“Do you ever miss the Netherlands?” I’m walking our guests to their room, while they ask me this question. I don’t have to think for long. “No, I feel completely at home here.” I think the way I say it is quite decisive, because the guests start laughing. “You sound just like Iris.” “From B&B Vol Liefde (a Dutch television show)?” I ask. They nod and I smile. I love Spain. Our little village in the valley. But I don’t dislike the Netherlands. I just never felt completely ‘at home’ there. If everything works out the way we want – and the three of us can run our B&B together – I would really like to visit the Netherlands every now and then. Family still lives there. Friends still live there. And I have very fond memories of my time in both South/Central Limburg and Utrecht. But going back permanently? That’s not something I see myself doing anytime soon.
Because after having spent a number of years in ‘no man’s land’ – between the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland – I am very happy that I have finally been able to settle down in Spain. There is still plenty to see and discover from here. But because I’m still on my own for most of the year, I have to admit that I haven’t had much time for it. So when my oldest friend, Maartje, announced that she would spend a few days with her nieces in Ibiza in September-October, I saw my opportunity. Because there were no bookings on the agreed day (Monday) two weeks before the agreed time, I closed the booking calendar on Sunday and Monday and bought a return ticket with the Balearia from Dénia to Ibiza. For €70 I cannot only park the car in the Balearia parking lot, but I will also travel in more than three hours via Formentera to Ibiza and will return eight hours later (via the same route) to Dénia.
When I tell one of my sisters about my plans a few days before departure, she can hardly believe it. “Ibiza?”, she asks me on the other end of the line. She waits a moment. “Ramirez?” she asks, not quite sure. I start laughing. “No!” I exclaim. “Not Ibiza-Ramirez. Our car garage in Pego! Ibiza – the island!” I can’t stop laughing. Although the best car garage in Pego (and surroundings) is undoubtedly just as busy as the famous island of the same name, that is not something I would mention in one of the few telephone conversations we have with each other during her time in Switzerland. Although she doesn’t think I’m the ‘type’ to go to Ibiza for a day (something I completely agree with), I would really enjoy seeing my friends from the Netherlands again. And fortunately, Maartje is no more the typical ‘Ibiza type’ than I am. So, armed with the camera on our phone, we stroll through the narrow streets of the old town for a few hours. But although the old part of the city is absolutely beautiful, it is – in my opinion – not much different from many other beautiful Spanish villages and towns. Maybe it would be wise to cross over with my car next time, if that ever happens, and explore the rest of the island. However, there is no rush. Because when I maneuver my own car through the narrow, Spanish streets of our ‘own’ village just after midnight, I am happy to be home again. It’s been a long day and for now, I decide, I’m not going anywhere for a while. Forget Ibiza. Switzerland. The Netherlands. “HoMe is WhEre The hEarT is.” And mine is definitely in Benialí.