This is part 2 of a special series of posts about my family's off-grid adventures. The place that we stayed in was too beautiful and Eco friendly to not write about. It has inspired our future build and as much as this is a post to the Steemit Community, it will also act as a kind of reference point for me too.

We had intended to sleep in our tent for the duration of the stay, but were offered a beautiful home to stay in, affectionately known as 'The Lodge'. A beautiful tiny home nestled into a terrace, straw bale and wood walls, finished with a rustic render. From the outside, you can hardly tell that it is there.

The back supporting wall is made from local stone that has been harvested from the surrounding area by hand. It makes a beatiful feature and the cost of this was practically free, albeit the labor and the cement. This wall has been constructed against the terrace and acts as the main support for the roof beams to the rear of the property. There's even a handy nook to place books!

The roof is made from 6 x 4 timber beams which were bought. ( I think these were the only new expense) The rest of the wood on the roof came from used pallets.

Externally, the roof is lined with a waterproof membrane layer. The top is covered in earth to hep insulate. Our intention is to do the same but to add plants such as succulents to make it a green roof which will help stop erosion of the soil during periods of rain. That one solar panel operates the lights and the water pump. You can also see the flue for the log burner poking up through there too.

Internally the other walls are rendered in plaster and finished in whitewash. There are some beautiful mosaics that the owners have crafted. @riverflows when I saw the dragonfly in the bathroom, I immediately thought of you!

The wood flooring comes from pallets and tiles that were all reclaimed at a local rubbish tip/dump. That center beam is from a dead tree from the land. It has been treated and makes a beautiful feature in the house, as well as acting as a support.

The front and side walls of the house are straw bale construction. The straw acts as a great insulator keeping the house cool in the intense heat. I've been told that it helps retain the warmth in winter too.
Originally rendered in a lime mix, the lime doesn't fare well in the intense heat of the Spanish climate so unfortunately it has to be a cement render.

The front wall needed some repair and as a way of saying thank you to the owners for gifting us with this beautiful place to stay we decided to repair it. It was also a very valuable skill to learn how to do. Neither my partner nor myself have any heavy building experience. DIY jobs within the house and a few things in our garden were about as far as our labor skills go. So the opportunity that presented itself worked well for all involved. Even my 13 year old daughter got in on the act and I must say her finishing skills are amazing! Even our professionally rendered exterior walls at home don't look as smooth!

My partner even added some more pathways on the most common routes in and out of the house.

The water tank is a 1000 liter cube that can be refilled when needed.

Lastly, no off-grid home would be complete without a compost toilet. This one is a hole dug in the ground, with a box and toilet seat placed over. It's still a work in progress but the views when you are using it are great!

We had a really comfortable stay here. We decided that we are going to create something very similar when we build our own property. If you have any hints or tips to help us out especially to help us find a cost efficient and Eco friendly exterior render, please leave them in the comments.

In the next post...

No beaches nearby but there is an amazing lake. Stay tuned!

~ONE LOVE~

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