It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Marie, Anton and their daughter Jana back to Villa Florencia again – this was their third visit and the second one in our self-catering apartment. They live in Switzerland, although originate from South Africa, so are always pleased to see some of our warm Spanish sunshine – and this visit did not fail to disappoint, with beautiful warm weather and lots of time relaxing in the pool and gardens.
They stayed with us for a week here on the Costa Blanca and during that time also went to the city of Valencia, specifically to see the Oceanografic aquarium at the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias). This was as a belated birthday treat for Yana, who loved all the exhibits there and especially the glass tunnels that you walk through with marine life swimming all around you. Other excursions included a trip to the nearby Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, which they found well worthwhile and which forms part of the La Safor monastery route and pilgrimage.
Marie and Anton immediately felt on holiday here, as they were already acquainted with the house and the local amenities, so were able to make the most of their stay with us. Routine trips to the supermarket and shops were all very easy for them, and most of the time they catered for themselves in their apartment. One evening, however, they joined our other guests for a barbecue in the gardens and on another occasion took advantage of our evening meal service up on the terrace. Their final night was a Thursday – one of the nights that many of the cafés and bars in Gandia participate in a special promotional tapas evening – so we were pleased to be able to take them out to the town and show them some of the places frequented by local people on an ordinary night out. This way they really felt they were able to get a proper feel for the town, in a way that they might not otherwise have done.
Their week’s visit soon came to an end, however, and it was time for them to drive back up to Barcelona and catch their flight home to Switzerland. It was a real pleasure to see them here again, and we are glad that they feel so at home and relaxed at our Casa Rural. We very much look forward to seeing them again with more of our Costa Blanca sunshine to warm them up!
