Theo and Jolanda say that they have made a ‘drastic decision’. They have stopped their pancake house in The Gambia and back in the Netherlands. The pancake house has now been bought by another couple from the Netherlands. “We weighed up a lot of things. We just worked hard for six years,” says Theo.
And it was precisely that hard work that became a bit too much for them, explains Jolanda. “We increasingly got the feeling that we only lived to work. Actually the same feeling that I had in the Netherlands and that was the reason to leave for The Gambia.”
Their biggest reason to come back is missing their family. In 2016, Jolanda left her sick mother behind in the Netherlands. Jolanda’s mother had bladder cancer and was then in the middle of her treatment process. She is currently doing well. “That was the main reason,” says Jolanda about their return. While enjoying a cup of coffee with her mother, she talks about this loss. “When you call each other, you ask: ‘How is it there?’ and I say: “Oh great, very good. Yes, nice weather.” But you actually want to say: ‘I miss you and I had a shitty day.'” Jolanda’s mother admits that she didn’t like their departure to The Gambia: “I never really liked it, that Gambia. They know that. ”
Jolanda and Theo are currently living with friends, but they do not plan to stay in the Netherlands for long. The couple will soon leave for the southern Spanish resort of Rincón de la Victoria. There they bought a restaurant where they will not only sell pancakes, but also tapas. Once you have arrived in Spain, it soon becomes clear that the Dutch delicacies are not popular with the Spaniards.
“I found out a bit that the culture here is a bit of a tapas culture,” says Theo. Despite the fact that they have to scrap a lot of Dutch snacks from their menu, they remain optimistic. “If it doesn’t work, we will have to close the place in three or four months. But I remain positive and don’t assume it.” Jolanda agrees: “If you don’t try, you don’t know. We could have just looked for a job or I don’t know what. But our heart is just here.”
Five months later, they are forced to close their restaurant. The customers don’t walk down the door. The downside is that they have to continue paying the rent. They are tied to the lease for four years. That’s why they haven’t found people to take over from them yet. “Damn, then I’ve been working hard there for six months and then you have to close your doors. You’re ashamed of that,” says Theo emotionally. Jolanda is also in tears: “I have sometimes called it a Spanish nightmare. (…) On the other hand, I don’t really regret it.”
However, their ‘Spanish dream’ is not over, as the two still envision a future in the country. “Only the part of the restaurant in the Spanish dream has failed,” says Jolanda. She also knows one thing for sure: the relationship between her and Theo can handle anything. Theo agrees wholeheartedly with her: “In five years I hope that we will be very happy together and that we can travel to the Netherlands in time for the children and parents. And just enjoy the moments you get.”
Watch the episode here back.
