Forest Dwellers: Life at Perma Punt
Over the course of September to October, we spent 3 weeks living and working with a Dutch family at Perma Punt, a homestead in De Punt, Netherlands (known as the Point in English). The family only moved onto the Perma Punt property one year ago, so they have many projects planned to improve the place. The Dutch speak some of the best English in Europe, so we spent many nights around the dinner table in lively discussion with the four or five family members in the household. Thanks to this perk, we learned a great deal about Dutch culture, forestry, and family living during our stay with the Van Dijk family. Let’s dive into what our time at Perma Punt looked like.
The Residents
The Van Dijk Family
We were hosted by a warmhearted and welcoming family of five who happened to have the most Dutch name ever, the Van Dijk family. The lively and well-functioning family consists of Herman and his wife Tiestche, as well as their three children, Michiel, Hinke, and Diede. Herman is a part-time HR lawyer and full-time builder working on remodeling their home, and Tiestche works at an in-between school with students who’ve recently graduated high school and are not yet in college. Michiel is 19 and therefore has gone off to college, but still comes home to work and visit his family every weekend. Hinke (17) and Diede (15) are both still in high school and actively involved in after-school sports like dance and fencing.
The household was always quite animated, and we spent evenings around the dinner table chatting about future projects for the family, cultural differences, and daily happenings. Right from day one, we got to enjoy some delicious Dutch pickled herring on traditional rye bread. We even took it upon ourselves to prepare a pumpkin pie for the Van Dijk family in order to bring them a little taste of America. Despite it being our first time preparing this dessert and not having a proper pie pan, our pumpkin pie turned out wonderfully and our hosts couldn’t get enough of it.
The Furry and Feathery Friends
When we first arrived to Perma Punt, we were delighted to be immediately greeted by two happy pups and a nervous kitty. Murphy, a dog covered in dark curls, is as big as a pony and full of love and nonsensical noises. Bizou, named after the French word for kiss (bisou), is an older yellow lab who always has a smile on her face and will play fetch with you all day long.
The small grey cat was almost always too scared to approach us, but she was still full of curiosity and would watch our every move from a safe distance. During our stay, the Van Dijk family also got a new cat named Star, who was very nervous at first, only allowing Zach and I to pet her. Animals always seem to be naturally quite comfortable around us. She eventually opened up, and became very snuggly and vocal around the house.
Perma Punt is also home to one big rooster and six hens, who occasionally laid eggs for us to enjoy during our weekend breakfasts. To the Van Dijk family’s surprise, one of the chickens was newly the mother of two precious chicks. These three inseparable birds slept near our accommodation, so to our delight, we’d hear the chicks’ dainty little cheeps all throughout the day.
The Setting
De Punt and Groningen
Perma Punt is located in the quaint town of De Punt, right across from the Noord-Willemskanaal (North Willems Channel). The village is remote and doesn’t have much to offer, but we did get the chance to take the tandem bicycle to a neighboring town to visit stores. Most people in De Punt use their property to farm in some way, and we always saw a few cows, horses, and donkeys while walking the dogs. One of the properties bordering Perma Punt is also used as a campsite for vacationing Dutch families, and there were typically a few caravans parked there.
The nearest city to Perma Punt is Groningen, a major university city with an active and young population. Here, there were bicycles galore and plenty of waterways to stroll around. We spent a lot of time in Groningen, and it became one of our favorite cities we’ve visited to date. Because of this, you can certainly expect to hear more from us about Groningen.
The Forest
The property of Perma Punt consisted of a large home that is being remodeled, a few hand-built sheds, a large grassy field which will be home to a garden and swimming pond, and a beautiful, spacious forest which is managed for lumber. Our work typically consisted of cutting down trees (yes, I successfully used a chainsaw for the first time), processing lumber, building wood sheds, and crafting wooden fences. There were all types of trees around, including hazelnut and chestnut trees which produced bountiful harvests. Just over the course of our time at Perma Punt, the landscape of the forest changed dramatically due to our efforts.
The Tiny Home and Our Trailer
One of the Van Dijk’s major projects is building a functional tiny home. Thanks to the help of their architect friend, the family had already built the main rooms of the home. Though there is still much to be done, the tiny home has already turned out to be a great success.
During our stay, we slept in a snug trailer that the Van Dijk’s had built as one of their first projects at Perma Punt. We were delighted to be spoiled with electricity, a heater, lovely Dutch decorations, and two comfortable bunk beds. We spent many evenings cozied up inside this adorable blue trailer watching movies, journaling, and reading.
