by Anita Weststrate | Nov 17, 2025 | General, The house
And even more water. In the Drôme des Collines in general, but especially on our spot, there is a lot of water in the ground. It can rain heavily here. The rainwater then flows down the hills into the valley in huge quantities over the compact, heavy clay soil. And...
by Anita Weststrate | Oct 28, 2025 | General
Taking the initiative It is winter. I now live in a village of 425 inhabitants , 37 inhabitants per km2, where I don’t know anyone. Where do I start to build my new network? On a walk, we greeted our neighbour ‘next door’ (500 metres away). Turns out...
by Anita Weststrate | Sep 16, 2025 | General
What is that really? How many times in my life did I get the comment, ‘Anita, let go!’ Except from developing allergic reactions to that sentence, nothing else happened.I am still good at planning, controlling, adjusting, and so on. Actually, I’m quite happy...
by Anita Weststrate | May 4, 2025 | General, The house
and saved by the neighbour. With a father who, as a farmer’s son, chose a career as a teacher at an agricultural college, three uncles and aunts who owned large farms in the United States and the Flevopolder(NL), and a younger cousin who runs the “family farm”,...
by Anita Weststrate | Apr 22, 2025 | General
stuck between France and the Netherlands. My little white car came with us to France and has served us well. But it would rather go back to the Netherlands. At least, that’s what it seems like, judging by the agony of importing it. How can I make a long story...
by Anita Weststrate | Apr 22, 2025 | General, Work
is a big job. In the Netherlands, I had been self-employed under the name Sparko since October 2014. One month after celebrating my 10th anniversary, and one day before our move to France, I dissolved Sparko at the Chamber of Commerce. I want to continue in France, so...
