-Property-hunting Brits have been snapping up dream homes abroad for years.

-Oh, wow.

-But some won't settle for just a room with a view.

-This is not a house.

It has 50 rooms and standing 1,200 years.

-Their hearts are set on saving the ghost villages of Europe.

-It's massively important.

It makes me feel proud and nervous to do the right thing.

-In this series, we catch up with the British guardian angels moving heaven and earth... -Phooey.

-...to save abandoned hamlets, borgos, and quinta across the Continent.

-I don't know the number, and I don't speak Spanish.

-We meet some brand-new owners, too... -Oh, dear.

-The last year has probably cost me over £200,000.

-...uncovering ancient mysteries and holding history in their hands.

-What is that?

-[ Laughing ] I don't know.

-Will they be flying high... [ Cork pops ] -Ooh!

-We've got windows!

-Yeah.

-...or falling flat?

-Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

-Hold on.

Hold on.

-Oh.

[ Sighs ] -Oh!

-[ Gasps ] -Our village saviors are throwing themselves in at the deep end as they restore the past to build their future.

-We bought a village.

-We bought a village.

-We bought a village.

-We're still buying villages.

♪♪ -Today our village saviors reached some major milestones... -A house with a roof.

-A house with a roof.

It's changed a bit, isn't it?

-...as building work gathers pace at a Portuguese village.

-We are happy.

And, um, we have waited so long.

And there is progress.

-It's a big day for an Italian borgo.

-Most of the preparations are done.

Kitchen's ready.

Structure is ready.

-But will it be a washout?

-There's always fun being fancy.

And the last plan is that people will get wed. -And the French hamlet of La Buslière is finally open for business.

-We're a mess already today.

So, um... -Big day today.

-A massive day today.

-But will they be ready for their first booking?

-Just miles away, It's just going to be a bit embarrassing, innit, when they turn up and we haven't done it.

-Well, what can we do?

-We've just got to work in the solution, haven't we?

♪♪ ♪♪ -The ghost villages of Europe are often epic restoration projects which are not for the faint-hearted, as they may take years of hard work to rebuild, possibly even a lifetime to complete.

One such village is La Buslière in Normandy, in Northern France.

Built in the 19th century, spanning 2 acres, this once-thriving settlement was made up of five cottages, a bakery, and numerous outbuildings.

And now, after years of neglect, it's slowly coming back to life, thanks to Paul and Yip.

-The whole thing was kind of organic, wasn't it?

We never, ever set out to buy a hamlet nor a village.

We didn't really think, "Oh, well, we shouldn't really do this, because we haven't got the money."

We just thought, "It's..." -"Buy now, worry about it later."

-And over the last 20 months, they've been battling with nature, freeing the village from the vegetation that strangled it, and working hard to repair serious damage.

Though it's taking time, they're on the way to fulfilling their dream of opening a glamping site.

♪♪ It's late April in 2023, and Paul and Yip are finally on the cusp of opening the village they love so much to the general public.

-Three weeks' time, our first guests are going to arrive.

-20th of May.

-Two lads on a cycle.

They're cycling from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel and doing a stop-off at ours overnight.

So that's good.

-Yeah.

-Their crowning achievement so far is turning a dilapidated old piggery into a utility room for future guests.

But though the exterior is finished, the interior is still empty.

-We're cracking on today with the shower, aren't we?

-Shower cubicle.

We've been putting it off, haven't we?

-We have been putting it off.

-We don't really like plumbing.

-We've heard horror stories about assembling shower cubicles.

-Since buying the village, they've dismantled roofs and rebuilt stone walls.

But it seems a flat-pack shower cubicle... -I've no idea why this won't come out.

This is not a good start already.

Gotta be really careful with it, because it's all glass.

They're joined together somehow in manufacturing.

That's, um, making it a pain in the butt to unpackage.

♪♪ -...might just get the better of them.

-That's it.

Well done.

-Eventually, with a bit of teamwork, they figure it out, and it doesn't take long to assemble the cubicle and plumb in the shower.

-Alright, that should be it.

-Yeah?

-There's lots of tasks that we're learning that we come to love, don't we?

-Yeah.

-And this isn't one of them.

-But eventually they've learnt another new skill and added a 21st-century mod con into a 19th-century building.

-It's all plumbed in, it's all ready to... -That was the last biggest thing to go in that room.

So it's all, like, little tidying-up bits now, isn't it?

Cosmetic stuff.

Um, what a relief.

-Yeah.

♪♪ -12 days later, the bathroom is complete.

So the next job is to fit the kitchen.

And despite battling with some epic jobs in the past, only now is the pressure starting to build.

-We're about 14 days till our guests arrive.

-Yeah.

-So, you know, on the scale of things, it's very short window, but... -Really short window, but we're -- we have to be on track.

There is no option to not be.

♪♪ -Over in Portugal is another lost village whose rebuild has proved to be quite the battle.

Chumbaria sits 98 miles north of Lisbon.

And with its six houses, eight barns, and numerous outbuildings, it once homed 40 people.

Now it's just home to Sarah and Steve, who bought it 3 1/2 years ago and have gone all in to bring Chumbaria back to life.

♪♪ -I think we probably paid in the region of £220,000, maybe something like that, for this place, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's worth a fair bit more than that now.

As for how much we're likely to invest -- everything we've got.

♪♪ -50 years ago, most of the residents of Chumbaria would have worked the surrounding land.

Now Sarah and Steve have their work cut out, tending to the 7 acres of land as they try to become self-sufficient.

But, thankfully, they do have a steady stream of volunteers.

-Oh, you got gloves?

That's good.

-And today they have Alex and Andrea from Germany and Georgette from the Netherlands, who, in return for bed and board, are spending a week in the village, helping wherever they can.

[ Chain saw buzzing ] Last year's wildfires destroyed a large part of the woods surrounding the village, and today's task is to clear some of the charred wood that's still littering the landscape.

-Our really lovely volunteers are like mountain goats.

I'm not going down that slope.

It's too dodgy.

-But it doesn't take long to get what could be another week's worth of firewood.

In fact, the fire has made it dry out faster, so it's lighter to pick up and easier to cut.

♪♪ -At the end of the afternoon, the land is clear and it's a job well done.

-Well done.

-Thanks, guys.

It's filthy work.

-We don't mess about.

-Look at that.

Good job, gang.

♪♪ -Well, the volunteers -- they mean a lot to us.

They -- I mean, they -- We've probably achieved four times what we would have achieved if it was just us, old crocks on the land.

♪♪ -It's now the end of March.

And not only have Steve and Sarah made progress with their land, thanks to their volunteers... -Look, I've got a house with a roof.

-But, I mean, come on, look at this.

It's like a cathedral.

-...they've also made progress with their barn renovation, thanks to their builders.

-It's changed a bit, isn't it?

-Oh, it still needs a bit of work into it, but it's got a roof, which is quite progress.

-What a roof, as well.

Look at it.

-This week that we've had two guys -- three guys on and off -- and basically they've been arriving at 8:00 and finishing at 8:00, and they've put a whole roof on this building in four days.

♪♪ -50 years ago, this building was used as a hayloft and for storing animal feed.

[ Rooster crowing ] And Steve and Sarah are turning the tallest part into their home, and the adjoining building into a holiday let.

-I think it looks absolutely great.

-No, we are happy.

And we have waited so long, and there is progress.

And once this one's done, they've got all the materials, I think, out there for the next house.

So that roof will be going up in the next couple of weeks, and then it will be knocking out windows and putting steel supports in.

-Getting the lost village of Chumbaria to this stage has been quite the battle for the couple, and recently that's been made even harder by the personal battle Sarah has been fighting behind the scenes.

♪♪ -Sadly, the cancer was a bit more aggressive than they thought, which means I have got to have 20 sessions of radiotherapy starting next week, but at least I'm not having chemotherapy, so, um, that's a good result.

I don't want it, but it's a good result and we've got a roof.

So we've got a roof and we've got a positive.

I'll be in remission, and I won't have to have a checkup for six months.

So... -And you've got me.

-And I've got Nurse Ratchet here to look after me for the next four weeks.

♪♪ -Coming up, will the bride say "I do" -Tequila with a white ragout, a porchetta.

-...to the proposed wedding breakfast at an Italian borgo?

-Don't feel you need to finish these plates, because there you've got two other pastas coming, remember.

-And after their epic battle... -The last couple of years of being here, or 18 months, it's been full-on, you know, to get to this point.

-...can Paul and Yip make it over the finish line in time?

-5 hours, 50 minutes.

-Yeah, it's not good.

♪♪ -People are drawn to ghost villages for many reasons.

For some, it's the idyllic, peaceful setting.

For others, the beautiful buildings within.

But for Cesidio, it was a family connection that brought him back to the village of I Ciacca, which sits 90 miles east of Rome.

-This was taken on the air.

This is my grandparents' wedding.

This is -- This is my grandmother and my grandfather.

My Nonna and my Nonno.

-For over 500 years, Cesidio's ancestors lived a full life in this once-busy settlement, which had its own orchard, vineyard, and five homes.

But by 1920, Cesidio's grandparents and many other I Ciacca residents emigrated.

The village fell into disrepair until Cesidio dedicated 12 years to bring it back to life.

Now he's determined to keep I Ciacca alive by selling its homegrown wine and launching an events business.

♪♪ It's April 2023, and thanks to Cesidio's determination and hard work, this village, which is steeped in his family's history, is once again enticing a new generation of couples to get married here.

100 years ago, in this part of Italy, weddings would have been attended by the entire village.

The celebrations would have been highly religious and lasted several days.

Today, Cesidio has organized a trial wedding breakfast for a couple from Scotland, who are having their wedding reception at I Ciacca in three months' time.

But because of bad weather, the tasting session has to take place inside.

-We would have done this tasting outside to give a better idea of the atmosphere and tables and chairs and so on, but we're doing it here, really at our chef's table in our cook school.

-Although many of Cesidio's relatives, including his daughter, were married at I Ciacca, this will be their first commercial wedding event.

And Chef Matteo needs to impress Gabriella and her fiancé, Greg, who've traveled from Edinburgh with their parents.

♪♪ -We have the arancini.

It's a rice fitted with a ragout bologna.

And on top of that, just tomato sauce.

-Matteo has his work cut out as he'll be cooking a selection of antipasti or starters, as well as four different types of pasta and a meat dish for the bride and groom to try.

-Buon appetito.

♪♪ -And the charms of I Ciacca have certainly won over Gabriella, whose own father also originated from this region.

-It's just always been the place that I've just felt most at home and happy.

Even though I love being in a city, back in Edinburgh, as soon as you arrive here, it's just great and you just spend weeks and weeks and weeks doing nothing, being out in the sun, sitting in the piazza.

Just the views and everything is just perfect.

-You don't get this in Scotland, so it's going to be really special.

-With the antipasti devoured, Matteo moves on to his four different pasta dishes.

-Each year, with a white ragout, a courgette, [Inaudible].

and a crumble with bread and some herbs.

-In the past, the food served at weddings would have been salumi, broth with meatballs, pasta, and cake.

But today they're going for a more modern menu, but still using traditional ingredients.

-Additionally, we're going to have two pasta courses.

But I think, to be honest, most of our guests are Scottish or Scottish-Italian, and we would never go to a restaurant -- and antipasto, we're had -- then two pastas, then meat, then sweet dessert.

So I think one's enough if we want people to enjoy the meats and the dessert.

-Well, that's the problem with pasta.

Good pasta, good food always wants you to try some more.

-Securing this wedding is another step forward to securing I Ciacca's future.

And it seems that the family are sold on both the food and the venue.

-As much as obviously, the weather doesn't allow us to quite say it's actually lovely to be able to, like, see it being cooked and things.

-The way it's going to be served, it's just ideal.

-It's really special.

And that's what you want for a wedding.

You want it to feel special.

So I think it's going to be really special.

And -- -Yeah.

-The wedding reception is in 11 weeks' time and will be held on the terrace of this once-abandoned village, bringing life and laughter back to the streets, which will be another milestone for I Ciacca and Cesidio.

♪♪ Back in La Buslière, it's May, and emotions are running high as Paul and Yip prepare to welcome their very first paying guests.

♪♪ -We're a mess already today.

So, um... -Big day today.

-It's a massive day today.

-[ Laughs ] It feels like the buildup to this has been years.

-[ Laughs ] -It's only been a year.

-It has, maybe nearly 50 years, the buildup to this.

-A lot of the emotion is the relief that we're finally... -Yeah.

-...here, as well.

Isn't it?

-Definitely.

-Since they took over the crumbling village, the boys have put their absolute heart and soul into saving it, so opening it to the public is a massive step.

-You know, these last couple of years of being here, or 18 months, it's been full-on, you know, to get to this point.

So it's like... -Yeah.

Especially as when we turned up, it was a million miles away from being able to invite anyone.

[ Laughs ] -Yeah.

-Now, for it to resemble a business, something that someone would want to come and spend their time and... -Yeah, and pay for it.

-And relax and pay for it, is a huge thing.

♪♪ -Though the finish line is in sight, they're not quite there yet.

With nine hours to go, they still need to complete the utility room... -Ah, one mirror -- one lovely French, or nightmare.

-...putting in all the little touches that will make it homely for the guests.

-Well, we've got a nice bit of oak, like a plank thing, of tree, so I'm gonna -- you know, that, again, without spending too much time on it, I'm going to just try and make it look nice.

So, just basically put a sill in here.

-But when you're up against it... [ Can rattling ] -Sprayed it gold, and it came out gold and looks fine.

And now it's turned silver.

-...even the simplest task can be tricky.

[ Wood scraping wall ] -No.

-What?

Because it's because of the stone, though.

We can do this.

Come on.

You can do this.

I'm loving that already.

Lovely bit of oak, that, isn't it?

-Just a bit of a -- -A lovely little seat, as well.

Window seat.

-And time is ebbing away.

-5 hours, 50 minutes.

-Yes, not good.

-So the boys pick up the pace.

-Look at that.

Fantastic.

-What?

-We love that, don't we?

I wish we were staying here.

♪♪ -All that's left to do is to get the horse box habitable.

But as it drifts to early evening... -Time seems to have run away with us.

We're up against it.

-It's ridiculous.

-We're up against it.

-...the pressure of this monumental day is beginning to take effect.

-We're just miles away.

It's just going to be a bit embarrassing, innit, when they turn up and we haven't done.

-What can we do, apart from just carry on doing stuff?

-Don't get like that.

-No, what I'm saying is, we can't do anything, can we?

You know, saying, "Oh, it's embarrassing" or whatever isn't -- -That's how I feel.

-No, I appreciate that.

And I understand.

What I'm saying, change -- you know, it doesn't change anything, does it?

We've just got to work in the solution, haven't we?

-However, hard work often brings its own rewards.

[ Beeping ] -Oh, no.

[ Laughs ] I think we are here.

-Text or silent?

-"Hi.

It's Matthew.

I think we'll be there closer to 6:30.

Hope that's okay."

-Ohh.

♪♪ -Yeah, the weight has been lifted a little bit from them being late.

The universe answered our prayers.

♪♪ -The extra half-hour buys them just enough time to be ready.

Through sheer hard work and determination, Paul and Yip have transformed the once-derelict old piggery into a high-spec utility room, surrounded by beautiful grounds, with a luxury horse box, to boot.

And it's an historic day for this village, as they're about to find out if the guests love La Buslière as much as they do.

-Bonjour.

Ça va?

-[Inaudible] -[ Chuckles ] Entrez.

[ Laughter ] -Ohh.

-Come on, we're going this way.

-We haven't quite vacated their area.

-Mostly we have, I think, so it'd be fine, but, um... -Whoo!

-Do you want to come and have a look at the room?

Hopefully, there's everything you need.

Plug sockets.

Plug sockets up by the bed, lighting.

There's a heated blanket if you get cold.

Just switch it on.

-Okay.

-Um, there's a fire if you want a fire, because it might get a bit chilly.

-Yeah.

-That's it.

Storage.

-It's fantastic.

-That's what it is.

-And yet again, the charm of La Buslière seems to be captivating even more people.

And today, Paul and Yip are certainly one step closer to bringing La Buslière back from the brink.

-Hope they like it.

-The reaction was, you know, he said, "Wow, this is beautiful," so... ♪♪ -Coming up, Sarah and Steve make a discovery.

-It is a beautiful oven.

-Oh, look at that!

-I'm not even kidding you.

-And at I Ciacca... -I'm trying, believe it or not, really hard not to interfere with everybody.

-...the bride's not the only one getting the wedding-day jitters.

-I think 140 people is too much here.

But it's not in my hands.

It's in the hands of, uh... ♪♪ Let me find out.

♪♪ -Over in Italy, it's a big day for the small village of I Ciacca.

Cesidio is hosting his first commercial wedding, with 140 guests expected here this afternoon.

-Most of the preparations are done.

Kitchen's ready.

What we're waiting for just now are just the arrival of tables and chairs and staff to put everything out, and then we're ready to go.

-This will be I Ciacca's biggest commercial event yet.

And if all goes well today, it will be a significant step forward in securing the village's future.

So Cesidio has a big team on hand to make sure today runs smoothly.

Son-in-law Luigi is in charge of the bar.

-The bar tables go in here.

-And wedding planners Josephine and her daughter Roberta will orchestrate the day.

-We're going to be closing the gate -- that gate that goes to the bathrooms -- because I don't want to spoil the wow effect when they come to the dining area.

-But despite Josephine's meticulous planning, there's already a problem.

-I need to film the rental.

Where are they?

They should have been here.

-The delivery truck bringing all the tables and chairs for the wedding breakfast is late.

-We're a little late with the tables.

I'm trying, believe it or not, really hard not to interfere with everybody, but making sure there's communication with your own people.

-Thankfully, the missing tables and chairs arrive, and with guests set to arrive in the next six hours, preparations for the wedding breakfast can finally begin.

-This will be set up in the next 15, 20 minutes.

Then, I'll start setting the tables.

It seems last-moment, but in fact, the reality is there's no reason to do it sooner.

And when you're working outside, you don't want to do it sooner, because if the weather's bad or anything happens, it just causes havoc.

♪♪ Down the hill from I Ciacca, at the ancient parish church of San Lorenzo, the wedding ceremony of Greg and Gabriella from Edinburgh is under way.

♪♪ -Greg and Gabriella... are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other?

-Gabriella, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ [ Bagpipes play "Scotland The Brave" ] -As the bride and groom leave the church as husband and wife, they've brought some Scottish traditions to the ancient Italian streets.

[ Church bells ringing ] Then, like generations before them, they'll make their way from the church to the piazza to raise a glass before they carry on up the hill to I Ciacca.

While the ceremony was perfect, back in I Ciacca, a sudden change of weather is wreaking havoc with the wedding-reception plans.

-Scusa.

-At this point, I think we have to be inside because when they're on the trays, their welcome drinks.

-I understand.

-Yes.

-But that's fine.

-Their entrees, in a sense, they're going to be served anyway.

It doesn't matter.

But you think, inside?

Let's check upstairs.

-It may stop raining.

-It may.

It may.

Alright.

Let's wait and see.

-With no capacity to seat 140 guests inside the main building, and no signs of the rain easing off, there's only one option left -- to move everything further under cover.

[ Conversation in Italian ] -It's fine for this one.

-Okay, stay in place.

Change of plan.

And it will probably change again in 10 minutes, because I think 140 people is too much here.

But it's not in my hands.

It's in the hands of, uh... ♪♪ Let me find out.

-The downpour is causing problems, but now Cesidio and team just need to make sure it doesn't put a dampener on the bride's and I Ciacca's big day.

♪♪ Back in Portugal, the normally quiet village of Chumbaria is full of life.

[ Tools whirring ] The builders are working on what will be Sarah and Steve's home, and the couple have a team of volunteers clearing some land to the rear of the barn.

-So, the idea is that we're going to just turn this place into what could be a lovely little garden.

But what we need to do is kind of sort all this stuff out, which kind of means clearing the plants, clearing the woods, clearing the rubbish, clearing the rocks.

And hopefully, underneath that, there might be some soil somewhere.

-In clearing the ground, Sarah is hoping to uncover another piece of Chumbaria's history.

♪♪ -My bit that I'm really interested in is the old bread oven there, because this would have been a house.

You can see where the roof would have been.

So, once you've cleared this space, I'll get one of you in there with the pressure washer, and we can start cleaning up that wall and we can start investigating and see if there's anything interesting in that bread oven.

♪♪ -That's seen better days, hasn't it?

-And while the volunteers continue to excavate the grounds, Sarah and Steve head around the front to check out the progress on their new home.

After years of false starts, they're finally making good progress.

-We're starting to see not any big changes, but the biggest window I've ever seen in my entire life.

-We'll be able to sunbathe in our kitchen.

-We're going to roast in the summer.

♪♪ -Not only does the old barn now have a roof, but it has five enormous holes for windows, which will offer Sarah and Steve stunning panoramic views across the countryside.

And after seeing the size of the stones used to build the walls, Sarah is in awe of the stonemasons who originally built Chumbaria.

-Look at the size of these things that he got out.

It's like the pyramids.

How did they transport them?

With the donkey and the cart?

And these walls are really old.

-Mm-hmm.

-And this is a part of the history of the village.

-And although completion of the build is a long way off, Sarah can finally start to imagine what her new home will look like.

♪♪ -The mezzanine comes to about where I'm standing, and then the spiral staircase comes down there, and then the wood burner goes over in that corner.

-And there's more good news.

The volunteers have made short work of clearing the proposed garden, and now they have better access to the original bread oven, which seems to be incredibly well-preserved.

200 years ago, the bread oven would have been the focal point of this one-room dwelling, and would have possibly been the only oven for the entire population of Chumbaria.

-It is a beautiful oven.

-Oh, look at that!

-I'm not even kidding you, not even lying.

-You're not even lying?

-Look at the -- Look at the brickwork.

-Well, there's one lovely little oven in there.

-Wow.

-So, what we might do now, then, is have a complete change of plan and have this as a little oven area.

-Mm-hmm.

-It's a very good end to the day.

We started the day at hospital, which was horrible.

And then we had a good day.

The builders came, and they came back.

The workers have worked really, really hard, and we've had a really nice find, right at the end of the day.

-Exactly.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

Happy.

-That makes a change, doesn't it?

-Mm-hmm.

[ Birds chirping ] ♪♪ -It's June, and nearly four years since Sarah and Steve moved into the lost village of Chumbaria.

And from forest fires to torrential rain, they faced far more challenges than most.

-I think, from everything we've been through, we are a little bit exhausted, and sometimes we feel a bit shellshocked, and we don't often find the time to recover before we move on to the next thing.

We all have time to reflect occasionally, but best foot forward, and on we go.

♪♪ -And I also got a diagnosis of cancer.

So we've been living with that hanging over our heads for the last 10 months, but got the all-clear.

And although we're a bit knackered, I do think that we're moving forward in a really positive way now.

♪♪ -And although progress might be slow, it takes strength, resilience, and patience to rebuild a ghost village.

And Sarah and Steve have that in bucketloads.

There's still a long way to go, but Chumbaria is now evolving from a forgotten relic to a village with a bright future.

-So, my greatest achievement is the vision I had for this village the very first time that we came here, is I'm starting to see come to life.

And that, for me, is really fulfilling.

Not in a self-centered, "I'm so brilliant" way, but just actually my intuition was right.

And this is going to be absolutely beautiful, this place.

And we're honoring how it was back in the day, with a bit of a modern twist.

And I feel very, very proud.

But now this means I'm going to cry again.

♪♪ [ Birds chirping ] ♪♪ -Coming up, has Cesidio pulled off the perfect day?

-If we get this right, people will come back again.

And it's not about actually making money.

It's about creating work and a future for people.

-And as Paul and Yip reach the end of a very long road, will their guests love La Buslière as much as they do?

-Well, I think first thing we'll do is check the guest-book review.

-Right.

♪♪ -Back in I Ciacca, the downpour has subsided, and Cesidio and wedding planner Josephine are keeping their fingers crossed the heavens don't open once more.

-It's looking very dark there.

Let's hope it's not going to rain again.

♪♪ -Welcome.

And as all the guests arrive, this village, which was on the brink of disappearing, is full of life once again.

But it's just missing today's two most important guests.

Gabriella and Greg's wedding journey may be starting in a village steeped in tradition, but they're traveling here in their own unique way.

[ Crowd cheering ] [ Crowd cheering louder ] ♪♪ Today, this small, rebuilt ghost village is celebrating two cultures -- the old and the new.

Although in the past, the clothing and traditions may be different to those of today, one thing that's constant is the sound of love and laughter ringing through the streets.

And best woman Caitlin is blown away by the special day.

-I don't see how you could ask for a better area to be.

When we were up on the piazza, I thought, "Oh, they should just stay here.

It's beautiful."

And then we get here, and it's just stunning.

You just can't -- Yeah, can't get any better.

[ Chuckles ] -But has the venue lived up to the expectations of bride Gabriella, whose grandparents grew up in the area?

-It's amazing.

-Yeah.

-Kind of didn't imagine it coming together like this.

But, I mean, it's just, Picinisco was -- Picinisco, for me especially, is kind of like home.

-Like home.

-So, yeah, I know it feels lovely to be having this special day in such a beautiful location.

-As the bride and groom are escorted to their seats to the sound of traditional Scottish bagpipes... [ Bagpipes play "Scotland the Brave" ] ...Cesidio's newly renovated kitchen is being put to the test by Chef Matteo and his staff as they begin to serve the traditional Italian feast.

♪♪ Cesidio is counting on this wedding reception to be a success, as he's hoping events like this will bring I Ciacca a much-needed income to guarantee its survival.

And there's one particular guest he needs to impress -- mother of the bride, Jennifer.

-The antipasto and so on was nice.

-Oh, it was amazing.

People are just saying, "We need to pace ourselves," because they're all full already.

-Yeah.

-It's amazing, honestly.

Thanks so much.

-Thank you very much.

-And as the guests party into the night, it's clear that I Ciacca's biggest commercial event yet has been a resounding success.

-The most important thing is that the guests seem very happy.

The family seem very happy.

Here we have an event space in Picinisco that we've never had before.

And it's a start.

We're here to make this better.

-Today is an accumulation of years of hard work and sacrifices made by Cesidio and his family.

He's not only resurrected the ghost village of I Ciacca, he's given it a new purpose.

The combined income from I Ciacca's vineyards, orchard, and events business should, hopefully, be enough to ensure its survival.

And I Ciacca is certainly a magnificent example of what a lost village can become when it's found by the right person.

♪♪ -If we get this right, people will come back again.

And it's not about actually making money.

It's about creating work and a future for people.

This is a future for our family, too.

♪♪ And if this is possible just now, then it can only be better.

♪♪ [ Indistinct conversations ] ♪♪ -In Normandy, Paul and Yip have at last welcomed their first paying guests to La Buslière.

But the stress of getting everything finished has taken its toll.

-Well, how are we doing this morning?

-Are we fully rested, do you think?

-Not fully rested.

-Not really.

Woke up in the middle of the night thinking about things that I could do to the lorry.

[ Both chuckle ] -However, early indications are that all that graft over the last 18 months has been worth it.

♪♪ -They sent a lovely message last night, saying what a special place it was, which had this... [ Both laugh ] What's wrong with us?

[ Both laugh ] Um, yeah, so, you know, just lovely.

-Went really well.

-And as they served their first continental breakfast... -Morning.

-Morning.

Knock, knock.

-...their guests could not be happier.

-Wow.

-Excellent.

Very cozy.

The bed was super comfortable.

Very well rested.

And the best part was being woken up by the birds singing this morning.

♪♪ -We'll take that, and we'll just keep improving on it, hopefully.

-All in all, it was a successful first... -Night.

-...night for our first guests.

It's a big deal.

-And as Paul and Yip say goodbye to the first-ever guests of La Buslière... -Well, good luck, guys.

-Thank you so much.

Take good care.

Bon voyage.

-Bon voyage.

-...the enormity of what they've achieved hits home.

-[ Sobbing ] ♪♪ -It was a really nice, first gentle entry into what we're doing, innit?

-Gite- hood.

-Gite- hood.

So we're very grateful for that.

-It's such a vital first step for Paul and Yip, as not only have they proven to themselves that they can do it, but now they have people who can spread the word about their amazing village.

-You know, it's a nice feeling that somebody's experienced it, they've gone away happy, they're going to talk about it.

It's a start.

That seed has been planted now.

And, well, they're scattering the seed aren't they?

It's just going to grow.

-Yeah.

[ Laughs ] -Get better, stronger.

[ Both laugh ] -There's just one further bit of admin to take care of.

-Well, I think first thing we'll do is check the guest-book.

-Review.

-Right.

Well, the pen's been moved, so something's been written, innit?

-I hope so.

[Gasps ] Alright.

-Aww.

-"21st of May, 2023.

First off, congratulations to you both for..." -[ Laughs ] "What your --" -"What you've achieved here.

This is an incredible place, and we feel so lucky to be the first guests to stay here.

Everything has been perfect.

It's really been a highlight of our whole cycling journey."

[ Both laugh ] "We wish you the best of luck in the adventure.

And I have a feeling we'll be back to stay in the lorry again.

Matthew and Robin.

[Speaking French], 2023."

-And a little drawing.

[ Both laugh ] -Very good.

Sharing two bikes.

-[ Chuckles ] -Ah, well done, Paul.

-Well done, you.

That's lovely, isn't it?

[ Chuckles ] -Yeah.

♪♪ -With the first guests captivated by the charm of this once-lost village, Paul and Yip can look back on a year that has finally brought La Buslière back to the world.

-It's great.

You know, we've accomplished what we set out to do.

-Yeah, we've made a business from somewhere that was quite dilapidated and unused for 30 years.

and now it's back in action.

We are literally breathing life into it.

-Yeah.

-New life into it.

-Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

-After the last 18 months of battling the weather, money issues, illness, and a set of crumbling buildings, this isn't the end of their restoration plans.

-We are itching to get one of these... -Oh, yeah, really.

-...cottages started, because I think if we can just get one of those and the lorry done, it changes the whole thing big-time.

You know, we can really start to move forward, I think.

-But when taking on a project as complicated and long-lasting as resurrecting a 200-year-old village, sometimes it's best to take a moment to appreciate how far you've come.

-We wanted something, a way of earning money, that we wouldn't have to leave for.

-You know, we've got these stunning views on our doorstep.

Why would -- Why would you want to go?

-Why would you want to go anywhere else?

-Living the dream, aren't we?

-[ Chuckles ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪