Just because we are on vacation doesn’t mean the snooping subsides…quite the contrary. But the joy of doing so on the islands is that like the good ol’ 18th century, if you look presentable, there stands a chance you might get invited in!! As we did when we crept around this crumbling GEM built in the 30′s.

‘Oh gosh, so sorry, pardon us’ we begin our apologies for trespassing ‘ it REALLY just IS such a fabulous house we couldn’t resist a better look’! And the kind faced, kind hearted Grandson of the builder/owner invites us in for a proper look around. This is a real treat, for as he rightly laments, the sea really IS eating this house alive from the inside out.

‘The Risk’ (yes strangely aptly named), was built by the grandfather, an amateur architect, who typical of his day built with rebar (now rusting) enforced local concrete, most of which was carted from the beach and is full of salt. The salt thus corrodes the internal structure creating an irreparable situation where the building is decaying from within.

Even in our wildest romantic heat stroke of a genius we can see there is no way this terrific house can be salvaged and its days are very numbered.

Little fern peeking out of the pink concrete…..a little touch of Elsie I think to myself with an internal grin. She would have loved this house I think.

Anyway, no one is shedding any tears here…just great memories.

We’ll be back next year to say hello.