Finally, We're All Here!
The moment we've been waiting for has finally arrived: I'm here in France too!
On Friday morning, my dad and I left the Netherlands. We split the journey into two days with an overnight stop halfway, which turned out to be a good idea because the French school holidays had just started and the roads were incredibly busy. By Saturday afternoon we finally arrived at L'École d'Isa.
Danny had already made great progress clearing the house, and within minutes of unloading the car it somehow looked full again! After unpacking and doing a little more organising, we headed to Céline's house before enjoying dinner together on a lovely terrace.
A Busy Start
On Sunday, Harrold and Joël arrived, and later that afternoon Danny picked up Walther from the airport. They all came to help us during these first weeks, and together we've achieved an incredible amount in a very short time.
We have created a temporary kitchen, made the temporary bathroom usable (and, most importantly, clean!), mowed huge parts of the garden and emptied the swimming pool. We were also relieved that everything went smoothly when reconnecting the water, electricity and internet.
And to our surprise... the boiler still works! Having hot water felt like a real luxury after everything we've been doing.
Roofing in a Heatwave
The biggest project so far has been the roof.
Working on a roof is challenging under any circumstances, but during a French heatwave with temperatures regularly reaching 40°C (104°F), it becomes a real test of endurance. The team has worked incredibly hard.
The main roof has now been completely rebuilt and, if everything goes according to plan, it will soon be fully weatherproof again. The garage roof has also been reinforced and already has new panels and protective membrane installed.
Every day we can see the transformation, and that's incredibly motivating.
Our First Nights at Home
Danny and I have now been sleeping inside the house for about a week.
The very first night felt a little strange and neither of us slept particularly well. But once we'd cleaned the room, unpacked some boxes and made it feel a little more like our own space, everything changed.
It finally feels like home.
Meeting the Mayor
During our first week, Céline introduced us to the mayor of our village.
She gave us a very warm welcome and told us we could always contact her if we needed help. We didn't expect to need that offer so quickly!
We had ordered a large container for the old roof tiles. The truck arrived at 7 a.m., but unfortunately the driver couldn't make the turn to the place we'd planned. The alternative was behind the house, but first part of a tree had to be removed. The last option was placing the container on a small field opposite our property—but since it isn't our land, we couldn't simply use it.
Céline called the mayor, who immediately found the owner and asked for permission. In the meantime, part of the tree had been cut away, making it possible to place the container behind the house after all.
The container was completely full the very same day. A second one was supposed to arrive immediately afterwards but only appeared a few days later. Fortunately, the driver was incredibly friendly and patient throughout the whole process.
Discovering Local Life
We've already visited the weekly evening market in nearby Lupiac twice.
Every Tuesday evening from 7 p.m., the village fills with long tables, local food and live music. It's one of those places where everyone gathers together, and the atmosphere feels like being on holiday.
Slowly but surely we're beginning to realise that this isn't a holiday anymore—this is our new home.
Everything still feels a little surreal. Life here is very different from what we're used to in the Netherlands, but we're falling in love with the beautiful countryside, the friendly people and, of course, the amazing food.
Village Festivities
Harrold and Joël have now returned to the Netherlands, while Gertwin has arrived to continue helping us. He and Walther are both staying with us.
This weekend our village celebrated its annual festival, and of course we couldn't miss it.
The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. We enjoyed delicious food, met many local people and had lots of friendly conversations. We even let our dogs run around freely with several other village dogs. Pumba quickly became everyone's favourite, happily collecting cuddles from almost everyone he met.
On Sunday we joined the traditional paella lunch. Officially it started at noon, but we didn't actually eat until 2 p.m.—which, we've already learned, is perfectly normal here. Nobody seems to be in a hurry, and everyone simply enjoys the moment.
For just €15 we were served melon with cured ham as a starter, a generous paella, ice cream for dessert, fresh baguettes and bottles of water.
After lunch we experienced something completely new: Paquito. This fun local tradition involves people sitting in a long line between each other's legs while someone slides across the top of everyone on their stomach. Naturally, our team couldn't resist joining in!
One Step at a Time
Life is moving incredibly fast at the moment.
There is always another job waiting, another delivery arriving or another problem to solve. Sometimes it feels like the project is running us instead of the other way around.
But despite the hard work, we're enjoying every step of this adventure.
Every day L'École d'Isa looks a little different, a little better and a little more like the place we have dreamed of creating.
Thank you for following our journey. We can't wait to share the next chapter with you!
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