Our Big Move to Carinthia
Friday, June 27, 2025, a date we won't soon forget! After months of preparation, planning and arranging, the time had finally come: our big move to Carinthia, Austria. From now on we can call ourselves home in a very special place: Ferien- und Pferdegut Schloss Treffen, our new base, future and home port.
Farewell to the Oosthoek
The last hours in Piershil, at the familiar Oosthoek, felt unreal. Between the last moving boxes and horse brushes, the tension grew. The dike house where we had built so much, where memories are in every stone, we left behind with great pride. In the late afternoon the real adventure began. We left in stages towards Austria.
The family was neatly divided over the different vehicles:
- We left with the cattle truck, together with our two horses: Jerez and Snow.
- Tian traveled with Gijs and his father Arnoud,
- Niven and Bonk went out with grandpa and grandma.
The horses: toppers on wheels
What heroes Jerez and Snow are. Thanks to Bernadette's focused training with Jerez, loading was a piece of cake. No struggling, no stress, just trust. During the journey they behaved exemplary. We were able to complete the long journey of about 14 hours relatively relaxed, which is certainly not a given in such a situation.
Around dawn we finally reached our new home in Carinthia. What a relief to see the horses get out of the carriage: calm, curious and above all unharmed.
Moving vans and worries
Unfortunately, not everything went smoothly. The moving vans made us sweat quite a bit at some points. Technically, they were far from optimal: old vehicles with a lot of kilometers behind them, leaking fluids, strange noises and other quirks. Before leaving, we had to carry out extra checks ourselves and top up fluids in order to be able to travel safely. During the journey, we held our breath: would they all arrive? And more importantly: would they be able to return?
Fortunately, on Tuesday 1 July, we can now say with a sigh of relief that everything has arrived and all moving vans have been returned. What a relief that no one has come to a standstill!
The first days: getting used to it, work and water
The Sunday after arrival was all about unpacking. Boxes, crates, furniture, much slowly found its place in the house and the surrounding stables and buildings. It was hard work, but with every cupboard in place, it felt more like 'ours'.
In the afternoon we found a moment of peace at the Ossiachersee. The sun on our skin, the mountains in the background and the clear lake, it felt like a short breath between the hustle and bustle. No boxes, no kilometers, no stress. Just enjoying each other and the children. The necessary bombs were made and the water was already surprisingly warm (27 degrees!). The first holiday feeling presented itself and that, while the adventure has only just begun.
The Future
With the move completed and everyone safely at their destination, we can finally look ahead. Ferien- und Pferdegut Schloss Treffen will be our new life, a home for us, our horses and hopefully for many who want to share this piece of Carinthia with us.
What exactly are we going to do? More on that later. One thing is for sure: it will be special.
Stay tuned for the next steps in our adventure! We will report later from the first rides in the mountains to summer guests at our new horse estate.
Until next time,
The Bruijntjes....
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