It all started in Ibiza once again! In August 2021, by the water and over a chocolate fondue, we met Hamid through friends. We immediately shared the same values of friendship, simplicity, good humor, and open-mindedness. Hamid is Moroccan and was about to start building his house in Marrakech. He wanted us to spend the 2022 end-of-year holidays there together! The date was set!
There we were, back in Marrakech as a family on December 24, 2022! We had been there several times before, as the destination is particularly exotic while being just 2.5 hours from Toulouse. Not to mention the year-round extraordinary climate. We came with no hidden agenda, even though "building our dream house" was still in our hearts.
The vacation at Hamid's villa was wonderful, and we were able to appreciate, with a local, the kindness of the people, the culture, the food, and the Moroccan craftsmanship. What luck to be invited and to enjoy this suspended moment! The whole family loved every moment. We returned to France thinking it was still incredible to have a house abroad, a stone's throw from France, in the sun, under palm and coconut trees… but without real conviction yet… And yet, the seed had been planted!
A few months later, in April 2023, we spent the Easter holidays… in Ibiza… well, well. The restaurant was opening for the season and the first rays of sunshine felt wonderful. It was also Christophe's birthday… and time for those discussions about what would make us happy… You guessed it. We needed to build our family home, together, all five of us, in the sun. That was our dream! And Christophe spent days and nights at the computer designing our dream house… there was no turning back. We just needed to know where we would build it.
All the selection criteria were laid out in order of priority:
- Security, of course, because we didn't want to relive any trauma
- Sun and warmth, to be able to go there when the weather is bad in France
- Construction costs and rental returns, because the budget is limited and we would need to repay our debts
- Accessibility and proximity, because it's simpler and more responsible than traveling to the other side of the world
- Language, to be able to integrate more easily
- Kindness of the people, because we love meeting and getting to know local communities
- Delicious cuisine, because we're foodies!
After a few Excel spreadsheets and several destinations discussed, the choice became obvious: the Oasis Marrakech was calling us!