It is December, and the year 2024 is drawing to a close. We look back on the past year with satisfaction. We had a great season with wonderful guests, and the last months have been dedicated to family visits, relaxing, walking, cooking, and various projects. Herman has been busy with all sorts of useful maintenance tasks, especially involving heights. We were able to borrow scaffolding, which allowed him to do some painting and repairs on the roofs of the houses. At first, Herman was helped by our naturist friend Frank, who was able to assist with kickstarting tasks that seemed daunting. They were rewarded with lovely sunny weather, daily sauna or hot tub sessions to unwind from the hard work, and of course, delicious meals.
Autumn is also a beautiful time for us to further explore the surroundings. We have taken many beautiful walks, for example, around Lac de St Pardoux and near Magnac Laval. Sometimes we literally had to navigate through trees that had fallen during the heavy storms Caetano and Bert. It is remarkable how you barely encounter anyone during such walks. Another special aspect of this time of year is seeing cranes regularly flying overhead. We are clearly on their migratory route to the south, and in spring, they will fly over us again on their way north.
Meanwhile, Johannetta has been busy processing the harvest from our two small 'potagers'. Some of our guests and we ourselves also discovered some fruit trees on our property, including mirabelles and prunelles, and an apple tree. The apple tree provided a good harvest, resulting in a few tasty apple pies. We also found blackthorn bushes, which we used to make Sloe Gin. We’ll be able to taste it soon, although it’s best to let it mature for a year. Along the public road near our house, we found a pear tree with flavorful stewing pears, which are now preserved in jars in the fridge. Finally, the sweet chestnuts along the road to our home had an early and abundant harvest this year with large chestnuts. Peeling them is quite the task, but several bags are now in the freezer, ready to serve as a side dish this winter. Johannetta also made chestnut cake and chestnut ice cream. And last but not least, we brewed another delicious winter beer. So, we have been keeping busy and have not even taken the vacation we planned. Hopefully, we will manage that in spring, though thankfully, November still offered plenty of sunny days here.
Looking Ahead to 2025
What lies ahead in 2025? Room prices will remain the same, but after a bit of research into other tables d'hôtes offerings, we have decided to increase the price of our four-course dinner slightly, from €25 to €27.50. Moreover, Herman has recently cleared out the barn to create a kitchen for guests. Johannetta found it a bit much to provide a four-course dinner every day from June through September. And we would also like to enjoy the surroundings ourselves during the summer and participate in the local fêtes and marchés. Thus, we have decided to offer tables d'hôtes five days a week instead of seven. We believe this will still provide guests with a sense of relaxation and care. For those who prefer not to go to a restaurant on other days, the guest kitchen will be an option. We are curious to see how this change will be received.
Our request to write a review on Blootkompas! of your stay with us brought in many wonderful responses. We now have enough reviews to qualify for a Blootkompas! 2025 Award, but more reviews are always welcome ;-). Reviews can be submitted until March 31, 2025.
After a few months of rest, we are already looking forward to the new season and to welcoming both new and returning guests. Bookings are steadily coming in, which gives us a good feeling. For now, we would like to thank everyone for the wonderful moments in 2024 and wish you happy holidays. See you in 2025!
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