The Name Domaine Rocheux

The moment we drove up to what is now Domaine Rocheux, I felt uneasy. Something — I didn't know what — gave me a sense of something majestic, powerfully imposing, even a little ominous, and we hadn't even stepped out of the car yet. We got out, and again that same feeling. I looked at Martine, and my face said more than a thousand words. She saw it too and said immediately: “You feel it as well.”

Now, buying a house abroad isn't something we do every day — it's always a bit exciting and unusual — but the feeling we both experienced separately was something else. We both felt it, didn't know what it was, but at the same time, it gave us a sense of peace and trust.

What the f… is this, and why do we feel it?

We walked through the gate and up the sloping terrain. After a few steps, I saw a huge chunk of rock sticking out of the ground on the left - sloping, uneven, almost smooth in texture. Martine whispered: “Looks like a whale surfacing with its back.” I had to touch that rock — it drew me in like a magnet. It did something to me. The rock felt warm and gave off a sense of trust. I laughed and thought: our rock in the surf. As I touched the stone, it felt like it told me: “It's okay,” and I realized that the strange feeling I had earlier came from here.

I looked for Martine to explain that this rock was something special, but she was already in the middle of the garden, seemingly absorbed in everything around her. I walked over, stepping over several large rocks along the way. The place was scattered with immense boulders — it was magical. I thought they were incredible and became kind of hyper (those who know me know I'm not exactly the calmest person). Martine was enjoying herself, and it felt like all the pain of the past years was being absorbed by the rocks.

The former owner stood at a distance, smiling, watching it unfold: us and the rocks — an unstoppable combination.

Months later, when we officially received the keys and it became ours, the rocks became the inspiration for the name of it all. They radiate peace and trust, they are unyielding and massive, with only the tip of the iceberg visible. These are remnants of the Ice Age left behind here. We own and cherish a piece of prehistoric history — we think it's just amazing.

The rocks define the place where we live — they lie in the garden, beneath the house, nourishing a pear tree that grows straight out of the rock, inspiring us, scattered throughout the region.
In short, we live and experience a rocky land — Domaine Rocheux.