Bertus was born in 1949 in Ede. For many years, he worked as a bus driver and tour guide, but was also co-owner of a restaurant. Now he receives a pension. He came to Norway with his wife in 2007 to run a guesthouse. They found one in Pollfoss in Skjåk. He works there as a cook.

It is important for Bertus that there are fewer people in Norway than in the Netherlands and that there is plenty of room for everyone. Equally important for him are the great opportunities for outdoor life. He is very fond of the place where they live. It is on a main road and popular with tourists, which is important for the business. But they still live in a recreational area and the nearest village, Bismo, is over 20 kilometres away. After work, he goes for long walks in the forest with his dog.

They plan to run the guest house as long as they have the strength to continue. The work at Pollfoss is not easy, but they are much happier than in the Netherlands. The main reason is much less everyday stress.

Bertus does not miss the Netherlands. They have friends in the area that they have regular contact with and that is all they need. Their Dutch friends are like Bertus and Hendrika - they sold everything in the Netherlands and moved to Norway. Bertus thinks that learning the language is the most important thing for anyone wanting to live in a new country. They started learning Norwegian immediately they arrived in Norway.
Bertus and Hendrika never want to move back to the Netherlands.