeah, to be able to build a business and the business that we want, which we
14:32wouldn't be able to afford to do in England, so, yeah.
14:36The couple paid around £82,000 for their property, which comes with its own vineyard.
14:42And they've spent another £35,000 renovating the house and two sheets.
14:47It adds up to a real bargain, but now they need to turn a profit.
14:53Our life here and living here depends on that business making money.
15:00So that business has to make money for us to live off.
15:04It's July, and a long, hot summer in Savigny means the sheets have never been busier.
15:10We've had 65 bookings so far, haven't we, in what?
15:16Four months. Three months.
15:19German people, Belgium.
15:21Belgium.
15:21Lots of French.
15:23A few English.
15:23Yeah, a few English, but not that many.
15:25Not many.
15:25South African, we've had a Brazilian guy, actually.
15:28Yeah, he was nice.
15:29We had a couple flying from the States.
15:31Today, Rachel and Jay are bidding farewell to two families who've been guests at a wedding nearby.
15:39It felt like a home from home, really.
15:41The kids settled in really well.
15:43They had everything in the kitchen that you needed.
15:46It was just, it just felt really comfortable.
15:49Absolutely stay here.
15:50Oh, yeah.
15:50It's a beautiful place and beautiful sheet, beautiful building.
15:54Yeah, lovely.
15:56But as one set of guests head home...
15:59Take care.
16:00Bye, guys.
16:01Safe travels.
16:02..more adieu later.
16:05So there's a quick changeover to do, and it means all hands on deck.
16:11Kitchens need to be cleaned, floors vacuumed and beds made,
16:14and Rachel is a stickler for high standards.
16:19I'll just go make the tea, shall I?
16:21No, learn how to make the beds.
16:25Despite never having worked in hospitality before,
16:29Rachel and Jay are already generating a steady income from their sheets.
16:33Ever the entrepreneurs, though,
16:35the couple have been granted planning permission for two lodges in the grounds,
16:39and a digger is arriving tomorrow to make the plots.
16:43So we've got one going here.
16:45Behind.
16:46And another one going over there.
16:47Just behind the trees.
16:48So we need to roughly measure them out so he knows what to dig.
16:51They have to be finished by April.
16:54The next heat season have to be finished to make the money.
16:59The lodges come in flat pack, and they're also due tomorrow,
17:03so there's not much time to hang around.
17:08Just mark it to there.
17:10Point four.
17:14It's your measurements.
17:15No, because you moved that one.
17:17Just like that.
17:18That's point three.
17:20It's not point three.
17:21Get lost.
17:22Just hammer the wood into the ground, man.
17:25Hang on.
17:25But it looks like it could be a very long night.
17:28Hang on.
17:29I've not even got to five metres yet.
17:31Three ten.
17:34Is it?
17:35Yeah.
17:36Oh, my God.
17:36That's miles out.
17:38What is?
17:39This is clearly out.
17:40That's not in line to start with.
17:42And that one needs to come in as well.
17:46With another revenue stream resting on the lodge's success,
17:50they'll need to make sure they measure up.
17:58When setting up a new life in the sun,
18:00it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket.
18:04That's not bouncing.
18:06Merci beaucoup.
18:08Merci beaucoup.
18:09And that's certainly the case for Ian Davies,
18:11who, with two decades of living in France already under his belt,
18:15is setting up not one, but two businesses.
18:18I enjoy living in France.
18:20There's always something different to do.
18:22If you travel 30 miles in any direction in France,
18:25the architecture changes, the culture changes.
18:28It's a pretty remarkable country to live in,
18:30and there's some wonderful opportunities.
18:32Plus, the property is a lot cheaper compared to Britain.
18:35And I wouldn't say that was the primary reason I moved,
18:38but it certainly helped.
18:39Ian has recently purchased a new property
18:41right in the heart of Aimée,
18:43for a very reasonable €149,000
18:48that he's turning into his own accommodation,
18:50a holiday jeet and an antique shop.
18:55Despite moving around in France,
18:57I've now settled in the Dordogne area.
18:59Aimée's a really pretty town.
19:01It's only 20 minutes south of Bergerac Airport,
19:04so you can fly and get to Aimée very quickly and easily.
19:09Ian's mastery of the language has been a real bonus
19:12for running a retail business.
19:22I'm very, very lucky with Aimée.
19:25Since I've arrived, everybody's been lovely,
19:28particularly the local French,
19:30because they seem surprised that I speak French so well.
19:34But the locals have made a beeline for me
19:36and made me feel very welcome,
19:38because I'll just rabid away to them in their own language
19:40without thinking.
19:44It's July, and while Ian's love of France is undeniable,
19:48his life here needs to be financially viable.
19:51He's divvied up his terrace property to house the shop,
19:55his own accommodation and also a holiday jeet.
19:58And after months of extensive renovations,
20:02Ian is about to welcome his first ever customers
20:04to his brand new jeet.
20:07Well, certainly after six months of hard graft,
20:10today I'm feeling slightly relieved
20:12that I've actually got the jeet ready.
20:15So the gamble paid off.
20:17I could just do with some money going back now.
20:21It's just literally a minute's walk around the back.
20:23Ian's first guests are Terry and Duca,
20:27who have travelled to Aimée from the Netherlands.
20:29So here's your jeet. Come on in.
20:33You guys are the first guests, the first ever guests.
20:37Oh, yeah, that's a nice reaction.
20:39I'm very careful with that.
20:40Oh, not at all, not at all.
20:41But, like, you just treat it like your home, really.
20:44So we've just put a new kitchen in.
20:46Got, of course, a living room here, a dining area.
20:49And, of course, it looks out onto the courtyard.
20:54From renovator and retailer to host,
20:58Ian stepped up seamlessly.
21:00Please come on up.
21:03This is glorious.
21:04Yeah, you like it?
21:05Yeah, but you've opened it all up, haven't you?
21:07Yes, I have.
21:08Yeah, this was the corridor.
21:09But I've made this the en suite.
21:12Oh, this is nice.
21:13Yeah, you like it? Oh, good.
21:15This is lovely.
21:17We've been coming to the area for about 15 years.
21:20Oh, right.
21:21We've never actually stayed in Aimée.
21:23Well, it's nice and central, of course.
21:24You can just...
21:25I think there's over 17 restaurants in Aimée.
21:27Yeah.
21:28Before I forget, I'll give you your key.
21:29Excellent.
21:30Well, give us some of the responses.
21:31There we go.
21:34Lovely to meet you both, and...
21:35Thank you very much.
21:38Hey, cheers, guys.
21:39We'll catch up anyway in the next few days.
21:42Don't hesitate if you need anything anyway.
21:44All right.
21:44Lovely.
21:45Bye.
21:46First impressions suggest that a five-star review could shortly be coming Ian's way.
21:54Ian's welcome was fantastic, you know.
21:57From the minute we walked up to the door, he wasn't expecting us so early, but it didn't
22:01matter.
22:01It was very accommodating.
22:03Just come on in, let's have a look around.
22:04Yeah.
22:05It is a very nice place, and it's very roomy, because you always, in these old towns, you
22:10sometimes think that the place isn't going to be quite, you know, small.
22:13There's none of that.
22:14It's really, really lovely and roomy, and, yeah.
22:17Yeah, it's going to be a very nice and very comfortable stay.
22:21Six months since Ian picked up the keys, a lot of time and money has been spent on getting
22:27his business up and running.
22:29I feel really proud because the place is looking amazing, and it didn't seem long ago that
22:34it was completely full of dust and rubble, and here we are.
22:37It's my first rental, and they're extremely pleased with the place, which gives me a really
22:42good feeling.
22:43Since starting the renovations in January, I've almost run out of money, bottoming out in
22:48my bank account, so today is a great day in many ways, because basically I get some money
22:53coming back the other way, and my plans are paying off.
23:02Coming up...
23:03It says no rain today.
23:05It's just going to blow over.
23:06Will a passing storm force Rob and Fran's yoga event to unravel?
23:11It's not supposed to rain in Italy, that's why we moved here.
23:14No.
23:14And it seems the end is in sight for Lynn and David.
23:18How many more days before this is finished?
23:21One day.
23:22Fantastic.
23:23But is the schedule lost in translation?
23:26We thought most of the building work would be completed by now.
23:30We've realistically got another three or four weeks.
23:41At Rob and Fran's glamping site in Umbria...
23:46I realise I'm going to ask our help to arrive earlier.
23:52It's now July, and today the couple are hosting their biggest event yet, months in the planning.
24:00Quite big day.
24:02A tiny teeny bit stress.
24:04We have about an estimated 45 people coming to do yoga.
24:10We've basically got a bit slightly oversubscribed.
24:13But really, in the Bedouin tent with the wooden floor, we have space for 30.
24:18So those that come late are relegated to the grass.
24:23And it's yoga with a difference that's an offer.
24:27Lovely yoga teacher Georgia will do a yoga class, but everyone will have a glass of something in their hands.
24:33And they will literally do a yoga class holding a glass out.
24:36And then that will segue into an aperitivo with some snacks around the bio lake.
24:42But people will have a chance to use all our facilities.
24:44So it's like a wellness evening together, really.
24:48While the first phase of their business concentrated on getting guests under canvas,
24:54expanding into events is a lucrative market.
24:57But the open-air site does bring some challenges.
25:00I'm not worried about the weather.
25:02It's hot as hell.
25:04But actually, it's a bit cloudy, which is perfect.
25:06As Georgia, the yoga instructor, gets set up, Fran is still grafting.
25:12It's perfect.
25:13It's so good that they come in different times, so we have a flow to get there.
25:19The people that will come today, they decide to carve a little space for themselves.
25:24But they have a challenge to hold a glass with something inside, with respect, without that it fall down.
25:33They do with more awareness and consciousness in each movement.
25:39You need just to come and enjoy this connection with the nature.
25:45While non-alcoholic drinks are an option for the class,
25:48it's also an opportunity for Rob and Fran to promote another new venture.
25:52They've produced a sparkling white from their vineyard,
25:56and they're hoping it will prove popular with guests.
26:00Ooh, it's really cold. It's good.
26:02It has to be cold.
26:03No, it's good, it's good.
26:05Wow!
26:06See?
26:08With the guests' glasses charged...
26:10You see the energy, the arms are straight, and they have a big power.
26:16..the yoga begins.
26:17You see the other side, you change the glass to the other side.
26:21You see the other side.
26:23You see the other side.
26:24You see the other side.
26:25You see the glass again.
26:27Up.
26:27And we go.
26:29Up with the glass.
26:31And down.
26:35Good, really nice.
26:37Wow.
26:40But rumbling skies were definitely not part of today's itinerary.
26:45It says memory today.
26:48It's going to lie.
26:49It's just going to blow over.
26:51and we check this beautiful view we have a kind of sunset it's raining despite all their
26:59preparations there are some things you just can't plan for I wasn't worried about the weather was I
27:13no it's not supposed to rain is it not supposed to rain in Italy that's why we moved here no
27:22fortunately it looks to be just a passing shower allowing the rest of the evening activities to
27:33continue unhindered so it might just be put loads of little wood in there and then keep building
27:40this up tonight's guests are mostly locals many of whom are delighted at what's on offer so close to
27:46home I would come again I will come again all the time it has everything you need it has a
27:53pool it
27:54has a sauna it has a barbecue place and just an amazing view right despite the earlier downpour
28:05Rob and Fran have a lot to be pleased about we've all the locals talking about the space kind of
28:11perfect it helps us with local tourism not just yeah further afield yeah I mean really it's the
28:17locals that want to come and stay now yeah she's perfect I was to put a wish list together at
28:22the
28:22beginning of the year on how the events and how it was going to go I couldn't have wished for
28:27it
28:27better I'm really proud of what we've done yeah yeah it's really cool that's really I'm chuffed
28:31really chuffed it was great with the family finances firmly invested in Italy can they stay focused on
28:39expanding all that their site can offer back in Bulgaria work is yet to begin on Lynn and David's
28:50guest accommodation and with Lynn stuck in the UK waiting for news of David's visa he's been keeping
28:57busy with work on their farmhouse the massive change in here this is where the bathroom will be this door
29:06has got to move in a little bit the tiles will be taken away from down here and the whole
29:14thing will
29:15be replumbed and there will be a new bathroom going here having identified the bathroom as the source of
29:21their downstairs leak drastic action has been taken and they're moving it entirely and that's not all we
29:29opened up the floor here to bring the staircase up from downstairs because otherwise you had to go
29:34outside to get into the two rooms that are downstairs and it's all actually very exciting despite the
29:44fact it looks a bit of a mess still at the moment unfortunately for David their builders have been
29:51pulled on to another job nearby leaving the staircase and bathroom unfinished for now but despite their
29:58absence considerable progress has been made both inside and out the plan was always that we were
30:06going to get a nice big terrace outside for outdoor living the builders came in and they put this nice
30:12terrace down it which eventually will be covered in like crazy paving then they built this frame and
30:19we will put a sort of cover but our plan is to grow wisteria slowly slowly that's all coming together
30:26and
30:27we're really happy with the work the guys have done with the new terrace taking shape David's been
30:33tackling the garden which is usually Lynn's territory so this is my experiment I've bought these these olive
30:42trees I don't know why there aren't more olive trees in Bulgaria haven't sussed that out and I've planted
30:47them here and they seem to be doing all right at the moment and then I've just put a few
30:52other plants
30:53along the back here you know all with Lynn's permission I have to show her on the video where I'm
30:58going to put
30:59them although David may be flying solo today he's hopeful it'll only be a matter of time before the site
31:06is in
31:06a flurry of activity once again the builders will be back here a week tomorrow which is Monday 1st May
31:16and then they will be here till they finished everything so I would expect that by the time
31:23we get into the middle of May they will be packing up their bags it's an optimistic schedule and eight
31:31weeks later work at David and Lynn's house is still ongoing how many more days before this is
31:39finished do you think okay fantastic many jobs are close to completion and after a stint in the UK
31:48Lynn has finally been able to return later on this afternoon we're gonna go to with David's visa now
31:57granted the couple are heading to pick up the vital piece of paperwork that will bring Lynn one step
32:03closer to permanent residency I'm going to pick up my family reunification paper finally after so many
32:09months it will be in my hot little hand and then next week I'm gonna have to go back to
32:14the UK because
32:15I have to go to the embassy and submit it to then receive my visa while they're making progress with
32:24the paperwork delays on site have impacted their plans to have their business up and running for
32:30the summer season we thought most of the building work would be completed by now and having spoken to
32:38the builder this week we've realistically got another three or four weeks I think there's a possibility we
32:45could have some guests in the autumn but I think realistically we need to use this time to get as
32:52much
32:53stuff prepared so that when we hit next year we're ready for people to come and visit us
33:06Coming up grape expectations at Rachel and Jay's vineyard
33:29I opened the sheet but I pretty much emptied my back account
33:47Back in France Rachel and Jay's garden has become a building site the ground is being prepared for the
33:54arrival of two cabins which alongside the existing sheets should double their capacity for guests our
34:01original plan was to do another sheet in the barn this summer and then we were going to spend all
34:08of next year doing the cabins in the outside space but the planning permission came through really
34:13quickly so there is an election coming up isn't there for a new mayor so we need to get the
34:19cabins done for
34:19a new mayor comes in because they might take planning permission away in charge of the digger is Dave an
34:25expat who
34:25moved to France over 20 years ago and under the watchful eye of his dog appropriately named digger
34:32he's got a lot to do before the cabins arrive later today so they should be done level
34:39by the end of the day ready to put that's what he says and he's not a kid it's not
34:44getting his
34:44bacon summary just no no we're not giving him bacon and sausages until he's done
34:50while Dave presses on Rachel and Jay have some much needed maintenance to do on their vineyard all the
34:57vines need cutting down to the level of the wires and pushing in between the wires so that they don't
35:04droop over because if you droop over the grapes will hit the floor and then the grapes will perish
35:10with the right care the six modest rows of vines could produce up to two thousand bottles of pinot
35:17so they're a valuable asset and though she's new to this Rachel seems to know what she's doing
35:24just need to shove the vines in between the two wires and chop the tops off that's it Jay on
35:33the
35:34other hand no no don't cut close to the grapes no because then look look now it's drooping all right
35:44there you go I don't know what I'm doing
35:50making better progress is Dave the first plot is dug and a supportive weed membrane is being laid out
35:59back at the vines Jay's getting to grips with the pruning even if his pace is a little lacking
36:05this is how me and Jay work I just like to get everything done and Jay likes to do everything
36:13really perfectly but they're soon working in tandem making short work of the 180 vines
36:22four runs down two to go and only one casualty so far just got a bit over the top that's
36:28not true
36:28not true no there's been more casualties i've had a couple you've had three casualties so far
36:34i just didn't say anything oh well if three bunches of grapes are all that dies in the process of
36:41pruning that's fine
36:44while the vines are plentiful the cabin delivery is nowhere to be seen
36:49they said they were coming today we've never had anything not be delivered before so i think it'll be fine
36:55hopefully but there is reason to raise a glass the vineyard's been neatly trimmed and stands ready
37:04to reward the care it's been given we're gonna have some wine
37:10Dave's finished too and is full of admiration for rachel and jay's ambitious plans
37:16it's going to be fantastic because they've got the lovely sheets over there and then two separate cabins
37:21there's a bit of room in between them swimming pool in the middle what could be nicer for a short
37:27break
37:28as rachel and jay wait for the cabins they get busy with the last job of the day preventing guests
37:34from parking where they shouldn't we're basically putting these posts in just to separate each area
37:43from the car parking area to stop people from driving up to that area and then driving up there
37:49a task which is much more up jay's street
37:56okay
38:01but every passing vehicle is a distraction
38:06that's not a delivery no that's not delivery
38:09where are my cabins the cabins are a no-show but the day has still been a productive one
38:16come on stop that's good you're in that's in job's done
38:25nobody's going to accidentally drive on there and get stuck everybody's going to know this parking
38:29here we can put a sign up at some point digger dave will come back and put some hardcore down
38:33just
38:34there yeah good happy days it's been a day of mixed success let's start with the positives the vines have
38:43all been cut back and look amazing and are full of grapes plen de raisin bases are done i'm tired
38:52we've got half a fence for the car park which will be a full fence tomorrow completed tomorrow and just
39:00need some cabins now
39:07back in the southwestern town of aimay it faces south as well plenty of sun plenty of sun as well
39:15as
39:15running his antique shop ian is now fully in the swing of changeover days at his new jeep business
39:21well it's beautiful yes oh my god it's gorgeous you've got a dishwasher there oh brilliant lovely
39:28but everything's brand new with the jeep now ticking over i might be coming to see your
39:33antique shop to get yourself things through the house excellent ian is now able to focus much more
39:38of his time on his beloved antiques that's a classic 1930s english piece of pottery and
39:47susie cooper was a really prolific um pottery designer and maker so this would have been made
39:53in in the stoke area as was a lot of pottery from that time i love it because you've got
39:59this really
39:59sort of restrained deco design going on these canadian customers are no normal brocante browsers
40:08ken and lease are antique dealers on a buying trip what would you charge for this game well i've got
40:1565 on
40:16it i'll let you have it for 50 if you love it that much there's 20 lovely 40 and wonderful
40:23thank you
40:25very much indeed they've engaged ian's services to help them find the best local bargains from brocons
40:31or flea markets i'm helping them to take a look and identifying anything that they really like there
40:39is a very nice brocons just over the bridge just outside of ma and there's always some amazing stuff in
40:45there so it's going to be a good day acting as their guide for the day it's not long before
40:52lease
40:52calls on ian's expertise you know anything about these are they quite chintzy aren't they they're
41:00almost certainly for in french but i would say they're probably 1930s it's nice condition though it's
41:07no no damage some of your clients said they'd be perfect actually yeah and uh quite sweet
41:14it's a copy apple sorry sorry two zero two zero pull it pull it pull it pull it pull it
41:19this
41:21this oh merci beaucoup so he said they're marked at 12 but you can have them for 10 if you
41:25like them
41:27ian's insight not to mention language skills have been worth their weight in antique china for lease
41:34being able to to work with somebody like ian and talk with him and glean his knowledge which he
41:41he has learned over the years it's been invaluable it's part of the the beauty of of working in this
41:48industry i think you know is the stories and others been able to share them with the sheet the shop
41:55and
41:55now an antiques guide ian is certainly cramming a lot into his new life and it's finally paying dividends
42:04this is like a realization of a dream really because here we are towards the end of the year
42:08in mid-october i bought the property in january it was really cold i was smashing down walls and
42:15i never dreamt that i'd have the sheet up and running it couldn't have gone better it's been a huge
42:20success and a big surprise actually i never realized particularly the antiques would be so
42:25so successful although ian had never run an antique shop before as a collector he had both the knowledge
42:33and enough stock to kick things off any antiques i collected over my lifetime i put immediately into
42:41the shop initially it was a bit of a wrench to start selling all these wonderful things i'd collected
42:46but i got quite used to it particularly when i was getting being offered good money for it all this
42:51new income both from the shop and the sheet couldn't have come at a better time for ian
43:02well i had a scary moment at the beginning of july um i opened the sheet but i pretty much
43:08emptied
43:09uh my bank account i got 70 percent occupancy in july august 60 occupancy roughly in september and even
43:18now in october out of season i've had folks in for a couple of weeks so um financially it's it's
43:26paid for
43:26itself very quickly the beauty of aimay as a location for sheet owners like ian is that it doesn't ever
43:34fully go out of season ma bucks a trend in the winter actually doesn't close down a lot of the
43:40bars and restaurants stay open and i feel that that is well it's actually why i bought the property in
43:45the first place uh to have the shop on the main shopping drag and the jeep behind it's uh turned
43:51out to be much more successful than i anticipated having set up two successful businesses ian looks set
43:59to thrive for many years to come and he might not stop there for the future um i could perhaps
44:05run a
44:05coffee house perhaps even do food so people could stay in the building and enjoy it and also they
44:12can take a look at what's for sale at the same time i quite like the idea of that
44:20next time he'll just push himself and keep up with these guys
44:25rob and fran are turning their passions into profits in italy the point of us coming to italy was
44:31to enjoy doing the things that we love and if we make some money from it i don't know what's
44:36better
44:37can rachel and jay generate extra revenue you having fun babe living the dream and lynn and david
44:46hoping their budget doesn't go bust the builders one day they said oh we just need to say to you
44:53that we
44:53think the roofing is replacing so then you think oh dear me what we're going to do
44:57do
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