Artisans On The Hill

We took our UK relatives and their partners (and our two dogs) to Peter and Christine's 'Artisans on the Hill' over the New Year. What a fantastic place. It accommodated all ten of us (& dogs) so well in the open plan living space while also providing places to retreat when that suited. This very successful combination allowed for everyone to find the space just for them. Peter and Christine were outstanding hosts who had an uncanny knack for giving us space, and engaging with us in a whole range of ways. I think they were just the kind of artisans we'd all like to know! And by the end we really felt we did know them. We all thoroughly enjoyed the gallery and bought some pieces. Youngest son did the kite-making workshop and loved it. I really enjoyed seeing the workshop in action and have the turned wooden spinning top to prove it. Now catering for ten is not an everyday challenge, but this kitchen rarely had too many cooks. A special treat for me was to walk out of the house and past the veranda to the raised-bed vege and herb patch and pick from lettuces, tomatoes, chives, basil, thyme, oregano to make the freshest of salads etc. C'est magnifique! And the view of the valley was perpetually engaging with its rolling hills and breath-taking skyline. Our dogs were intrigued by the neighbours' 'very big dogs' (cows) and never quite seemed to get their silent stare back. Parking was a breeze, and the entrance led to three of the bedrooms via the hall and a fourth door to the main living area and on to the other two bedrooms. The hall hosted an extensive alphabetically-ordered DVD library and a library of books - each holding several things that would appeal to each guest. I'd say that Artisans was all that we hoped for - and much more.