To renovate an old stone house on the island of Vis, in Croatia, about three hours by ferry from the mainland, patience is key. Here’s a photo of the double bedroom I rent to tourists during the summer: I call it Room 2 because it’s for two people, and it’s up two flights of stairs. In the US you would say it’s on the third floor, but in Europe that’s called the second floor. Why? Because the first floor (US-style) is called the ground floor in Europe.
But it’s May 22, and there are already tourists on the island: why is my main rental space still looking like this? That’s not grey-green paint on the walls, it’s drying plaster. OK, here’s the story: back in November of 2021, my electrician began the process of drilling channels in the old stone and brick walls in order to lay new electrical cable. Once that was done, we needed a plasterer to repair the walls. We found one, and he got to work. All was well, or so I thought.
By April, the newly-plastered rooms looked like an earthquake had hit. At 600 euros per room, I wasn’t expecting this:
A new plasterer was miraculously found, and his quote was good. He said he could start by mid-April, then suddenly disappeared. He had gone back to his home in Kosovo: a family emergency maybe? Who knows. All I could do was wait.
He finally showed up around mid-May and got to work. He’s fast, and his work is good; I’ll be ready to open for business soon after all! I’m centrally located, right near the ferry landing, the city beach and the riva full of shops and restaurants. If you’d like to come to Vis and stay in my old stone house, check out my listings on airbnb.
