This is the Pool Terrace and you can see the outline of the round plunge pool that has kept us cool for six summers while fighting the bureaucrats. The local council and the forestry police (Corpo Forestale) who are responsible for all excavations gave us permission without any ado. But we were categorically refused permission twice by the powers that be. No reasons were given but we believe that a remote official, not a local, decided that we had built the massive terraces that front Villa Oleandro without permission - they were in fact built by hand in the 1920's.

All seemed lost and then a slight tweak in the planning decision making process emerged and we explored it to our advantage.

In fact they will not give us permission for a swimming pool and never would. Instead we have permission to build a basin to collect rain water. the fact that we will line it with nice stone and swim in it is irrelevant.

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You can follow the progress using  the links above.

The synthetic grass that we laid all those years ago, while awaiting the permanent landscaping of the terrace, was giving up the ghost. Weather, dogs, cats and chickens chasing lizards had all taken their toll and it was being held together by well-placed pot plants and rocks. Recently we removed the lot to prepare for the dig and construction. Start date 10th January 2011. Finish date 31st March 2011 (we hope!).

The pool will be 8 x 4 metres and not very deep - ample to swim in but too shallow for diving. Frankly when it's hot here it's just wonderful to lie on an inflatable and feel the cool breeze coming off the Adriatic.