Friends Reunited on Holiday!
No – nothing to do with the famous social network website, but a chance for three friends to have some time together at villa Florencia! We received an e-mail from Philip asking if we had availability for five nights over the Easter period for himself and his partner Dieter, and they would be joined on their second day by Richard, a friend of Philip’s since they were at school together. Interestingly, Philip (who is from Northern Ireland) and Dieter live together near Munich, whilst Richard (also originally from Northern Ireland) now lives and works in Barcelona.
Philip & Dieter had been spending a few days in Valencia City before coming down to Gandia, and Richard was following the next day by train. They intended to spend some time together catching up in the relaxing atmosphere of the mountains and orange groves, and of course doing a few day trips to acquaint themselves with our part of the country. Their plan worked out perfectly, and (despite the occasional shower) they soon sorted out daily excursions to local towns and villages, including the castle town of Xativa just a 40 minute drive inland from here. Also on their itinerary was a visit to the monastery at Simat as well as general scenic drives all around this part of the Costa Blanca. Although they had all explored various parts of the country in the past, this was the first time they had come to the La Safor region, and they were more than pleasantly surprised with what they found on our doorstep.
Part of their time was spent relaxing around the pool and in the gardens of course, but they also got to know Gandia town and were impressed with the vibrancy and the prosperous atmosphere of the place. Playa de Gandia also was a source of delight, with its stunningly beautiful, wide beach which is so well maintained – more than justifying its Blue Flag award. Backed by a wide choice of bars, cafés and restaurants they agreed it was one of the very best beaches they had ever encountered.
After their 5 night stay it was sadly time to depart, but they still had some time that they were spending together in Barcelona. They left in the early afternoon in time to drop off their hire car at Valencia airport, from where they were taking the metro into the city centre, and then the Renfe train from Valencia to Barcelona. A couple more days in Barcelona – where Richard lives permanently – and then it was finally time for Philip and Dieter to fly back to Munich. They had a great time staying with us, however, and Richard is already formulating plans for another visit to us in the near future – an easy train ride away!
