Back home

When we drove back to the Netherlands at the end of last year, we could never have imagined that we would be returning home (Mallorca) as late as the end of August. I think we can write a bestseller about what has happened recently. We're not going to do all that because from now on, we mainly want to look ahead. On the way to a renewed future on this beautiful island there are still bumps of (covid) uncertainty, but we cycle over them with confidence. Sunday 22 August Louisa, Esaw (our dog) and I drive back home with a fully packed Bike Villas Travel car. Facing a (re)new(d) adventure...

Adios Netherlands

We leave the Netherlands with melancholy. Especially because we intensely enjoyed the presence of our daughters. Floor has passed her Atheneum exams, something we are really very proud of. She is now going to take the next step in her young life: living and studying in Antwerp (Belgium). She is going to apply her passion for animals in her study of veterinary medicine. We are very happy that we have found her a nice student flat just before we leave. A great place to start her new life. Floor will combine her life in Antwerp with regular stays in "Serum" (North Limburg/Netherlands) where her boyfriend lives and also family and friends are close by. At the beginning of September, she will come to Mallorca and after this short stay she will start her new life in Antwerp. Until then, she enjoys holidays and working with the cows and for a ice farm.

Fortunately, we will also see Maartje on Mallorca. In December she will organise her twenty-one (how quickly time goes...) party with friends at our place. Something we are already looking forward to. And Maartje is still Maartje: energetic, cheerful, full of life, busy... Louisa and I have never heard her say that something is not "great fun". In this summer holiday she hops from one cool holiday to another cool activity. Surfcamp in Spain, holiday in Zeeland, a week with us (fortunately), a couple of weeks surfcamp on Ameland as crewmember, staff for her rowing club Argo during the introduction week at the university and at the moment she is on holiday with the study association in France. Finally, this week she has decided to move to a new student flat in the centre of Wageningen. The move is planned for the beginning of September. You would feel the need for a holiday again... But in a few weeks time, school life will start for her as well. Something she enjoys just as much, by the way. She is entering her third year at Wageningen University. Louisa and I are very proud of our girls!

On 1 August, Louisa said goodbye to her work in healtcare. In the middle of April, I stopped working for the national COVID project. Since then I have been working full time for our own new company and Louisa now joins Martin (our new partner) and me. Working together on our dream again! Last week we said goodbye to family and friends (again). A bite to eat, some cycling, a BBQ... Adiós a la familia, a los amigos y a los Países Bajos!

Our own breakaway

With our new company Bike Villas Travel we organise breakaways in Bike Villas for cycling groups (see previous blog). Our return journey to Mallorca feels like our own breakaway: our escape from the covid-peleton on the way to a healthy and successful future! After a 1600 km car journey, the ferry from Barcelona brings us home. Tuesday 24 August, after a long time, we step into our new house. This new house is also a familiar one, namely our own guesthouse, villa Es Costeret (formerly Son Flora). We are going to live in the lower part of the house for the rest of the year. A wonderful place to live! From September onwards we only receive cycling groups; a few new bookings and also bookings from 2020 which can now finally go through. In October and November, Martin will also be coming over because we are organising some cool packages (cycling, mountain biking and gravel biking). Hopefully we will be able to get these booked. At the moment there is still room. For more information see our website. In mid-September, Martin and I will be in Tuscany exploring new opportunities for our business. How great is that...

We are looking forward to our renewed life on Mallorca. Louisa and I both notice that the feeling is (of course) different than in July 2018 when we took the big emigration step. First of all, Maartje and Floor are not here. Also, we have already made the necessary metres on Mallorca and have gained many experiences. It is now also our home with a fine social network. In addition, the past year and a half has been a very special period, both privately and professionally. Now, at the moment of writing this blog (day before departure) the intensity of this period is sinking in. We are tired and feel stressed. An extra backpack will be taken back to Mallorca. And finally, there is still no 100% certainty about what Covid will do in the coming period. Fortunately, we have one week before the next guests arrive, so there is time to refuel at/in our own swimming pool and in the sun!

From 24 August onwards we are back home and ready to welcome our guests again. In our own villa or in one of our more than 40 Bike Villas!

See you on Mallorca!

Saludos, Louisa and Ed