Martine & Olav: From the stage to the dinner table

He was a guitar player playing in a successful band, she was a singer who’d vowed to never get involved with a musician. But against all odds, they fell in love with each other at first sight.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re showcasing some of the most heartwarming love stories from our Eatwith community!

It all started with a bang!

A few years ago, Olav was invited to join Dutch pop and show band Paolo Passionate and the Pennies from Heaven as their new guitar player. He went to check them out and was immediately caught up with everything: the lead singer, three horns, guitar and keyboards, the rhythm section… the list went on and on. But there was one thing in particular that he caught his attention; a beautiful singer named Martine, who he could not take his eyes off. Martine and Olav officially met during their first rehearsal, and it was love at first sight. They were married a few months later, and had a great time touring the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium with the band. The band broke up in 1986, but their love stayed strong!

A new direction

Fast forward to 2004, and after more than 20 years of not working together, Martine and Olav decided to open their own French restaurant in Amsterdam. It was an instant success. Once again, they were partners both in life and in business. However in 2014, Martine and Olav decided to sell their restaurant, as they realized hosting guests and having fun with them was what mattered most, rather than the organizing, managing and responsibility that comes with owning a restaurant.They sold the restaurant and took a year off to go traveling. Upon their return to Amsterdam, Martine and Olav discovered Eatwith and fell in love with the concept. They joined the Eatwith family in March 2016 and love meeting new and exciting people from all around the world, cooking for them, sharing stories and, of course, playing music together every now and again!

All you need is love!

For Martine and Olav, one of the best parts of being an Eatwith host is sharing their passion for food and cooking with guests from all walks of life. From loved-up honeymooners to a couple from Calgary celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, each dinner is special in its own way. One of their most memorable Eatwith events included guests from Ukraine and Russia — two groups with very different ideas, but who all came together over a hearty homemade meal. For Martine and Olav, love is in the air. Always!