In work on the design of hydrophilic models of calcimycin (or A.23187) (Scheme 1), a calcium ionophore widely used as a biochemical tool 1, we reported a straightforward route to the 2,8- functionalized (+)-E,E-spirobidioxane skeleton 2. For the model with RI =R2=H, to reduce the number of steps in the synthesis, one approach is via the symmetrical spiroacetal bearing CH2-CH2OH arms, which can subsequently be added to. This paper describes the ...