Originally built as shelters for farmers and their animals, his cabins are dry stone: stacked stones supported by their own weight without any mortar. The structures were in good shape but filled with holes between the stones letting in cold and wind, so Doolaard set up camp inside one, using his tent and technical sleeping bag from his bikelife days to begin renovating.
He bought second-hand solar panels that he pre-setup so he could simply plug and play to have power from day one. These provided sufficient power for a few power tools, his lighting, and laptop. He invested in a wood-burning stove for heat and a bottle of propane for cooking. He uses his phone as a hotspot to continue to do his graphic design work remotely.
Bike trip books: www.espiritu-libre.com Vlogs https://www.youtube.com/c/MartijnDool…
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Inspired by the early Christian desert hermits from the “200s and 300s when some people went into the deserts of Egypt and Palestine searching for a more rigorous life”, Schwarz found something remote: he has only one full-time neighbor on the entire mountainside and in winter, he often has to snowshoe for a couple hours just to buy food and supplies.
To be as self-sufficient as possible, he makes his own bread and stores plenty of potatoes which he grows using Ruth Stout’s “No-Work” gardening method. To grow much of his own fruit and produce, he terraced the steep hillside (using stones from the area) to create micro-climates. “You try to build walls that have southern exposure because they heat up during the day and they give off the warmth and can make a difference of several degrees.” (Studies show differences of 27°F/15°C in the ultra-deep Incan terraces). He grows plenty of tomatoes inside his self-built recycled greenhouse.
For heating and cooking, he built a combination rocket stove and masonry heater by creating his own casts and loam coating. His refrigerator, which he transported up the hill on top of his bicycle, is kept in the unheated room, along with his food stores. He uses a tiny 30-year-old 3-kilogram washing machine and built his bathroom out of salvaged materials. To transport the lumber up the hill for his remodel, he got some help from a local farmer.
He divided the old barn into four small rooms on two floors; the living room/kitchen and pantry on the ground floor and a chapel and bedroom upstairs. His bedroom also serves as an editing studio where he creates videos on philosophy and religion.
He created a wooden-arched indoor chapel where he “celebrates the traditional Latin mass” alongside a wall he painted with Byzantine, romanesque and gothic styles in appreciation of “the symbolism of the ancient art.” Johannes’ pilgrimage films: https://www.reelhouse.org/birettballett Youtube (German): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Bv…
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When we arrived, the first thing we did was install a solar panel to be able to have electricity, then we did a water installation, and we began to build our brick tiny house, we did not stop until we finished it, and this summer we have been doing the garden, cutting trees, chicken coop,starting the barn renovation and for Of course working in town to save money and continue with our project, if you like the video, give it a like and subscribe.
We are looking for sponsors ( tools, clothes,or anything that we could need) contact : coupleintothewoods@gmail.com
If you want to support the channel (paypal) : https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted… thank you very much for watching us.
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Enamored with the lush greenery and mountain valleys and paths (reminding him almost exactly of a favourite childhood painting), Antonio, and his wife, purchased a rundown cabaña and spent the next few years turning it into their family retreat.
The building’s only occupants when they bought it were a pony and a few cows and goats and a collapsing roof meant it was on the verge of slipping into ruin, like the homes next door. The couple wanted to restore the home to be as authentic as possible so they hired local artisan and builder, Jose Manuel, who also happened to be the son of the previous owner. He added a new roof, cleaned up the limestone rock walls and added new wood flooring between floors.
The original building was actually two cabañas with a shared wall so they cut holes between the two and created one big family home large enough to house extended family and guests. The interior was furnished with castoffs they found in the streets of Madrid and donated by family and guests.
