After purchasing the property without John having seen it, except for in photos, it was another 8 months before we actually returned to Sicily and he was able to lay eyes on the piece of Italy that we now owned.  Thirty minutes out of Ragusa,  amid rolling hills and a terraced landscape, covered with olive, carob and almond trees, I slowly drove up the road to let him soak it all in.  We were exactly half a world away from Fiji, where we currently lived and worked at our wedding photography business.  The thoughts were screaming and banging through our minds on how we were going to make this little ancient barn/house happen while still travelling back and forth from Fiji and a full time business.  Fingers crossed…

Two small structures that we call “cart parks” inhabit the lower area of the land.  They were used in the old days to park the donkeys and their carts while people worked in the fields.

A very old carved stone sink, used to water animals.

A stone for tying up donkeys or cows with a stone shelf above it for a candle to light the small room.  This would eventually be the kitchen!

There are actually two ruins on the property, this one more conducive to be an actual house, but without the spectacular view and position.  Hmmm…..a perfect guest house, possibly?

It would take us about 4 1/2 years to actually get started with the restoration.  We visited for a couple months each year, all the while working on house plans, ideas and logistics.   When it was time to start I came for 10 weeks by myself to work with the Sicilian workmen…They spoke Sicilian, I spoke almost zero Italian…The learning curve was high as I embarked on one of the most fantastic journeys of my life, John only a Skype call away on the other side of the world.