Ronald Jongema and Janine Bosman from Zuidlaren wanted less stress and more freedom. And so they moved to France to start a Chambres d’Hotes flat at Deroute du Soleil. What followed was initially an even more stressful existence. But no shine without friction, and now they almost live like God in France. “This was really the very last renovation”
“I pour a glass of wine,” says Jongema while he and Janine hang on the line from Graffigny-Chemin. Today the couple has a day off. An exception, but much needed, they discovered. The couple lives and works in a 17th century rectory and is now running their first high season, right at full speed. “It’s booming, it’s going like a rocket,” says Janine. “To keep it fun, we occasionally close the business for a day, otherwise we will not last. You can’t be working for ten weeks, every day to work from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.”
In 2019 the couple left for Bleurville French to open a Chambres d’Hotes there. “We were completely done with our work. Stress every day, every day negative. We both really wanted to start for ourselves. We both seemed fun for a long time, but that is such a dream that a lot of people have.”
Yet for Janine and Ronald it is not only with dreams. “We both don’t really have something in which we excel and are not so stuck from us in debt. So something actually started abroad, that is affordable.” The only condition for the country: within a day of driving they must be able to be back in the Netherlands. “Our children still live in the Netherlands, so if there is something we want to be there.”
The choice falls on the Vosges and in good spirits the couple starts their French adventure to experience peace and freedom. But a time full of financial and emotional setbacks is coming. For example, Ronald loses his mother and the building turns out to be in worse condition than before. “But we completely renovated it. Then we opened on March 1, 2020 and had to close on March 15 because of the coronacrisis. The company was just two weeks, so we were also not entitled to allowing the French government. All our money was in the house, our savings account was empty and we had no income. A friend of us worked at a major organization. We received food vouchers.
After participating in 2023 for the second time I leave the couple gets the wind in the sails. So much that they are looking for a new project. “Then we bought a farm to renovate and rent out, with pipowagens in the garden.” They see it all the way, but the legal side throws a spanner in the works. “We did not receive a permit for the project.” And then we got stress. This time we had money in the bill, because our building at the time in Bleurville had already been sold, but no house and income. “
This is how the couple ends up with their current project: an age -old rectory with four guest rooms. “We immediately fell in love with this house. We looked for an hour and knew: we must have this. It is actually a minihaateau, with beautiful details, it is a bit higher and has a large garden. It doesn’t become a Frenchman.” That means again a major renovation and this summer they are running their first season there. “This is really the most of the renovation,” says the couple laughing. Ronald: “My body is a bit up after three renovations.”