Bed and Breakfast Gandia - Page 6 of 12 - Villa Florencia Casa Rural Gandia

Bed and Breakfast in Spain

Bed and Breakfast in Spain We were happy to welcome Curt and Sandra who came to stay with us for two nights last weekend. They live in Wiltshire – although Curt is Swedish by birth – and the purpose of their trip was to visit relatives who live in this area, as well as other family members further south near Torrevieja. Their plan was to stay with us for a couple of nights and then to move on to visit their other relatives. Curt and Sandra arrived around 3.00pm on Saturday and had a welcome cup of tea in the garden before setting off to their uncle’s house about 15 minutes away. They had also said that they wanted to take advantage of our evening meal service on their first night with us; they had been on the move since 3.30am the previous day and were glad to know that, after their afternoon visit to the family, they would be able to return to us and relax, without having to think about finding a restaurant in unfamiliar surroundings. It is for this reason that they prefer to use Bed and Breakfast accommodation whenever they can on their travels, rather than…

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Gandia Golf Course – La Galiana Golf

Gandia Golf Course – La Galiana Golf More and more people are coming to the Gandia area to enjoy the beautiful scenery and take part in some sort of outdoor activity holiday, and one that should not be overlooked by anyone thinking of this part of Spain is the game of golf. When one thinks of golf in Spain, many are drawn to the south of the country but there are some beautiful courses in this region as well. One such course is La Galiana, situated about 30 minutes’ drive from Villa Florencia (Gandia Casa Rural). It is set in the Vall de la Valldigna and the La Galiana course enjoys a spectacular setting in a valley surrounded by pine and orange groves, isolated from residential areas. More than 5000 local species of plants and trees have been used for its landscaping. This course has everything that makes golf such an attractive game. It has a great location in the Vall de la Valldigna and is a protected area of nature, where there are no residential buildings, and it features spectacular scenery and stunning views. The course itself is 18 holes Par 72 and 6975 meters from the back Tees,…

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Walking in Valencia

Walking in Valencia Yesterday we decided to take a trip to the beautiful city of Valencia to have a walk around the streets and of course to pick up some useful literature from the tourist information office for our guests to use in the coming season. Also on the agenda was to have a look at the famous indoor food and produce market – known as the Central Market or Mercado Central – to see where many of the hotels and restaurants in the city obtain their produce. Valencia is so easy to visit from our area, and the best option is to drive to Xeraco station – one stop up the line, where there is plenty of free parking – and go by train. A leisurely journey through orange groves and rice fields brings you right into the heart of the city to the central station (confusingly called Valencia Nord!), which is perfectly located for exploring the historic centre of the town – all directly ahead of you as you leave the station. It was not the warmest of days to go walking in Valencia (but it is February after all!), so our first mission was to make our…

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Mediterranean Garden Plants

We recently had the pleasure of having the Theemann family from Germany visit us for a few days. They arrived with their son and daughter as well as one of their daughter’s friends, and we assumed they were here for a few days’ winter sunshine during the break in the school term. They had booked the self-catering apartment for four nights, but as they arrived fairly late in the evening they had also arranged to take advantage of our evening meal service. During dinner, it transpired that although they certainly were looking forward to a spell of much warmer weather than they had left behind n Germany, the main purpose of their trip was shopping – but not the usual souvenir shopping that many of our guests treat themselves to. Back in Germany, the Theemanns run a garden nursery business with several outlets, and they were here in order to place orders for palm and citrus trees and other Mediterranean Garden Plants for the coming season. This is an annual undertaking for them – they come to our part of Spain most years for this – and as a result they have contacts and lines of supply already well established…

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Rural Bed and Breakfast

Rural Bed and BreakfastWe were really pleased to welcome visitors from far away this week – Mike and Sharon Farrell and their family from the United States. They were travelling as a group of six, spanning three generations, and the main purpose of their trip was to visit another family member who was studying in Spain for a semester. The had arrived in Barcelona a few days before travelling to us, and now wanted a couple of days relaxation in a rural Bed and Breakfast before visiting their relative in Alicante. Having spent time sightseeing in Barcelona, and then more sightseeing on the way down, they finally arrived after dining en route, and were happy to settle in and relax for the rest of the evening. However, they did not want to miss the opportunity to see something of our part of Spain, so took time to plan what they would do the next day. Having heard about the famous Borgia family of the area that gave the world the only two popes of Spanish origin, they wanted to see the nearby town of Xativa, where the family came from, so made a plan to take a rural drive the…

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Guests from the States – Rural Bed and Breakfast

Rural Bed and Breakfast We were really pleased to welcome visitors from far away this week – Mike and Sharon Farrell and their family from the United States. They were travelling as a group of six, spanning three generations, and the main purpose of their trip was to visit another family member who was studying in Spain for a semester. The had arrived in Barcelona a few days before travelling to us, and now wanted a couple of days relaxation in a rural Bed and Breakfast before visiting their relative in Alicante. Having spent time sightseeing in Barcelona, and then more sightseeing on the way down, they finally arrived after dining en route, and were happy to settle in and relax for the rest of the evening. However, they did not want to miss the opportunity to see something of our part of Spain, so took time to plan what they would do the next day. Having heard about the famous Borgia family of the area that gave the world the only two popes of Spanish origin, they wanted to see the nearby town of Xativa, where the family came from, so made a plan to take a rural drive…

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Pet Friendly Accommodation Spain

Pet Friendly Accommodation Spain It was a real pleasure to welcome back Sheri, who decided on a last minute visit to come and see us. She booked herself in to our Pet friendly self-catering apartment, which suits her particularly well as she comes over here in order to visit her two lovely dogs. Sheri is originally from California, but moved to Spain approximately five years ago – bringing her dogs with her, of course. After some time, she received an offer of employment in the UK, so she now lives there most of the time – but unfortunately she was not able to take her dogs with her. They are looked after by a friend here in Spain, but Sheri naturally likes to come and visit them here on the Costa Blanca as often as she is able – so our pet friendly accommodation suits her down to the ground. This time, she spent just over a week enjoying the warmer weather and relaxing with her dogs in the apartment, or out in the gardens around the pool. Our own dogs are always pleased to have visitors, and of course now know Molly and Snickers pretty well from their previous…

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Costa Blanca Winter Sunshine

Costa Blanca Winter Sunshine Costa Blanca Winter Sunshine! We were happy to welcome our latest guest who came in search of some winter sunshine here on the Costa Blanca – Sam, a retired actor from London. He was combining a spell here on the coast after having spent time visiting friends in Toledo and Madrid as part of his Spanish break. Having already spent time sightseeing in the cities, Sam was eager to relax and enjoy the warm sunshine as a very welcome contrast to the cold weather he had left behind in England and to recharge his batteries. Sam was renting our self-catering apartment for his stay with us, although he did choose to take advantage of our evening meal service most nights. The first two or three days of his visit were spent reading and relaxing in the garden, and then he felt it was time to explore a little of what our region has to offer nearby. The inland town of Xativa was Sam’s choice for a day’s excursion, and made for a great day out exploring the small streets and picturesque squares. The castle which dominates the skyline provides a dramatic backdrop to the quaint old…

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Mountain Biking – Over the Valencia Hills and Far Away

Today’s Mountain biking outing with my good friend David, of Mountain Biking Valencia.Starting in La Drova we set off at 10 am, via Barx and then a very steep climb up the Pinet Pass (ouch) then some high mountain riding and a very dramatic descent into the village of Pinet. Time for coffee and to discuss the rest of the route for the day. We set off again on an off-road track that leads down to the village of Llutxent,… some really nice riding,… sharp short accents followed by lovely sweeping descents, through pine forests, olive grooves and orchards. From Llutxent through to Castello de Rugat, we followed country lanes and bridal paths through the valley, to our next coffee stop, and route discussion. We decided to take the CV-705, mountain pass and avoid the steeper climb via Benicadell,… a good decision for the day, and we got to see the valley from a very different perspective. We lunched at the summit of the pass, with magnificent views back across the valley with our home mountains in the distance. Looking in the opposite direction was Beniares, and the next valley, and a descent that was just awesome!! A very rapid…

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Casa Rural Guests from Singapore

This weekend we were pleased to welcome Joseph Goh and his family, who had come all the way from Singapore to spend their holidays in Spain. They were a family of five, with Joseph and his wife, their two teenage children and a grown-up nephew. Joseph is a pilot with Singapore Airlines and enjoys taking his family to different parts of the world – and Spain was a new destination for them all. They arrived at Gandia Casa Rural by car which they had collected in Valencia, although they had flown in to Barcelona and then subsequently taken the train to Valencia. The Spanish rail network was in fact to be their principal means of transport around the country for the remainder of their trip, as they had purchased a rail pass that allowed them unlimited use of the railway for the duration of their visit Their plan was to explore our part of the Costa Blanca for a couple of days, and one of the main attractions for them was the fact that this part of the country remains genuinely unspoilt by foreign tourism and is still largely undiscovered except by the Spanish holidaymaker. After settling in during the…

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Mountain Biking in Spain, Walking and Winter Sunshine Holidays

Autumn Activity Holiday – Mountain Biking in Spain, Walking and Winter Sunshine Towards the end of October we received a reservation from Anne and Nigel who wanted to come to our part of the Costa Blanca in order to have an activity holiday in some welcome autumn sunshine. It was their intention to spend time getting to know some of the towns and villages in this part of Spain – which they had not visited before – and also to be out in the beautiful countryside both on foot and with mountain bikes. Since they were experienced mountain bike enthusiasts, they had already been in touch with Mountain Biking Valencia to arrange the rental of bikes for some of the days of their visit. They wanted to combine some guided excursions with some skills training, so by the time they arrived they had a fairly clear idea of what they wanted from their holiday. Dave and his wife Carolina joined Anne and Nigel here at Gandia Casa Rural for dinner on the night of their arrival in order to meet with him face to face and decide on the form the ride should take on their first full day of Mountain…

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Walking Holidays Spain (and a little property hunting too!)

Some time ago we received a reservation from David and Miranda for a three night stay here in November and so we were pleased to welcome them when they arrived this week, having stayed their first night in Valencia. They had originally booked their trip to us with the intention of considering the area for a possible house purchase, although now their emphasis had changed somewhat. Although still thinking about maybe purchasing a property in the future, they were now more interested in having a walking holiday in Spain. They had already realised what a beautiful part of the country this is and how many opportunities there are for walks and hiking along well marked routes in the area, so they decided to combine their interest in the outdoors with a little time spent viewing properties as well. After arriving early on Friday afternoon, they settled in to their room and soon set off on a short walk through the orange groves here to the rear of Villa Florencia. They walked up to the tree line of the hills behind us and came back tremendously impressed with the views stretching right across the valley. This part of the Costa Blanca…

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