Get the soul back

When we originally travelled down to view our short-list we stayed overnight in a lovely B&B called Canaston Oaks, run by the delightful Eleanor and David. It seemed only fitting that when we went down to collect the keys to Pinewood we would stay with them again. We had an evening trip out to Narberth, with a meal in Diablo's, and a stroll around the little town, with its restaurants & independent shops. A comfortable night, and then a great breakfast and a chat with Eleanor about our new place. It seemed a shame that we wouldn't be staying at Canaston Oaks again, but now that we have a place of our own...

The first steps into Pinewood were a huge disappointment. 

No furniture, no pictures on the walls, no atmosphere. Marie had already said that she thought the place became 'soulless' when she moved all her stuff out and she was right. But in a relatively short space of time we'd unloaded the car and started to put a few bits and pieces into the kitchen, and it started to take on a new 'soul'. Pam & Nick arrived shortly after, followed by the IKEA delivery men. Then it was an afternoon of bed-building and chair-assembling.

We sat in the armchairs and watched the woodpecker, nuthatch, great-tits and a tailless squirrel eat the seed and nuts down by the pond. We wandered around the house and the garden, just taking it all in.And of course, we made some Margheritas, just to get back in the mood that we'd been in when we first had the crazy idea to buy somewhere.