Blog

Just over a month ago we were pleased to have Dagmar and Andreas visit us for a couple of days from Germany. They were spending time helping at the local animal rescue centre before taking four dogs back to Germany by plane for adoption. Dagmar chose a dog that she also wanted to adopt, but was not able to take it with her at the time for legal reasons and it was going to be transported to Germany at the beginning of June. We were therefore very happy when they returned to us last week by car with the intention of taking Dagmar’s…

On Sunday we were pleased to have Ton and Frank from Holland stay with us for the night on their way south to Almeria. They had set off on their journey by car from the Netherlands on the Saturday, staying at Narbonne in France along the way. In fact they phoned us from France to enquire if we had a vacancy for Sunday night, as they liked the idea of breaking their journey in our part of the northern Costa Blanca. This was to be a tour around the mainland of Spain for them, lasting about four weeks, in order to familiarise themselves…

Bernard and Grace arrived on Tuesday for a three night stay with us, having already visited this and many other parts of Spain in the past. However, they were here with a purpose other than a break from the routine of life in England – they were looking for a property to buy for their retirement, with the intention of moving here on a permanent basis. They had spent time in the past looking for property in various locations along the Mediterranean coast, but had now decided that this area was the one they preferred. The northern Costa Blanca seemed to suit most…

This past weekend was the next in the “Despedida” season, with a booking for eleven girls from Madrid who had reserved the house for the weekend. The bride was getting married in July, and they all planned to spend some time together for a leisurely weekend of relaxation and sunshine. They arrived in three cars on Friday night at about 10.30, having encountered heavy traffic after leaving Madrid. However, they soon settled in to their rooms and then set about preparing a meal and listening to music up on the terrace. They were delighted with the facilities of the villa, and were looking…

The weekend of May 4th, 5th & 6th saw the first of the “Despedidas de Soltera” of the season. A group of girls from Banyeres de Mariola – a small inland town in Alicante province – had booked the house for the weekend and were due to arrive on the Friday evening. At about 7.00pm the first of the girls arrived, shortly followed by the rest, making a very full house indeed! The schedule for the first evening was to have a meal together and settle in to their surroundings. They were delighted with the house and its facilities, and had a great…

Easter was a very busy time for us all at our casa rural in Gandía, with a completely full house over the Easter weekend itself. Visitors returned from last year, as well as many new ones visiting us for the first time. The weather had been forecast to be damp and cool, but in the end only a little rain fell over the holiday period, and mostly the weather was fine and warm – always good for our guests on their holidays! Tony, Trudy and their children Harvey, Monty and Queenie visited us for just over a week, and chose to stay in…

Motorbike Friendly Accommodation David and Caroline from Devon arrived for a couple of nights with their two children on their motorbikes – they were enjoying a touring holiday around Spain, starting from the Santander ferry, and returning the same way. In fact, we were the furthest point of their trip, having looped around the northern part of the country earlier on in their visit. They decided they wanted a couple of days relaxation before starting back for the ferry home again, as well as the opportunity to take in the sights of Valencia City. The opportunity to have a couple of nights at…

The middle of March always seems to mark the beginning of the new season and the onset of Spring, with the fiesta of Fallas and early guests in search of some warm sunshine on the Costa Blanca.  This year was no exception, and we were pleased to welcome guests from England as well as from Spain. Mike and Maggie decided to see for themselves what the fiesta of Fallas in Gandía was all about, having been recommended by a friend that it was an event not to be missed.  They also wanted to find some early warmth and sunshine, and they were not…

On Monday we welcomed a guest from just about as far away as you can get – Australia. Nic was travelling on his own and doing a bit of a tour, visiting his father in the U.S. before embarking on a trip around Europe. He had visited his sister in Edinburgh before going on to see Amsterdam and then Berlin before making his way to Spain. However, he felt that he now wanted a break from busy city sight-seeing and was looking for a spell of getting back to the countryside and nature so decided to visit us here in Gandía. He thought…

Recently I had the pleasure of working on the websites of a friend of mine who runs a business organising mountain biking expeditions. This made me think even more about how much I wanted to get out and about in the beauty of the countryside where we live, so when Dave offered me the opportunity to come with him on a mountain biking trip, I eagerly agreed. I did a quick count of how many years it had been since being on a bike of any description, didn’t like the answer, so decided it was high time to set matters right! Dave provided…

The season that lies ahead in 2012 will be our sixth full year of operation, and we are looking forward to a year of welcoming back previous guests as well as meeting new ones for the first time.  The New Year period has already been and gone and was a busy time for us, with a full house of guests, many of whom had come for the excellent rock-climbing to be found in the area.  We hope to have more rock-climbers visit us in the future, as this is an activity – along with other outdoor and nature-related interests – that we are…

The Christmas and New Year period was a very busy time at the Gandia Casa Rural, with everyone making the most of the versatile accommodation and catering options available to our guests. Not only were all the B & B rooms occupied, but also the self-catering apartment as well, with the guests there sometimes looking after their own mealtime requirements, but sometimes also coming up to the main house to join their friends who were dining there. Gary and Andy from Liverpool were with us for their winter sunshine holidays, the whole time from Christmas Eve through until after the New Year, and…

In amongst all the doom and gloom concerning the economic situation and the housing and property market in particular in Spain, there are still instances of things turning out happily for all concerned. Back in the summer, we were pleased to have Carmel and her family stay with us whilst they were on a house-hunting expedition here. They had done plenty of research in their quest to find a bargain property on the Costa Blanca, and had narrowed their search to one property that they felt really met their requirements. It might seem strange to come half-way round the world (they spend most…

The property market in Spain may have suffered a spectacular decline in the recent past, and it is true that this plays an enormous part in the present woes of the Spanish economy. However, a housing market which is suffering from an excess of supply over demand can only mean good news for any buyers who happen to come along. We were pleased to welcome a couple from Belgium recently who were on a serious house-hunting expedition, had done their homework thoroughly before leaving home and who arrived at our door with a full diary of appointments with local estate agents. They were…

Last Wednesday we were pleased to welcome some unexpected guests – again from Canada – who were touring around Spain with a possible long-term view to settling here. They called on us to see if they could stay here as they wanted to stay in bed and breakfast accommodation as opposed to conventional hotels wherever possible. They had in mind also that the bed and breakfast industry might suit them if they were to settle here, and were eager to hear our experiences. Brian and Lonnie come from Alberta and were travelling around Spain in the opposite direction from our last Canadian guests…

We were pleased to welcome Neil and Debs to Villa Florencia at the end of last week, with the added dimension that they are from Canada, taking five weeks to tour through Spain and Portugal, and doing the whole thing by public transport – mainly bus. We collected them from Gandía bus station and brought them to our home, and the emphasis of their trip was to stay away from large cities and towns, and to spend time walking and hiking in the hills and mountains that this country has to offer away from the better known tourist destinations. Their aim was to…

Last week we were pleased to welcome a couple from Edinburgh who had booked to stay with us for a week of late summer sunshine. Brian and Ruth are keen hill walkers and hikers, and wanted to spend some time in nice weather preparing themselves for a walking challenge that awaited them after their return to Scotland. During conversation, it emerged that both Brian and Ruth are doctors back home in Scotland and were both feeling the need for some well earned rest and relaxation – as well as pleasant walking in the sunshine. This part of the Costa Blanca has some magnificent…

Several weeks ago we received a booking from a Spanish family who wanted to come and stay with us for a week and self-cater for themselves on a “Casa Rural” basis – i.e. renting a bedroom in the main house, but making use of the kitchen facilities for their evening meals. This suited them very well, as there were two sons of nearly 5 and nearly 2 years old in the family, so they were able to prepare their meals at a time to suit them, and still have time to relax in the garden after Miquel and Guillem had gone to sleep.They…

Last weekend we were really pleased to welcome back some guests from last year – 2 groups of girls who enjoy coming to Gandía for its nightlife, but at the same time like to stay in a quiet rural location. Gandia Casa Rural offered them the ideal place to stay, where they could self-cater and have a short break but enjoy all the benefits the house has to offer at the same time.The first group of four friends come from Segovia, and have visited us twice in the past. The other two girls are from Castellón, and last year was their first visit…

We received a phone call a week ago from a past guest who wanted to return to us again – always a request we are pleased to get! This lady and her husband live in Guadalajara near Madrid, and the last time they had come with another couple on a bed and breakfast basis. This time, however, she was interested in a villa rental holiday, and they wanted to bring a third couple with them as well. A villa rental sounded like a great idea for them, since it would give them the full flexibility that they were looking for, and they remembered…