It started with a vision

Why did we move to Pfaffenbronn? Thirty years ago, we already had quite an ecological mindset and were looking for a different lifestyle. We also had 2 small children. The owners of the holiday village offered us a 12 month contract and out of curiosity, we agreed.

We also actually had a house in the Dordogne and thought we could pop down there on the weekends. While it was over a 1000 km away from our home in Holland, from Pfaffenbronn, it was only half the distance. Oh well....

Construction had already begun and was carried out in 5 stages. We then decorated and set up the houses from scratch. Everything, from curtains, bed linen, vacuum cleaner right down to the bottle opener. We were then authorized to sell or rent out these houses.

Sometimes potential owners told us, "We like this house and I'll be back in 3 months." We set to work and took care of everything for him, telling him that all they had to bring was the cheque and their toothbrush.

We started here March 1, 1978. We still worked in Holland the day before, then drove through the night and when we arrived here, jumped into the deep end and started working.

The initial contract was only for 12 months, but it lasted until 1983. The houses were sold but we remained in our positions, also partly because our children had by now integrated themselves in France. So, we registered with the local Chamber of Commerce as real estate agentsand continued maintaining this holiday village.

Well, in the meantime, we've become grandparents. Our grandchildren are French. You could actually say, we're no longer a Dutch family but a French one.