NEWSLETTER 2025

Our year in review

The summer of 2025 marked our twentieth summer season in Beauvoir-sur-Mer. Hemko spontaneously called it the twenty most wonderful years of his life — and Martine wholeheartedly agreed 😊
Here in France, in our little bubble in the peaceful countryside, life is thankfully going well, despite everything happening in the world.

Our main concern last year was the health of Martine’s father. Sadly, he passed away in May at the age of 95. We miss him dearly and remember him with great affection.

From a business perspective, the year went very well. Thanks to the beautiful weather and wonderful guests, we enjoyed an exceptionally long summer season. From early May until the end of September, we once again happily organised our free activities three times a week for our guests.

Of course, we also held our 2025 photo contest, this time with the theme “Holiday on your plate”.
The theme for 2026 will be “The island of Noirmoutier, including the Passage du Gois”.

We attended many different events and concerts in the area and enjoyed them immensely, with highlights including concerts by Sting and Simply Red.

In autumn, we went on holiday to Malta and the neighbouring island of Gozo, where we picked up lots of fun and practical ideas.
Yes… always thinking about work — but honestly, it also feels very much like a hobby 😊

Plans for 2026

We’ve made our annual to-do list — a kind of warm-up for the summer season. We certainly won’t be bored this spring, because:

• We’ll be giving the hedge around our parking area a serious trim

• A new wooden cover will be installed on the well in the vegetable garden

• We’re going to build a sandbox with a lid

• The pool liner will be replaced

• The wooden front of the barn will be repainted

• The ceiling in our La Marée studio will be renewed

• Several walls will be repainted white, both indoors and outdoors

In April, we’ll be picking up pastries from the bakery and popping open a bottle of bubbly because our mortgage will finally be fully paid off 🎉We’re really looking forward to that!

We’ve decided to continue, for at least a few more years, to leave our home from mid-May to mid-September in order to save for the future (retirement, travel, and so on).

Hemko – personal

Hemko’s record collection has grown enormously this year. Many thanks to everyone who gave him vinyl records! He also regularly goes on vinyl hunts at flea markets and similar places.

His online business is doing well, and he’s welcomed several new clients. At times, he’s also quite busy with his work for the board of the Bénévoles in Beauvoir-sur-Mer, a group of volunteers supporting local associations and community life. He does this with great pleasure.

Throughout the year, Hemko also took beautiful photos of our surroundings with the camera he bought in February. These include shots of a small group of deer roaming nearby, as well as some special birds spotted in our garden, such as a hoopoe, a blackcap and a firecrest.

When Ajax is doing well, he enjoys listening to Ajax podcasts while working outside. When they’re not, he switches to podcasts about politics, history or other interesting topics.
As a true football fan, Hemko is very much looking forward to the World Cup this summer. He hopes to watch it together with our guests, provided the matches are broadcast at reasonably normal times, of course 😊

Martine – personal

Last year, Martine completed her fourth book, which is expected to be published no earlier than autumn 2026. She is currently writing, with great pleasure, a cookbook featuring French salads, while also plotting a romance novel series 💗 that, unsurprisingly, is set in a French B&B.

Since last spring, her third book Onverschillig has also been available in Dutch libraries. Martine is proud of this and very happy with all the positive reviews from romance readers.

You can read more about her writing on her website chezmartine.nl, as well as on her author accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

By her bedside is a long list of books waiting to be read this spring. Several sewing projects are also patiently waiting, and there are already new plans for the garden once the weather warms up. This year, she plans to plant even more herbs for cooking, for herself and, of course, for our guests.

Do you already have holiday plans for 2026?

If you’d like to enjoy sun, sea and beach (again) in 2026, you are, of course, very welcome to stay with us. We still have some availability:

• Our holiday home La Bergerie (2–4 people) is available until 25 April, from 4–18 July, from 1–22 August, and from 29 August to 12 September.

• Our holiday home La Plage (2–5 people) is available from 4–11 July and from 8 August to 13 September.

• Our studio La Marée (2 people + baby/toddler, minimum 5 nights) is available until 26 April, 2–13 May, 31 May to 13 June, 18–31 July, 7–14 August, and from 28 August to 4 October.

• Our room Le Sable, with kitchenette (2 people, minimum 3 nights), still has availability every month throughout the summer.

For more information, please visit our website:
👉 https://www.aupassagedugois.com/
You’re also very welcome to contact us by email if you have any questions or would like the most up-to-date availability.

⚠️ From May to September, we close our availability on Booking.com, Airbnb and GreenGo. During this period, reservations can therefore only be made directly with us.

We’re really looking forward to this new year and, as you’ve read, we’re full of plans.
We hope you, too, have plenty of lovely things to look forward to.

Warm greetings from France,

Hemko and Martine

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