The yurt

Platform constructed and the yurt up....but we had totally underestimated the time and effort it would take to build the platform but also to set up the yurt. Easily done in one day with two people we we had been told when picking it up in Paris. This was definately not the case. Rose and Mario helped on the first morning with the setting up of the windows, doors, walls and the pillars. In about three hours that was done and we felt like another hour would do to put in place the roof poles. We were so wrong. We did not get the roof poles up that day! The difficult thing was to create a circle of the right size and to ensure that the pillars were on the right position in reference to the doors, windows and the walls. But the circle size changes in relation to how far you fan the wall grid. It was tricky and patience became short. We got it done with fresh energy on day two. But also that day turned out to be difficult. More than that, it really pushed us to our limits. The big challenge was the height of the yurt. The wall height of a traditional yurt is about 1.6 m. So anything you have to lift on the roof, you can lift it by raising your arms. But my neo yurt has 2 m walls and is standing on a platform that is about 120 heigh at the highest point. We thus had to rely on ladders and poles. The felts were super heav. And the loops through which the ropes ran that tied them up kept breaking. By 6 pm only the cotton layer and the wall felts were up and we were totally exchausted. It was going to rain the next day, so we HAD to finish. I placed an emergency call to one of my few friends here. Luckily Mathieu was available to come and help, and brought with him two woofers staying at his place. They saved us. With 10 arms we got the wall felt up and the rain tarp on just before it got dark. Then after more than a month of intensive work, it was time for a few drinks in bar couvent in Belaye. But the marathon was not over. The next day I had to start moving my belongings from where I had spent the winter to Rouzies befoire traveling to Switzeland to pick up Kimoni and transport furniture, tools and whaever we may need.