They bought a house that literally collapsed from misery, got into a fight with the Spanish tax authorities and to make matters worse, they had to do without guests for about two years in their B&B in Aspe due to corona. It has not been easy for Gine and David Shearlaw from Roosendaal since their participation in Ik Departure in 2019. Now the couple is going for a completely new approach to make their dream come true.
What exactly does that change of course mean? “Camper places”, says Gine enthusiastically. “We opened the first four a while ago. A few more will be added soon. It’s going quite well, you know. We notice that people like the independence of such a camper and don’t necessarily want to sit in a house anymore We now only rent one suite from the original B&B.”
“After corona, the guests never really came back.”
Sounds great, but that change in plans is not entirely voluntary. “After corona, the guests never really came back. That is also because the prices for airline tickets are skyrocketing. People prefer to pay that for an all-inclusive resort and not for a bed & breakfast.”
So something had to change. Funnily enough, the inspiration eventually came via the same route where the adventure began three years ago: the wildly popular TV program Ik Vertrek. This Saturday, Gine and David can be seen in the spin-off Even Weg, where participants from previous seasons take a look at each other.
“We were linked to Ronald. Fourteen years ago he left for Austria with his wife Anneke and four children to run a hotel there, but Anneke died of breast cancer not long after that,” says Gine.
It was a meeting not soon to be forgotten. “Ronald and his new girlfriend Sacha are back on track. We were lost for a while due to all the setbacks, but they taught us to go back to basics. And above all, they gave us new energy to continue.” .”
And so they are now working hard in the Spanish sun to eventually realize ten camper places. “Our site is getting a bit more beautiful every week. To make space, we had to remove some olive trees, for example. They were then given a nice spot next to the pool.”
“We haven’t seen anything from the broadcast yet.”
Busy weeks, but Saturday evening there is still a gap in the packed agenda. Then Gine and Dave are full of excitement in front of the tube. “We have not seen anything at all of the broadcast and do not know what the makers have chosen. Very exciting, so.”
Anyone who is also curious about the result should tune in to NPO 1 on Saturday at 9.25 pm.
