Pleased to meet you
We are Joop & Henri
In January 2022, our great adventure began: running an attractive vacation home in the middle of French nature. Our goal was to unwind, both for ourselves and our guests.
We are originally from Emmen, Netherlands. The languages we speak are Dutch, English German, Twents and after many lessons – now also a little French. In 2020, we fell in love with the Morvan. What a beautiful and peaceful area this is. The flora and fauna are phenomenal!
A little background
Where we come from
Joop is a native of Drenthe. After studying Environmental Science in Groningen, she settled in Emmen and in addition to starting a family, developed as a safety and environmental expert at various companies. In 2007, somewhat out of necessity, we took on the challenge of converting a sauna under construction into a pleasant home. This laid the foundation for many job projects that can and sometimes must be done pleasantly in France. With the long-cherished desire to live more rural, and above all, to be able to keep horses again, Avree is the perfect opportunity to be able to combine all that and enjoy the beautiful French life!
Henri is a true tukker. After a college degree in commercial economics, he entered the graphic arts profession, flexographic printing. Here he held many positions in sales. He knows what a customer is; it’s in his DNA. At Le Moulin d’Avrée, he mainly does everything outside the house and cottage.
Together we have 5 children. They have now all flown out and live in the Netherlands or travel around the world. Since October 2022, a brave, courageous quadriplegic named Milou has been walking around here in Avrée. Since June 2023, two sweet horses have also been running around: Jolente and Leo.
Together on an adventure
How it all began
Our adventure began in 2020. That summer, on the recommendation of Joop’s sister, we had booked a week’s vacation in Moux-en-Morvan. We found ourselves in overwhelming nature located in an oasis of tranquility. During that period, we fell in love with the Morvan.
In the months that followed, we had many conversations together on the topic of ”whether we would emigrate to France.” Where then? How then? When then? How are our jobs going? Can we make money there? etc. All those questions we answered for ourselves first.
After searching through as many as 763 houses (internet), driving up and down a dozen times over a weekend to see potential candidates, we came across Le Moulin d’Avrée in July 2021. This property had everything we wanted: a chore project, a horse trough, a stable, a house, a river, a cottage and 2.5 Ha of land.
We were looking for an authentic place with one or more gites, with plenty of outdoor space, where we could give our guests a special memory. This one we had found. Nature pure in deafening silence. Within 10 minutes we had decided that this would be our property.
Our dream home
We can get started
The first year we were especially busy getting the house and gite beautiful. There was also a lot of work to do outside. Redesigning the gardens, mowing the meadows and there is now an orchard. In addition, we started the renovation of the mill. By the end of 2023, there will be a new roof on the mill.
Who would have thought that we would settle in rural France. A journey takes you to unexpected places. All the experiences we have gained in our lives come in handy here.
The house, the mill, the gite, the place, the village, the land, the people, the language, the culture, the guests, the climate, not to mention the time. Because the clock is ticking differently here. Every day we experience as a vacation day and we want to keep that feeling for as long as possible.
We are ready to welcome you soon at Le Moulin d’Ávrée.
How we make our dream a reality
Read in our blogs about our steps to transform Le Moulin d’Avrée into a real dream place.
A look back at the summer of 2023
Wat vliegt de tijd. Op 6 december werd het nieuwe dak over de oude geplaatst en voor dat je het weet is het alweer augustus. Onze gite was de zomer…
A look back at the summer of 2023
De dagen worden korter, de temperaturen dalen, en de houtkachels zijn weer in gebruik. Onze zomer was werkelijk prachtig, met talrijke zonnige dagen en hoge temperaturen. We verwelkomden gasten uit…
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