It seems that things are now starting to run in parallel.
While the masons have started to brick the walls on the first floor of the house, Edi is preparing the cour anglaise – underground windows to light up the staircase and one of the bathrooms in the section recessed into the hill.

(added after 3 weeks) Once cour anglaise is poured, they could finally backfill the construction and start making the access road and some landscaping.

Work on the pool structure (concrete and steel again) is going on in parallel. We have finally chosen the roof tile, and hope that the carpenter will take on the roof as soon as the brick walls are finished.
The construction site is a terrible mess.

It is depressing December in Northern Europe. Our beautiful meadow is as far from a ‘secluded retreat’ as possible. But, each day things will be better.