Category: Gandia

The Canadians Come to Spain!

This week we were pleased to welcome some new guests who were visiting Valencia province from their home near Montreal in Canada. Marco and Claudia and their 12 year old son Michael arrived on Tuesday, and stayed with us for 3 nights, and they wanted to spend most of their time acquainting themselves with Valencia City. They did not want to stay in the city itself, however, but preferred to find accommodation in a rural setting which still gave them convenient access (preferably by public transport) to Valencia. It therefore seemed the perfect answer for them to stay with us, drive the short distance to the train station, and travel into the city with no parking or navigation worries. However, when they arrived on Tuesday in the late afternoon, they settled in to their rooms and soon made good use of the swimming pool, as they had had a long drive from Barcelona and wanted to relax in the beautiful sunshine for what was left of the day. They were having a touring holiday in Spain, but concentrating on the Costa Blanca, and also the Costa Brava further north, having originally picked up their rental car in the south of…

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Italians in Spain!

Back in April we received a booking from an Italian lady who wanted to make a reservationfor ten days for her extended family, to include her husband and herself, her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, her parents and four children. A group of ten people in total – the perfect number for a whole- house rent! After some correspondence, it was decided that they would rent the whole house on a self-catering basis and would provide their own breakfasts and cook whatever meals they wanted in the kitchen themselves. We were more than happy to oblige, and assured them that we would be on hand to give them any assistance and advice they might need, as well as suggestions for how they could spend their time in our part of the Costa Blanca. A self-catering holiday on the Costa Blanca for a family of ten might not be the easiest of vacations to organise, but they all arrived in two small people carriers on the appointed morning, having arrived at Valencia airport a couple of hours earlier. They wasted no time in settling in to their rooms, and then organised themselves on shopping expeditions to buy the necessary food and drinks for…

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The Story of the Heidelberg Student´s Kiss

Several months ago we received a booking for two nights from a German couple wishing to break their journey at Villa Florencia. It turned out that they were on an extended holiday in Spain of just over three weeks, and we were to be their first stop in Spain, on their way to the Costa del Sol. They had departed from near Heidelberg and embarked on a 17 hour drive, arriving in the early evening, and looking for a well earned rest! In recent times we have had several guests stay with us in similar circumstances, as it seems Villa Florencia is at a convenient stopping point along the way down to the south of Spain and the Costa del Sol. Travelling guests feel that once they reach a point slightly south of Valencia that they are then on their way to their destination, and can afford to have some time to relax and unwind after the stress of a long journey. Klaus and his girlfriend arrived in the early evening and spent the following two nights in our self-catering apartment, which suited them very well, as the first morning they were still catching up on some much needed sleep!…

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Las Fallas 2011

Wednesday sees the beginning of the most significant fiesta in the Valencian Community – Las Fallas. This culminates on March 19th each year, when the huge effigies that have been constructed in the streets of Valencian towns are burnt in homage to St Joseph – the patron saint of carpenters – and traditionally marks the beginning of the new season and the casting out of things left over from the previous year. The effigies are constructed during the week leading up to March 19th in the streets and squares of the towns, usually being a collective effort of that particular neighbourhood. The subsequent judging of the statues takes place, and the order in which they are ranked then determines the order in which they are burnt on the night itself, with the winner being left until last. Each day at 2.00pm from Wednesday onwards, there is a deafening fireworks display (or “mascleta”) that takes place in the large square by the railway station in Gandía, and this is the signal that the day’s festivities can commence. Shops and businesses often close for the rest of the day and the populace takes to the streets to admire the effigies that are…

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Spring Property Hunters

The worst of the winter weather is now well and truly behind us and we can look forward to the beginning of a new season and a steady rise in temperature. One of the main attractions of living on the Costa Blanca is of course the much milder climate compared to the UK, so although residents here might complain about the cold season, it really is nothing compared to what they have left behind. The first of the year’s property hunters arrived to stay at Villa Florencia at the beginning of the week, having decided that the Gandia area was the ideal base to look around for some bargain Spanish properties for sale. It is the perfect area for those not wishing to be a part of the concentrated ex-pat communities further down the coast, but ideal for anyone looking for the opportunity to settle in a part of the country still so authentically Spanish. Added to that, there are excellent communications in the area with a great motorway network, efficient railway system and Valencia airport also within easy reach. Following the worst of the economic crisis now is an excellent time to think of making that major investment in…

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