Today I sold my Gornja Lastva ruin.

I have been concerned for a while that the property had been sitting there untouched since I purchased it in 2018, while the rapidly growing vegetation in Montenegro continued to engulf it, damaging the stonework.

The main reason, however, is that a neighbour in Gornja Lastva has started building what appears to be a small apartment block, visible in the photo above, right next to my ruin, where there used to be beautiful trees.

This would suggest that almost any type of development will now be permitted and that the area is not as protected as I had previously been led to believe.

It will probably become very different from the authentically beautiful old village it was when I first bought the property.

A few months ago, we suddenly encountered major problems with the previous stonemason's boss. We eventually decided it was best to part ways, as he had become extremely difficult to work with.

It was challenging to find another stonemason, as they were either already busy with other buildings projects or reluctant to complete work that someone else had started.

I've also contributed to the difficulty, as I've become much more particular about how I want the stonework to look. After seeing various styles, I now insist on stonework having a more fluid, organic appearance. In this part of the world, most stonemasons prefer the simpler, straight-line style, which I find unacceptable.

Today, I completed the purchase of additional land in Zabrdje, located right next to the house I had already bought. This plot includes two lovely trees, one of them an olive tree, and I purchased it to extend the existing garden.

This extra land was originally part of a much larger plot, but I was only interested in buying about a third of it. The seller agreed to my request on the condition that I also purchase a smaller plot on the opposite side of the road, almost directly above my house. This second plot was offered at a significantly lower price per square metre than the rest of the land. In the end, I accepted his terms.

Map of The Plots I Purchased

On the map above, you can see my original purchase of villas and land on Plot 286. The new garden occupies approximately a third of Plot 287. Plot 229, situated on the other side of the small road above the villas, is designated for parking and a garage.

This smaller, additional plot 229 is proving to be a fantastic extra investment. It will be excavated to create parking for five cars and, eventually, a garage. All the excavated stone will be used within this project, effectively providing me with my own mini quarry.

The existing parking platform that came with the villas is both precarious and unsightly, so I'll be glad to see it removed.

The purchase of this land was a necessary step before the main project could start.

I'm back in Montenegro for more meetings, and the weather is truly perfect though, of course, I'm sitting in the shade.

Tivat Municipality is proving to be extremely difficult about all the changes we believed had previously been approved. It turns out the original architect hadn't submitted them properly, so we're almost back to square one. We now realise that the planning process is going to take much longer than we had originally anticipated.

A few months earlier, my daughter and I had come across another lovely house on a Montenegro property website. So, while I was here, I thought, why not go and have a look at it?

I phoned an English estate agent I already know at ntRealty, who happened to have that same lovely house still on his books that I had see all those months ago.

Off we went to see it, and it was one of those special property moments: love at first sight.

It consisted of two very old houses. The first had three floors and was structurally sound, though it needed to be completely redesigned and updated. The second had two floors with much larger rooms, but it was a complete ruin.

I nearly forget o mention it also had most exceptional views.

I'm going back to London tomorrow and, never being one to let the grass grow under my feet, I will immediately put in an offer to buy this potentially beautiful property.

Prova Restaurant in Tivat

Stefan, my new project manager from a company called Prostor-Projekt, is a very capable and intelligent young man who speaks fluent English, which, in my experience, is quite rare in the Montenegrin building trade.

He works closely with Vlado, an extremely knowledgeable engineer and building contractor with many years of experience, including designing and constructing the new cathedral in Bar, a costal town and seaport in southern Montenegro.

Stefan will begin by handling the planning approval process with Tivat Municipality on my behalf. I now need to focus on completing all the drawings as soon as possible.

My New Project Manager Stefan

I felt extremely confident, after years of dealing with different building companies in the UK, that I was going to be able to work really well with the Prostor-Projekt team, as we approach our work and understand what needed to be done in exactly the same way.

I was in the middle of a large refurbishment project in London, so I felt really torn, wanting to stay and get more involved with what was about to begin in Montenegro, yet needing to rush back to my commitments in London.

Back to London I must go.

Lovely Haarlem

I visited Montenegro in May and October, choosing the cooler months and simply avoiding the midday sun. In fact, I discovered that these are some of the best times of year to go to Montenegro, it's much less touristy, everything looks even more beautiful, and found out that these are also the favourite months for many local people as well.

While in Montenegro, I had several meetings with builders and am back on track to start the project next year.

Inviting Sveti Stefan Beach

I started to think I should never go to Montenegro again, unless it wasn't summer. Yet the whole reason I had bought these properties was because I loved the sun, the warmth, and the sense of freedom it gives me.

I was really, terribly confused by my new situation.

Foolishly Out in The Midday Sun

I have natural strawberry-blond hair and lots of freckles, and knowing that people with my colouring are among the most susceptible to malignant melanomas, I couldn't help but think how foolish I'd been to ever sit in the hot sun with my type of skin type.

The doctors were clear: I must never go in the sun again, or it could be fatal. From now on, if I am in a hot country, I must avoid direct sunlight entirely and be fully covered whenever I need to walk outside during the day.

The Sun in All its Dangerous Glory

In August on my last visit to Montenegro I had just had my last lot of stitches out and was feeling extremely vulnerable and unable to go out in the sunshine. I was in a sort of state of shock about what had just happened.

Overnight I had got to change from being a very active outdoors sort of person, into someone I just did not know how to be. I could definitely no longer go on holiday to hot countries without being constantly extremely careful.

I began to question what I was going to do about my future in Montenegro, one of those very hot countries I had once loved so freely.

Blue Horizon Hotel as it Used to be

Radovići Orthodox Church taken from Milovići Village Hilltop

Everything was ready to be submitted to the Tivat planning department, and he left me his master copy so I could review everything and decide whether I wanted to make any internal changes.

I was slightly disappointed when he told me that I wouldn't be allowed to include the balconies I had envisioned. I had imagined enjoying beautiful views from those balconies, and it was disheartening to be told they weren't permitted. He explained that for now, the regulations in these historic villages only allow rebuilding what already exists, but in the future, as more old houses are developed, these rules might evolve.

It's difficult when you finish designing a house and are suddenly told that a part of your vision, sometimes you've already visualised so clearly in your mind, isn't possible.

However, over the next few days, after carefully reviewing the plans and accepting the limitations of what I'm allowed to rebuild, I felt content with everything.

All the original structures will need to be dismantled and rebuilt using the original stone, so they comply with current structural regulations. Thankfully, mains water has just been bought to Milovići, which is one less thing to worry about. I will still install a large water tank to collect rainwater for the dry summer months, as water shortage can occasionally occur due to increased tourist demands.

By the time I received planning approval, who knows what other services might become available to the village?

Every time I visit Montenegro, I fall in love with it a little more, and feel an increasing sense of longing for my new home to finally be finished.

This Photograph Shows Part of The Area in Question

We now have a family of three tortoises living in the garden of our property, which my daughter is thrilled about.

We Stayed in Muo on The Other Side of The Bay of Kotor