Gandia Spain - Villa Florencia Casa Rural Gandia

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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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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House-hunters Return!

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Bernard and Grace back again recently. They had also stayed with us,in our Bed and Breakfast in May of this year, during which time they found a house they wanted to purchase. This is with a view to moving to Spain on a permanent basis, not just as a holiday home, so it was a decision they had to be really sure of. This time they decided to rent our self-catering apartment for a week in order to combine some rest and recreation with practical matters concerning their impending purchase – not least of which was to have a good and leisurely look around the house and gardens to get a proper “feel” for it. Using the self-catering option was also going to give them the opportunity to get to know the local shops and supermarkets, so that when they made the big move, they would know some of the basics of where they liked to shop and would feel more at home straightaway. Much of their time was also spent in the gardens here at Villa Florencia relaxing and having a real holiday around the pool – which was even…

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Overnight B&B guest en-route to Granada

Just Passing Through! We received a reservation from Didier and Carole Jeanjean for a one night’s stay for themselves and their three children recently, so were pleased to welcome them when they arrived last Thursday. They had set off from their home in France at 5.00am, so arrived with us around lunchtime with the intention of relaxing for the rest of the day around the pool. They were on their way to spend two weeks in the south of the country near Marbella, but were going to go to Granada first in order to see the world-famous Alhambra so we were a convenient stop-off point on the Costa Blanca along the way. They were taking time off from their olive oil producing business near Nîmes for a family holiday and we were ideally placed for their overnight break. They had also decided to take advantage of our evening meal service in order to avoid having to find a restaurant in the town and to enable them to make the most of their rest time in the sunshine. They were delightful guests and it was great that they joined us for dinner, although they went to bed soon afterwards to make…

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Guests from Belgium, Holland and France

This past week were delighted to welcome a group of people involved in the Juanjo Trilles Challenge – a billiards challenge between the two top players in the world (Dick Jaspers and Frederic Caudron) to determine who really is the best player over a match of long duration – four days – thereby minimising any factor of luck that could be associated with shorter games. The tournament was being streamed live by the Kozoom organisation, and we provided accommodation not only for their production crew and executives, but also for some celebrities from the billiards world itself. Billiards is hugely popular in many countries of mainland Europe, and this was reflected in the guests who stayed at Villa Florencia Casa Rural. The Kozoom production team arrived on Monday, followed on Tuesday by the billiards celebrities Jean Claude Dupont (president of the UMB the world federation of billiards) and his wife, and then Raymond Ceulemans and his wife (who has won 35 world titles, 48 European titles and 61 national titles). Both these prominent figures come from Belgium, and they were joined later in the day by the Frenchman Bernard Boudoin, ranked third in Europe, with his wife. The tournament itself…

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A “Despedida de Soltera” group from Madrid

This past weekend was the next in the “Despedida” season, with a booking for eleven girls from Madrid who had reserved the house for the weekend. The bride was getting married in July, and they all planned to spend some time together for a leisurely weekend of relaxation and sunshine. They arrived in three cars on Friday night at about 10.30, having encountered heavy traffic after leaving Madrid. However, they soon settled in to their rooms and then set about preparing a meal and listening to music up on the terrace. They were delighted with the facilities of the villa, and were looking forward to seeing the surroundings of the gardens in daylight, but meanwhile were more than happy to talk most of the night away together. Saturday was a beautiful day, and they were happy to spend it in and around the pool, making a start on their summer tans and preparing for the evening ahead. Relaxation was the name of the game for Saturday, so the girls decided to order some home-delivery pizzas, in anticipation of visiting a restaurant for their main meal of the day in the evening, before then going on to Falkata disco. They set…

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First Despedida of the Season!

The weekend of May 4th, 5th & 6th saw the first of the “Despedidas de Soltera” of the season. A group of girls from Banyeres de Mariola – a small inland town in Alicante province – had booked the house for the weekend and were due to arrive on the Friday evening. At about 7.00pm the first of the girls arrived, shortly followed by the rest, making a very full house indeed! The schedule for the first evening was to have a meal together and settle in to their surroundings. They were delighted with the house and its facilities, and had a great time into the small hours of Saturday morning with a party upstairs on the dining terrace. Saturday morning was a fairly quiet time, with the girls gradually appearing around the pool and in the gardens up until lunchtime. They made lunch on the barbecue and enjoyed sitting out in the sunshine, although only a few were brave enough to venture in to the pool for a swim. The weather was good, but the water was still a little on the cool side! After lunch and a time of relaxation, they had organised a bicycle trip in conjunction…

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Springtime in Gandía

The middle of March always seems to mark the beginning of the new season and the onset of Spring, with the fiesta of Fallas and early guests in search of some warm sunshine on the Costa Blanca. This year was no exception, and we were pleased to welcome guests from England as well as from Spain. Mike and Maggie decided to see for themselves what the fiesta of Fallas in Gandía was all about, having been recommended by a friend that it was an event not to be missed. They also wanted to find some early warmth and sunshine, and they were not disappointed. The weather was almost consistently bright and clear, and was perfect for the combination of sightseeing, walking and relaxing that they had in mind. They spent six days with us, and always found plenty to see and do, even if a trip to Valencia city was not on their itinerary – they had already visited there in the past, and wanted to get to know the surrounding area this time instead. They found Gandía to be a delightful town, and the fiesta of Fallas was taking place there at the time of their visit too, so…

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Mountain Biking, Nature Trails and Valencia Football

On Monday we welcomed a guest from just about as far away as you can get – Australia. Nic was travelling on his own and doing a bit of a tour, visiting his father in the U.S. before embarking on a trip around Europe. He had visited his sister in Edinburgh before going on to see Amsterdam and then Berlin before making his way to Spain. However, he felt that he now wanted a break from busy city sight-seeing and was looking for a spell of getting back to the countryside and nature so decided to visit us here in Gandía. He thought we would be well placed for a tranquil, rural setting but within reasonable reach of Valencia city if he wanted to have a quick day trip. He arrived by train in Gandía, having flown in to Barcelona from Berlin earlier in the day. We were happy to collect him from the station, and he dined in with us on his first evening. When he arrived the previous evening, it was already dark, so the following morning he was very impressed with the surroundings of the villa and felt he had made the right decision in coming here…

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Villa Florencia Casa Rural Gandia B&B Spain 2012

The season that lies ahead in 2012 will be our sixth full year of operation, and we are looking forward to a year of welcoming back previous guests as well as meeting new ones for the first time. The New Year period has already been and gone and was a busy time for us, with a full house of guests, many of whom had come for the excellent rock-climbing to be found in the area. We hope to have more rock-climbers visit us in the future, as this is an activity – along with other outdoor and nature-related interests – that we are actively promoting. In the cooler months of the year the area is a haven for those looking for an outdoor holiday rather than one based around sunshine and beaches. Mountain biking, hiking, horse riding, bird watching and hill walking are just some of the other activities that can be enjoyed in the immediate area around the villa, or at most within a 20 minute drive. Diversification has to be a positive thing, especially in the uncertain economic times that seem to face everyone at present– in whatever European country you find yourself. In past seasons, we have directed…

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Christmas and New Year – Something for Everyone!

The Christmas and New Year period was a very busy time at the Gandia Casa Rural, with everyone making the most of the versatile accommodation and catering options available to our guests. Not only were all the B & B rooms occupied, but also the self-catering apartment as well, with the guests there sometimes looking after their own mealtime requirements, but sometimes also coming up to the main house to join their friends who were dining there. Gary and Andy from Liverpool were with us for their winter sunshine holidays, the whole time from Christmas Eve through until after the New Year, and dined with us every evening. They would often take day-trips to local places of interest as well as visiting Valencia city, which far exceeded their expectations. Shortly after Christmas we were also joined by a couple from Germany – Axel and Kerstin – who were visiting their daughter who was on a student exchange scheme and studying at the Gandía campus of Valencia University. Most of their time was spent with their daughter, although on several occasions they took advantage of our evening meal service too. The other guests in the property were a group of friends…

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Bed and Breakfast Holidays in Rural Spain

Last Wednesday we were pleased to welcome some unexpected guests – again from Canada – who were touring around Spain with a possible long-term view to settling here. They called on us to see if they could stay here as they wanted to stay in bed and breakfast accommodation as opposed to conventional hotels wherever possible. They had in mind also that the bed and breakfast industry might suit them if they were to settle here, and were eager to hear our experiences. Brian and Lonnie come from Alberta and were travelling around Spain in the opposite direction from our last Canadian guests – they had started in Seville and were ultimately destined for Barcelona – whereas Neil and Debra had started in Barcelona and were heading south and round to Portugal. Both couples wanted to stay away from big cities for most of their time in Spain, and therefore felt that bed and breakfast accommodation would suit them better, as well as allowing them to get a better feel for what everyday life is like for people living here already. Brian and Lonnie spent three nights with us and during the day would explore the area and seek out…

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