Our Neighbours
Don't ever give up!
Our Neighbours - Corrie & Ron de Hoog
Corrie and Ron opened for business in 2002 having renovated the house and garden - they made our transition here much easier and have the same love of the area as we do. Conversations are often tri-lingual which makes for an interesting time. Tess takes regular walks round the village and local area as well as popping in to visit Bryn. It has to be said that Bryn also goes round to Corrie & Ron's to watch their animals and the goats in particular. It is good practise for him for next year. We stayed a couple of times when buying the house and enjoyed the opportunity to meet other guests while having a home cooked meal.
A rare picture of Tessa she is normally checking out the village and local countryside with her Nominal Brother!
If Disney needed a role model Onyx would be a great candidate!
Onyx used to live in the village but his owners have moved to Crevant about 14 kilometres away - since then he regularly appears to come and stay with Tessa for a couple of days and also some mischief if there is any on the go. Recently while Corrie and Ron where away Onyx arrived twice within 3 days and popped round to see us and the dogs as his normal hostel was closed!! He is such a lovely natured dog that one can only laugh at his antics - however last week he and Tessa had been out for a walk and Ruth and I met them about 6 kilometres from home so we led them back to the village - that was until Onyx chased a cat up a tree - he was not going to be interrupted - however when Tessa moved on - so did Onyx.
Corrie & Ron's in the snow
Corrie recently managed to get an old wine barrel from our local wine man - supposedly for the goats comfort and leisure - Tess has decided that it makes a wonderful resting spot!!!
As well as running the Chambres d'hotes Corrie also runs walking trips to Morocco taking small groups walking the desserts as well as the mountains. These she runs in co-operation with a Moroccan called Brahim who she met in 1999, it is a small aid programme to help the locals maintain their self sufficiency and independence. Whilst Brahim organises some tours Corrie also helps by putting together tours for French, Dutch and English (must be politically correct) speaking travellers. This is a useful website for more information and also giving contacts for anyone feeling intrepid. Many of her visitors are returnees and their friends, Corrie has some beautiful pictures of her trips that decorate their home. If you want to know more then just click here the trips are organised on a demand basis so their is no published timetable or schedule - just get in touch and Corrie will explain what trips are being planned and you can discuss what sort of trip that you would like to take part in.
Corrie & Friends
The Billy!!!!
Another couple Emile (85) & Jeanine (80) live in Clermont Ferrand in the winter and spend their summers here from June till the end of October.
Next door we have the Joachim family - they have a plumbing business and keep deer 10 at present, Bryn spends many hours every day watching them and they also come and watch him.
At the end of the garden we have Fabrice and Veronique , Lucas and Lena, they are a lovely young couple and the children are great. Lucas is learning English at school and is 11 years old, Lena has just started school. They are great company and are good for correcting my attempts at French. Next door is a nice elderly lady whose family used to own the local Citroen garage, and finally to our right as you look down the garden are Gaston and Jeanine they are both in the 70/80's but work every day in their garden and Gaston has a very large kitchen garden - they also raise bunnies for the pot. Also Gaston and Fabrice are dedicated hunters and turn out every weekend. Lastly but not least are Dede (79) &Marguerite, they own a lot of the farmland around us but rent the fields out to a local farmer for grazing his cattle - more of Bryn's friends