Happy Holidays from South of France
Dear Friends,
What an exciting year it has been. In March 2023 we sold our house in Colorado, and shipped most of our belongings in a container to South of France. Only a few practical items were kept in a new place in Washington DC for Petra, but Ismo became 100% French resident.
Over the summer we turned our former summer house into a permanent home. As the container arrived in May, we were ready to receive summer guests. Old and new friends, and family visited us from Finland, Spain, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and the U.S.
Ismo started to acquire vineyards and build a winery in an enormous ancient factory building that we develop at the same time. It’s amazing to think it’s only been less than a year and La Robina natural wines from our own fields are already in fermentation in the factory. White, orange, and red wines from four Languedoc grape varietes will be available to restaurants and distributors in Europe and North America in Spring 2024.
Petra’s book Government and Innovation - the Economic Developer’s Guide to our Future came out in March. Petra has been busy promoting the book in a number of conferences in the U.S., Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom, with the last weeks of this year spent finalizing the audiobook version, and creating online courses.
We also received a new family member when Albi came into our lives. Sara and Albi are both rescue dogs, Sara from Louisiana and Albi from Spain. They quickly discovered common language and have become inseparable.
Although Petra’s work keeps her in Washington for now, Saint-Pons-de-Thomieres truly feels like home. The villagers have welcomed us and we have become used to the French lifestyle; long lunches and late dinners. And wine, of course, La Robina natural wine.
Happy Holidays from Occitanian mountains,