It is now the end of November 2024, and we have been living in Asturias for a year and a half. We have both been back to the Netherlands once for 10 days, and we can honestly say that we miss very little. No homesickness, nothing. We are busy renovating, taking care of all the animals – we now have a border collie puppy called Panda! – , and socializing with our neighbors in the valley: lunch parties, meetings with the entrepreneurs in the valley, hiking, or just talking with our neighbors near the church in the village.
 
I actually only miss things like the Rotterdam Film Festival, the cinema, and an underground festival every now and then. But other than that, I have absolutely no need to go back. Rob feels the same, except that he has very little that he would like to go back for. Only the family, but hey, they all come here to visit, and they love Asturias.

 

We have had many friends and family visit us since we arrived here in April 2023. Everyone is super enthusiastic about the region, the beautiful nature and the peace and quiet. Some friends have visited us several times already. We have also had 10 Workawayers visit us; people from all over the world who come to help with the renovation, daily tasks and the vegetable garden in return for room and board. That often goes well, but sometimes we are glad when they travel on… Especially because we share a tiny bathroom with all the guests. But the new bathroom will be ready soon, then everyone will have a bit more privacy.

 

After the bathroom we start working on the kitchen. We are thinking about the colors now. I already know that I want a light-coloured countertop; and sparkling light colours. But still a classic Spanish atmosphere… That is quite a challenge!

 

The wood stove will of course be the eye-catcher in the kitchen. We have already made a few dishes on the wood stove with home-grown products. We didn’t have much time to keep the vegetable garden and greenhouse well maintained last year, but we made an attempt. And with success. We harvested: 10 crates of potatoes, 3 large crates of onions, courgettes, carrots, cucumbers, a huge amount of tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and more. And fruit. Crates full of plums, figs, apples and pears. And hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts. And now the kiwis, leeks and kale are coming. Last year we had so many kiwis that we started trading them with people in the valley for vegetables, wool and bread. Now the harvest is probably a bit smaller because we pruned the trees, but the kiwis are bigger. All in all, we’ll get through the winter!

 

We’ve already learned a lot about what does and doesn’t grow well here, and next year we’re going to try again. We’ll film that and share it here on our website. 

 

We are launching the website in December 2024, so we have been busy setting up and filling the website with blogs and vlogs about our lives and all the special sustainable initiatives here in the valley. There’s also more information for people who want to come to Asturias and are looking for peace, unique experiences or a house.

 

It took a while, but in the past few months it has become clear what our business model will be: offering personalized unique travel experiences, organizing retreats, and helping people find a home in Asturias.

 

We have already helped a number of people find a home, and we enjoy sharing our expertise. Living in Asturias is beautiful everywhere, but some places are of course the most beautiful! We will first look together at what the dream home should meet, then we can make a selection of regions and houses, and then we can go and view them.

 

In addition, we will put together trips to our region: stay in the most beautiful places, take the most beautiful hiking or cycling trips, and visit small-scale sustainable projects.

 

For those who are looking for peace and connection with nature, we will offer retreats. We have noticed that our visitors feel better and experience less stress by really enjoying the peace and beauty of nature. Experience it for yourself: open your senses and nature will make you come back to yourself.

 

More information about the services we offer:  House hunting, Travel & Retreats.  
Or send an email to info@backto.earth for more information

 

See you soon in Asturias!