Tag: Driving Holidays in Spain

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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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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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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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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Costa Blanca Bed and Breakfast

Villa_Florencia_Bed_and_Breakfast

Leon and Gerrie were recent visitors from Holland who came to stay in our Bed and Breakfast, and they were looking for a good period of rest and relaxation. Gerrie is a journalist and Leon a cameraman and both spend a lot of time traveling in connection with news stories, so really were in need of some time off from the stresses of their daily lives. They had spent a few days in the city of Valencia before moving on to us, and their initial booking was for four nights bed and breakfast. However, they soon fell in love with the peace and relaxation they found here and so extended their stay for an extra four nights. Most days they would go on a trip to one of the beautiful beaches nearby, and in fact soon found that Oliva beach was very much to their liking. Quieter and less crowded than Playa de Gandía, Oliva beach has a lower level of development along its coastline and Leon and Gerrie found that it was within very easy reach of the villa, so it soon became a favourite of theirs. Then a typical day would see them return to us for lunch,…

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New Guests from a New Country

We have had guests visit us from many different countries – both from Europe and further afield – but we recently had the pleasure of welcoming guests from Sweden for the very first time. Peter and Eva Kjellborn had been touring around the southern part of the country for a couple of weeks, and wanted to visit us for a few days prior to returning to Sweden from the airport at Alicante. They felt that we were located in an ideal part of the Costa Blanca for their purpose – plenty of inland towns and villages to visit if they wanted, but close to the beautiful beaches of the region as well. They arrived in the afternoon and soon felt at home, opting to dine with us that evening as well. They felt it would be easier than leaving the relaxing surroundings of the pool and gardens on their first day, since they wanted to make the most of the sunshine before having to return to the dubious weather in Stockholm – their hometown. They loved the tranquil ambience of the villa and were more than happy to settle in to their time here with us. The following day they…

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Spanish Driving Holidays

Returning Guests from Belgium We were really pleased to welcome Frans and Marita again, who were visiting us for their third visit. Previously, they had travelled to us from Belgium on their motorbike, taking advantage of our motorbike friendly accommodation with the safe and secure parking that we have available. They then would spend a few days with us, touring around the area on their bike and exploring the beautiful inland scenery that this part of the Costa Blanca has to offer. This time, however, they arrived in a beautiful Mercedes cabriolet sports car – apparently their motor-biking days are over in the quest for greater comfort and style!! They had driven from Belgium, spending two nights on the way, and arrived with us in the middle of a beautiful, sunny afternoon. They wanted just to relax and unwind straight away and said they felt like they were coming to their second home! In no time at all they were relaxing in the pool and enjoying the first sunny weather they had seen for a long time. Belgium has, so they said, been having terrible weather this year, in common with most of the rest of northern Europe. They spent…

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Guests from the USA

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed two couples from the United States last week, especially so because they came to us on the recommendation of some friends of theirs who stayed with us last year in our bed and breakfast. Bob and Mary Lou were from Colorado Springs (where their friends who stayed with us last year were from also), but Hank and Maxine come from Missouri. They were on a driving holiday through France and Spain and stopped overnight with us on their way to Malaga. They had visited Barcelona before coming on to us and arrived in the late afternoon, ready for some relaxation in the gardens and around the pool. They soon settled in to their rooms and then enjoyed some drinks and tapas in the bar before joining us for dinner that evening. They had not visited Spain before, and had decided to drive down the Mediterranean coast, stopping off at Barcelona, then on to the Costa Blanca before heading down towards Andalucia. Their whole trip was to last just over three weeks – including their visit to France – and they were loving their time in Europe. They were following some of the…

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Overnight B&B Guests from Holland

On Sunday we were pleased to have Ton and Frank from Holland stay with us for the night on their way south to Almeria. They had set off on their journey by car from the Netherlands on the Saturday, staying at Narbonne in France along the way. In fact they phoned us from France to enquire if we had a vacancy for Sunday night, as they liked the idea of breaking their journey in our part of the northern Costa Blanca. This was to be a tour around the mainland of Spain for them, lasting about four weeks, in order to familiarise themselves with the country. They already have a property on the Canary Islands, although are thinking of relocating to the mainland, as well as retaining their other home in Holland also. They arrived during the afternoon, having made good time from France, and were pleased to be able to spend some time around the pool in the beautiful weather that we are enjoying now, before taking advantage of our evening meal service too. They decided that it would make things very much easier for them if they could simply relax after their long drive, without having to think…

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Family Holidays in Spain

Easter was a very busy time for us all at our casa rural in Gandía, with a completely full house over the Easter weekend itself. Visitors returned from last year, as well as many new ones visiting us for the first time. The weather had been forecast to be damp and cool, but in the end only a little rain fell over the holiday period, and mostly the weather was fine and warm – always good for our guests on their holidays! Tony, Trudy and their children Harvey, Monty and Queenie visited us for just over a week, and chose to stay in our self-catering apartment. Tony and Trudy had visited the area last year with a possible view to purchasing a holiday property and wanted to return this time with their children to give them the opportunity to see the region also. The self-catering apartment was the ideal option for them, and allowed them much more flexibility – they enjoyed the sense of independence and privacy that the apartment allows, but at the same time they joined us for most of their evening meals – and even for some breakfasts too! They wanted the advantages of the apartment, but…

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House-Hunters Spoilt for Choice!

The property market in Spain may have suffered a spectacular decline in the recent past, and it is true that this plays an enormous part in the present woes of the Spanish economy. However, a housing market which is suffering from an excess of supply over demand can only mean good news for any buyers who happen to come along. We were pleased to welcome a couple from Belgium recently who were on a serious house-hunting expedition, had done their homework thoroughly before leaving home and who arrived at our door with a full diary of appointments with local estate agents. They were looking for a property that would be large enough to accommodate their visiting children and grandchildren, which had a swimming pool and fairly large gardens (so that there was always something to do!), was within about half an hour from the beach, but yet would be easy to leave unoccupied for the times when they would be back in their own home in Belgium This was to be a property for holidays and winter time – some of their time would still be spent in Belgium, as this was not a full move, but rather an additional…

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