By: Claudio Ponte

The porte cochere is done! Well, almost done. The tile roof is being installed as I write this and the deco tiles are missing from the niche, see? The dirt area in front will be planted with succulents and cacti.

Dig the pre-cast elements around the balcony. Also, now that the scaffolding is almost gone, note the simple elegance of the elevation. The wooden balcony railings will be re-painted in a lighter color.

This is the opposite side, facing South Coast Winery. The arched entrance is the path connecting the hotel to the future pool site.

The stone is applied to the towers and is ready for heavy, heavy grout. You can also see the tile on the porte cochere roof. The tiled domes are being prepped and will be placed up there with a crane. Air conditioners, heaters, hot water, etc. were hoisted behind the parapet between the towers last week. The crane is expensive so we worked quickly and I missed the chance for a photo.

The view from the winery. Imagine it with trees. There are several eucalyptus and cypresses on either side of the entrance on the left hand side. That’s the access from the Ponte Winery. We’ll plant those trees as soon as the patios and trellises are finished. We’ve received 80 olive trees for the parking lot and we are waiting for the County to give us permission to plant. Yes, you read this right. We need permission to plant trees. What do farmers like us know? We need the government to tell us how and when to do it. Monte de Oro winery must be still waiting for their permission as their palms are still in boxes along their driveway over a year after opening…

Best and thanks for your support