Repeat Offenders

They are back again, our most prolific repeat visitors! Hans and Joke (pronounced yoker), a Dutch couple, came to our campsite in 2006 just to see if the campsite was OK intending to stay only one or two nights. In 2006 they stayed for nearly two weeks, 2007 for one week on the way to their “real” holiday destination, 2008 for one week with some of their grown up children, 2009 for a week on the way to their “real” holiday destination and now for 3 nights on their way home. I think they like it here!

We have a number of people like Hans and Joke, who come back again and again, they have all become friends. What is so nice is that when they arrive at the campsite and say “it’s like coming home”. For us it is really gratifying that we have “got it right”.

We built the campsite to suit ourselves making it the campsite we would like to stay on. No electricity on the site so no blaring TVs or radios. We have included a small fridge in the toilet block so that you can keep your beer or white wine cool or to enable you to buy in for breakfast without worrying if your pâté will have gone rancid before the morning. We keep the showers and toilets spotlessly clean, unless some anti-social people come and wash their muddy/grassy boots in the shower, no only making it disgustingly dirty but blocking the drains in the process, which happens every so often but we have learnt to deal with that type. Above all we have peace and quiet and I mean quiet. Most of the time you cannot hear a man-made sound (unless I’m mowing of course). At 08.30 the bells of Taizé ring out calling the faithful to the morning service, at 12.15 again and in the evening I know I am late with dinner if I hear the bells (20.30) before I have food on our plates!

Many of our visitors come for Taizé, some to really get involved in the discussion groups etc, others out of curiosity (“what is this place we have heard about?”) and still others who want to go to one or two services. Many walk or cycle from here (how they get up or down that hill on a bike is a mystery to me) and others go by car.

Anyway, back to Hans and Joke, the only negative thing is that now we won’t see them for another year as they will be leaving on Monday. It’s sad saying goodbye to your friends but hopefully some of our others will be turning up soon to fill their gap.

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