PaulssonPaleo is extending!

Building work has started on extending and refurbishing our garage building. This is a really exciting project for us as it will allow guests to come and stay in the comfort of their own private space, and is the beginning of our little retreat in the middle of the forest.

Reinforcing the 'farmyard' and maintaining a connection to nature

The decision to extend the garage was born from the idea of improving our entrance courtyard, or farmyard. The longer building will help provide more shelter and protection from the south-westerly winds and driving rain. It will reinforce the idea of the farmyard being the central hub of activity, when we have guests this is where we will meet, chat, have fika (coffee), work out, and eat. Its orientation lends itself well to being a meeting place, south facing with views out to the forest in almost every direction.

Construction due for completion in June 2016

The building will retain some garage space and storage for firewood. The extension, an extrusion of the existing form, will contain a self-contained flat at ground floor and a large flexible studio space within the roof space. This will have long views across the forest and allow us to entertain a variety of events. The existing garage roof space will contain three guest bedrooms, bathrooms and a small kitchen. All of the spaces will have a fantastic aspect and maintain a connection to nature.

We hope that people will come and stay with us and be part of our ever evolving journey. Watch this space for more updates on the build and when we officially open as a retreat. We hope to see you here very soon.

The Mills Visit

Off foraging…yay! (image: N.D.Mills)

We had Family Mills pay us a visit in the middle of their Swedish Summer Road Trip from Gothenburg to Mora. It was great to see them all again, especially as Tora had a couple of friends, Freya and Hugo, to mess around with for a couple of days.

Grilling meat.

The weather was fantastic and we were outside everyday, walking, foraging, swimming, and BBQ'ing - all in all a great couple of days. Whilst we grilled meat on the fire pit, we finally made good use of the rustic log table we made with Liz and Laurence (guests in June!). It was great and blends in perfectly with the natural surroundings.

The Table.

Sleeping in the trees

For those who follow my Instagram feed (@nomispohsib) you will have seen a post a few weeks back showing my excitement when our new tent arrived! Last night was the first night I spent in the tent during a recent spell of good weather.

So, the tent is not your conventional, pitched canvas, pegged to the ground type shelter, but rather a floating blob. It is more like a tree house than a tent, but a portable treehouse, one you can fold up, put in a bag, sling over your shoulder and move on. The concept behind the Stingray tent is that you suspend it above the ground, keeping its footprint and any ground disturbance to an absolute minimum. This was the appeal for me, the fact you could pitch it anywhere - no matter the ground conditions, stay the night, and leave no evidence of your visit within the natural habitat.

Essentially, you tie it to three trees, crank up the tension in the straps so that it lifts off the ground and bingo, you have an elevated platform for sleeping on. The platform has an insect mesh layer stitched around its perimeter and when the two poles are inserted and fixed in position, this layer raises up and gives the tent its distinctive form. In the bag is also a waterproof fly sheet that you drape over and this will give you added protection incase of inclement weather.

For my first night, I didn't venture too far and found three trees nearby and strapped the tent at about 2m above ground. Whilst at this time of year the fly sheet is a necessity at night, it was so nice during the day to chill out with just the insect mesh cover, as you can see through it. This gives the impression that you are really amongst the trees and allows you to bask in the sunshine.

We are really looking forward to spending lots of time up in the trees this summer, so if you come and visit us, be prepared for a bit of camping!!

First Guests at Paulsson Paleo HQ

We recently had our first guests staying at Paulsson Paleo HQ; my parents made their first visit and stayed over the Easter break. It was very exciting for me, as I wanted to show them what we had been up to and for them to experience our new and very different lives. 

As you would expect at the beginning of April, the weather was a bit mixed, we pretty much had everything and sometimes all in one day. This did not stop us from getting tasks done and we were grateful for the two extra pairs of hands. The week mainly consisted of digging, turning over the vegetable beds, clearing branches, burning branches, erecting a safety net for the chickens and a lot of trail walking. Pretty hectic and tiring, but satisfying. 

On Påskafton we had our first campfire, burning some of the branches we had cleared and grilling sausages on sticks, very tasty and the break was very welcome. The grill area is turning into one of our favourite spots, surrounded by forest, sheltered from the wind and a sun trap. We will be eating down there quite often this summer.

Mum and Dad giving a helping hand during the Easter Week

It wasn't all work and Mum and Dad managed to get out and explore some of the beautiful trails that surround us, taking in the lakes Brearedssjön and Simlången and seeing Danska Fall. I think they had an enjoyable week, we certainly did and we hope that they will be the first of many guests coming to stay at Paulsson Paleo HQ.