Raafia Jessa

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Bex

(March 2024)

Just outside the Monti Iblei range, on the South-East coast of Sicily, there is a little town called Floridia. If you head out of town, drive past the olive press, take the road behind the golf course, you will find a little property with lots of trees and three dogs.

Past gates, up the cobble driveway, just under the shadow of the rocky hills, there is the most pinterest worthy house I have ever seen.

This little property belong to Bex (PR agent for English comedians) and Fra (diving instructor). A few years ago, they decided to sell their apartment in London and move to Sicily. A lot of love and work was put into everything - they basically took the skeleton of a house and rebuilt it all (Very fortunately, Fra used to be an electrician).

It’s taken time, I’ve seen them work tirelessly over the years building walls, pruning trees, moving a lot of rocks, clearing land, laying irrigation and somehow also “adopted” three dogs. Bex is a master of fairy lights and making something out of anything. The entire property is aesthetic from every angle, exterior and interior, and almost everything is recycled or made by Bex or Fra.

Recently, they built a little cabin - “the annex”. Bex also gave me a wall to paint. It was outside and made of rough stucco. So, I decided to try my hand at spray-paint for the first time. We spent a few days chatting and listening to music while she made shelves for the cabin and I spray-painted her wall.

I think, for a first attempt at spray-paint, it came out quite nice :)