September 2012 - Villa Florencia Casa Rural Gandia

Pet Friendly Accommodation

We received a booking request for one night from John and Jacqui, who asked if we could accommodate them, along with their Cockapoo named Monti. We always say that we welcome owners as well as their pets, so of course replied that the three of them would be very welcome. They were in fact travelling down to their holiday home in Andalusia, having driven down through France visiting friends along the way. This part of the Costa Blanca is a very convenient point to stop along the way down to the south of the country, and the Bed and Breakfast accommodation that we offer is a very convenient option. Added to that is the fact that guests can choose to take advantage of our evening meal service, so there is no need to look for a restaurant in unfamiliar surroundings after a long drive during the day. The pet-friendly accommodation that we offer only served as an additional inducement for John and Jacqui to stay with us – it was the perfect solution for them. Monti was a beautiful and friendly 8 month old cross poodle and cocker spaniel (hence Copckapoo), who was a real delight and who soon became…

Self-Catering Villa Rental

Some time ago we received a reservation from a lady wishing to book the entire property for a group of 14 family and friends for a week as part of a 50th birthday celebration. When they arrived last week, it turned out that the group consisted of two sets of parents, two grandmothers and eight younger members – i.e. the sons/daughters and respective partners. The accommodation here is ideal for that kind of mixed group who want to enjoy a self-catering holiday on the Costa Blanca, as the two older ladies and one set of parents occupied the self-contained apartment on the lower level of the house, the other set of parents were in the room above that apartment, and the younger members were in the remaining bedrooms in the rest of the house. Each room has its own private bathroom, so everybody had ample space for themselves but could mix and socialise together in the spacious public rooms, sun terraces and around the pool. They soon settled in to the accommodation, acquainted themselves with the kitchen facilities and then went on a shopping expedition to the local supermarket for supplies! The rest of their arrival day was spent relaxing…

Biking 100.1

Last week, along with my good friend Dave, we decided to go mountain biking in Valencia. We parked the van in the town of Xeraco, just north of Gandia. After an obligatory coffee, we set off at 10:30, along a quiet country road that took us through orange groves and up the coast to the town of Cullera. From there we followed 7km of road riding to the town of Sueca from where we entered the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. This section of the ride was particularly pleasant as we rode through the rice fields along surfaced but very quiet country lanes. By 12:30 we had reached the famous “Paella village” of El Palmar for another coffee break and to replenish our water supplies, before taking another quiet road out towards the coast, passing the lake of Albufera along the way. From here took another trail, this time right alongside the beach. This great little trail took us up the Mediterranean coast and right into the city of Valencia where we biked through the Turia gardens to the stunning architecture of the City of Arts & Sciences, just in time for lunch! Our original plan was to take…