Bed and Breakfast Gandia - Page 7 of 12 - Villa Florencia Casa Rural Gandia

Mountain Biking in Spain

Now that the heat of summer has passed and daytime temperatures are very much more suitable for outdoor activities, I decided to take my partner Nigel out on a mountain biking expedition, along with my mountain biking coach Dave Warrington we set off on a day’s excursion into the beautiful mountains and countryside around us. We transported the bikes in the back of Dave’s minibus to Pla de Corrals, which was to be our starting point for the day’s outing. And a beautiful day it was too! The sun was shining and the weather was just perfect for the trip, so we were able to fully enjoy the wonderful scenery in this part of the La Safor region. Starting in the morning and up in the mountains it was still chilly to begin with but once we were on the trail, the warmth of the sunshine came through and made for a great day out. We biked along trails, roads and pathways through the villages of Barxeta and Genoves before reaching the beautiful inland town of Xativa where it was time for a well-earned refreshment break and a look around the old town. Xativa is a warren of narrow streets…

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Anniversary Long Weekend

Anniversary Long Weekend We were delighted to receive a booking from Geoff and Joan who wanted to come and stay with us for a long weekend in order to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. They have owned property for about 15 years here in Spain – further down the coast at the southern end of the Costa Blanca – and have lived permanently here for the last four years. They have already explored many parts of the country, but had not yet visited Valencia city or this section of the Costa Blanca, and were looking for a peaceful venue for a few nights, but within easy reach of Valencia and the rest of this part of the coast. They soon settled in and for the first afternoon enjoyed the beautiful weather in the gardens, before later on joining us for our evening meal service. They were staying for a total of four nights, so were keen to get any advice we could offer regarding scenic drives, local places of interest, and of course the easiest way to visit Valencia city itself. They spent the next day touring the area, spending time in Gandia town and the beach area, before returning…

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Trek Mamba 29er Sport Hardtail

29er Sport Hardtail Trek Mamba 29er Sport Hardtail,..I have been mountain biking for the past 9 months, and all this time, I have done all my riding on a rental bike from MTB VLC, a Trek 4300 disc. With an upcoming birthday, I decided that it was time to invest in my own bike.Having done my necessary research, I set off on Monday with my MTB coach, into the Trek Bicycle store in Gandia, with every intention of purchasing a new 4300,…Yes, I could have one, yes, they had my colour, yes, they had my size, but delivery was 2 weeks,….not in time for my birthday!Then I spotted her,…the new Trek Mamba 29er, in glistening orange and black,…(I had briefly looked at this bike while doing my research but thought that it was a little out of my league both in terms of budget, and spec of the bike, and had thought it better to stick with what I knew.)After a brief discussion with my coach (“yes, you can handle the bike”) and salesman (“yes, I can do you a discount, Yes, you can have it today”), the decision was made,… Yes I want one! I returned one hour later,…

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Pet Friendly Accommodation

We received a booking request for one night from John and Jacqui, who asked if we could accommodate them, along with their Cockapoo named Monti. We always say that we welcome owners as well as their pets, so of course replied that the three of them would be very welcome. They were in fact travelling down to their holiday home in Andalusia, having driven down through France visiting friends along the way. This part of the Costa Blanca is a very convenient point to stop along the way down to the south of the country, and the Bed and Breakfast accommodation that we offer is a very convenient option. Added to that is the fact that guests can choose to take advantage of our evening meal service, so there is no need to look for a restaurant in unfamiliar surroundings after a long drive during the day. The pet-friendly accommodation that we offer only served as an additional inducement for John and Jacqui to stay with us – it was the perfect solution for them. Monti was a beautiful and friendly 8 month old cross poodle and cocker spaniel (hence Copckapoo), who was a real delight and who soon became…

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Self-Catering Villa Rental

Some time ago we received a reservation from a lady wishing to book the entire property for a group of 14 family and friends for a week as part of a 50th birthday celebration. When they arrived last week, it turned out that the group consisted of two sets of parents, two grandmothers and eight younger members – i.e. the sons/daughters and respective partners. The accommodation here is ideal for that kind of mixed group who want to enjoy a self-catering holiday on the Costa Blanca, as the two older ladies and one set of parents occupied the self-contained apartment on the lower level of the house, the other set of parents were in the room above that apartment, and the younger members were in the remaining bedrooms in the rest of the house. Each room has its own private bathroom, so everybody had ample space for themselves but could mix and socialise together in the spacious public rooms, sun terraces and around the pool. They soon settled in to the accommodation, acquainted themselves with the kitchen facilities and then went on a shopping expedition to the local supermarket for supplies! The rest of their arrival day was spent relaxing…

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Biking 100.1

Biking in Valencia Last week, along with my good friend Dave, we decided to go mountain biking in Valencia.We parked the van in the town of Xeraco, just north of Gandia. After an obligatory coffee, we set off at 10:30, along a quiet country road that took us through orange groves and up the coast to the town of Cullera. From there we followed 7km of road riding to the town of Sueca from where we entered the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. This section of the ride was particularly pleasant as we rode through the rice fields along surfaced but very quiet country lanes. By 12:30 we had reached the famous “Paella village” of El Palmar for another coffee break and to replenish our water supplies, before taking another quiet road out towards the coast, passing the lake of Albufera along the way. From here took another trail, this time right alongside the beach. This great little trail took us up the Mediterranean coast and right into the city of Valencia where we biked through the Turia gardens to the stunning architecture of the City of Arts & Sciences, just in time for lunch! Our original plan was…

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Guests from Switzerland

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…

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Guests from Poland

A few weeks ago we received a booking from Tomasz and Tadeusz, who were looking to spend nine days with us here in search of some reliable sunshine and warmth and an escape from what has not been a very reliable summer in Poland. They were to be our first guests from Poland, so of course we were delighted that we could accommodate them for the time they wanted. Their arrival was delayed by a few hours due to problems with their flight from Krakow, so they only reached us in the small hours of the morning, but they were very glad to find us with no problems even in the dark. It was a lovely surprise for them, therefore, when they woke up the next morning to find themselves in such beautiful surroundings with the La Safor mountains almost in the front garden and the swimming pool beckoning to be tried out! Having had such a late arrival they were very glad to be able simply to relax and take it easy for the first day and to get used to their new surroundings, so after a leisurely breakfast, that is exactly what they did. They soon felt very…

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Motorcycle Friendly Accommodation

French Motor Bikers on the Costa Blanca! We received a reservation some time back from a group of 8 French motor bikers, who were keen to stay with us because of our convenient location for an overnight stop between Almeria and Sitges (their next port of call), as well as because of the fact that we offer free and secure parking for their bikes. They said they were a group of friends from the Lyons area who often holiday together on motorbike touring trips, visiting many parts of Europe and even further afield as well. We tend not to accept bookings of only one night in August at the height of the season, but we also appreciate that it is not always easy to find motorbike friendly accommodation, so under the circumstances we were happy to accept their reservation. They arrived around 5.00pm and soon settled themselves happily around the pool, to enjoy some relaxation time in the gardens before joining us for dinner. Unfortunately two of their group had had to return to France with their motorbike due to mechanical problems, so were transported back home already, so the group size was reduced to six people, but nevertheless a…

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More Italian Guests – Bellissimo!

We received an unexpected phone call earlier this week from Mariolina and her husband Antonio, who were on their way northwards from Andalucía. In fact, they were already in the Alicante area, and wanted to know if we could accommodate them for a night or two as they passed through the Costa Blanca. They were having a driving holiday in Spain, and had spent the last four weeks touring the country before heading towards Barcelona and the ferry back to Italy. As it happened, we had a vacancy so were happy to await their arrival later that evening. They made good time from Alicante and soon arrived with us and settled in to their room. They loved the house and gardens, and were so glad that we had room for them at such late notice, having read reviews about us on Trip Advisor. Having already eaten on the way, they did not want to take advantage of our evening meal service, but were happy to enjoy a drink in the garden with us. They ended up staying for three nights, and took the opportunity to explore the area a little, see the wonderful blue-flag awarded beaches in Playa de Gandia,…

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Pet Friendly Accommodation

We were pleased to welcome an Italian family who came to stay with us for a few days last week, Christian and Paola with their daughter Elena and their two beautifully behaved black setters – Maggie and Martha. They soon settled in, and Maggie and Marta became part of the menagerie here at Villa Florencia! It was the first time they had visited us, and they were doing a trip all around Spain but decided to make us their base for their time on the Costa Blanca. Maggie and Marta felt at home very quickly indeed, and when the weather was too hot for them in the garden they had no hesitation in taking themselves up to their room and staying there in the cool! Most of the time, however, they preferred to keep close to their owners and accompanied them on trips to Gandia and local village restaurants, as well as on a whole day excursion which took in the Albufera wetlands, a paella lunch at El Palmar, as well as a boat trip on the lagoon and a quick visit to the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia City! Well-travelled dogs indeed and perfectly behaved all the…

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Guided Mountain Biking

We were really pleased to welcome the Cameron-Jones family when they stayed with us recently, as they were not only spending part of their family holiday in Spain with us here on the Costa Blanca, but also celebrating the 18th birthday of one of their sons, Max. They had booked four nights with us, and planned to spend one of their days on a guided mountain bike tour of the area as well. Tim and Samantha wanted to have a mix of rest and relaxation along with seeing some of the countryside in this beautiful region of Spain, so decided to spend part of each day relaxing around the pool as well as exploring some of the towns and beaches within easy reach of the villa. On the day of Max’s birthday, Tim and Max, along with his brother Alistair, went for a morning’s mountain-biking with Dave Warrington and had a great time taking in the fabulous scenery and discovering unspoilt mountain villages and hamlets, before returning to the villa for a very welcome lunch. After a well-earned rest in the gardens they set off again, this time with Samantha as well, and took in the whole of the valley…

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