Short Breaks to Spain
It is always a pleasure when past guests come back to see us again, and this week John and Jacqui did exactly that – they had visited us last September, and decided to return to us for an early summer Short Breaks to Spain. Last year they stayed with us for only one night as they were on their way to their villa they own in Estepona near Gibraltar and they found us by virtue of our pet friendly accommodation. They were travelling with their labradoodle named Monti and so were pleased to find that we welcomed pets and were conveniently placed along their route. They were driving down south last year, but this time they were not in fact going to their villa at all. They now have some tenants renting it for several months, but they wanted to come back to us and see more of our part of the northern Cost Blanca.
They flew to Valencia and spent their first night there, taking the opportunity the next morning to use the tourist bus to acquaint themselves with the city. In the afternoon they caught the train to Gandia, where we collected them from the station and brought them back to the villa. They loved meeting up with the cats and dogs again, and were delighted to see that we had adopted another dog since their last visit. Buckley gave them a very friendly welcome, and the other dogs clearly remembered these returning guests and they all enjoyed each other’s company during the afternoon around the pool. John and Jacqui had decided to dine with us on both evenings of their stay, so there was plenty of opportunity to catch up with their news.
The next day we gave them a lift to Playa de Gandia, where they spent the main part of the day exploring the beach and port area and then having lunch in the yacht club there (Club Nautico). During the course of the afternoon they caught a taxi back to Villa Florencia, and then were happy to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the sun – a welcome change from the weather they had left behind in the UK. They were really enjoying the chance to soak up some early summer sunshine and at the same time plan how they would spend the following day (the last of their trip) in Valencia. Their plan was to catch a train the next morning back to Valencia, spend the day there and then fly home the following morning. Over evening meal that night, they decided a good idea would be to hire a couple of bikes and spend some time in the Turia Gardens – where the diverted river used to flow through the city – and then visit the City of Arts and Sciences, which lie near the end of the gardens.
And so, the next morning it was time to take John ad Jacqui to the station and bid farewell to our returning guests. However, they say they will certainly come back to us in the future, especially since they will no doubt be spending time at their own villa once their current tenants have left. They will probably want to stop with us on the way, much as they did last year, and hopefully with the endearing Monti accompanying them the next time too, on one of their Short Breaks to Spain! We – as well as our own dogs – will look forward to their return!