2015 was a very fun and varied year!
We look back with pleasure on 2015. We were among others back to school, got special visits, had a series of festivities, concerts and other fun activities, fished like crazy in the Atlantic ocean and found treasures.
The older, the crazier?? The Dutch are always very serious (except at Carnival), but the British do like their fancy dress parties. So we were invited by English friends to put on a school uniform and participate in the lessons. Our knowledge of mathematics was still ok, but we were forgotten where in the world the Gobi desert is situated … (do you know it?).
Hemko’s metal detector works well, judging by the various “treasures” he brought home this year. Sometimes Hemko goes on his own, or when it is high tide together with our neighbour Stephane. Amongst others they went together through the salt marshes of Thierry Odeon in Bouin. Despite that these salt pans were built already a few centuries ago they found strangely enough virtually nothing of significance.
In and around the house we had this year visits of known and unknown animals.
There are on our exterior walls often pretty little brown lizards, but we have become so accustomed to them that we pay no attention anymore. However, when such larger bright green lizard shows itself (they are very shy), we nevertheless stand still.
This very special caterpillar (about 15 cm long and a few cm thick) has meanwhile popped itself into the largest moth (Saturnia pyri) that can be found in Europe.
The Holy Ibises we see every year from autumn to spring. We have no idea where they stay during the summer. These Holy Ibises were originally escaped from a zoo in southern Brittany, 100 km away from us and live normally in Turkey and Greece, but they obviously feel in the Vendee perfectly at home.
Joel, our neighbour across the road, celebrated this year his fiftieth birthday. We decorated his tractor in the harbour, when he was at sea. He did not know how fast he had to drive away with it, but could laugh about it. We of course are not getting any younger ourselves also (46 candles for Hemko on the photo and Martine 48 this year). Jean and Marie-Therese in Brittany (IFYE host family of Martine in 1987) celebrated outdoors on their farm with a pig above a log fire and long tables with 100 guests their fiftieth wedding anniversary. With our 17 years of marriage we have still have a long way to go before we reach this milestone.
We try each year to go to a few concerts. FMR is our favourite local band and for the sentiment of our youth we have been to Nantes to hear the Simple Minds live again. Great concert!
In September an entirely spontaneous BBQ in the neighbourhood when we were awaiting the arrival of 400 company directors from our region on blue mopeds with a pink helmet and blue superman capes (really). Read more about this “anti-crisis action” on www.meulebleue.fr
We fished this year yet again cheerfully in the Atlantic ocean. For the first time a special kind of clams (about 10 cm large shell) for the wedding of our neighbour (see little movie below). After our preparations in the spring, we fished with our guests on the island of Noirmoutier for shrimp and for small fish in the harbour of Port du Bec. They were all very nice outings.
To our joy our parents all came along again, as well as Hemko his sister and her family and Martine’s brother. A nice opportunity to catch up with everyone, but also to do some sightseeing.
This year we also had a moment of reflection, when we were on the farewell party of a French-Dutch family that went (again) to the Netherlands. However, we concluded that this is not something we would consider at the moment; it suits us still very well in France. We have no time to get bored and are as well full of new plans for 2016. Amongst others, we will both start in January with a new website, so keep an eye on us! More news will follow of course.