Dear friends,
I hope you are all as well as possible in these difficult times! We all hope that life will rapidly become easier and more bearable.
Meanwhile we notice how the pandemic has begun to alter the attitudes and choices of people. One of the changes we see is a clear trend, everywhere in Europe, towards leaving the big cities and settling in the country or in smaller towns. This development was triggered by the onset of teleworking which is most likely not going to go away – at least for those who can work from home some or all days of the week – and also by the numerous spells of lockdowns which are really tough on families confined in tiny appartments. More community based solidarity, the renewed discovery of local supply channels and healthy, balanced home produce – these are ways of life which are easier to experience and apply far from the madding crowd – i.e. the big cities.
As most of you know, we, a group of friends, bought a magnificent house in the Dordogne almost 25 years ago, based on the reflection that you never know what the future holds in store and that, as we get on in life, we might be in need of company and support; and what if the financial situation were to get really bad? This is why we found the idea of a large shared space in a beautiful rural (but not isolated) location really alluring. On our journey towards getting “old” we have hugely benefitted from this place for ourselves and, importantly, by inviting our friends and family to share our holidays. Some of you will know from first hand experience what it feels like to be there!
Time being what it is, the composition of the group has evolved over the past quarter century. Some have left us to find out if the celestial paradise is also a good place to be, for others their lives took a turn which did not allow them to continue on our path together. But we were always able to find people who shared our philosophy and joined the group.
Right now we once again have a place up for grabs this year. We are well aware that the current situation doesn’t really inspire people to make plans and pursue ambitious dreams. But that’s just it: Given that the only thing we know in these times is that we know nothing about the way our societies and thus our lives will evolve, would this not be exactly the right moment to secure a place in the country, far from the pollution and noise of the cities, in a wonderful setting which allows you to combine personal independence with life in a group when you feel like it, and which offers all options for living in a sustainable, autonomous and – above all – enjoyable! – way. Please find enclosed a bird’s eye view of the house, part of our land and the pool, and also a link to a short video made from a drone :
https://drive.google.com/a/van-humbeeck.be/file/d/0B2LRAZc5hhR-MXZrUGxjQS1jMGc/view?usp=drivesdk
If you would like to find out more or have questions, don’t hesitate to write or call me! And if you want to see for yourself – why don’t you drop by this summer? We’ll be there from mid July until the start of September, or thereabouts – we can be flexible.
So, see you soon!
Olivier April 2022
