Pizza!

We said good bye to our helpXers, Becky and Nick today and we celebrated their final day with... PIZZA!!!  Made in the clay pizza oven the two of them had built for us.  As we were working together Nick remarked on the clay soil we've got.  He said he could maybe make us a pizza oven.  Of course I said, I like helpers with their own initiative.  Taking our cue from permaculture and having things you want to use a lot near the centre of action, we shifted everything, hugely heavy marble table and BBQ, from terrace 5 where formerly our tool shed was, to terrace 2 directly beneath the caravan, where they also proceeded to build the oven on a little ledge.

First they started playing in the mud a bit:

Then they put their heads together to plan their next step:

They made a base of some paving stones and clay:

The cardboard box became the first inner support.  More cardboard and paper was stuffed in and a first layer of clay plastered on top:

A couple of days later another layer of clay was added and the next time we were there it was already being fired up:

Here's Nick stoking the fire:

Whilst Becky was preparing the pizzas:

Here's a pizza in the oven.  So far so good...

...and finally one on the plate:

Hurray to Nick and Becky and thank you so much.  You are welcome back any time!

Oh and I'll be off the radar for the next couple of weeks as I'll be on a permaculture design course in the Piemonte in northern Italy.