Welcome to Casa Blanca Rural

Our blog has moved!

2010-11-06T22:47:00.000+01:00

We have relaunched our Casa Blanca Rural website and now incorporate our blog within it - you can find it at www.casa-blanca-rural.eu/blog

Please feel free to leave a comment on there....

Our latest entry is as follows:

First of the oranges this year

On our walk between our local villages today temptation won.... and I had the first orange of the year - straight from the tree.

It's an experience that stays with you - yes really! Every November the local Valencia orange crop ripens enough to eat them straight from the tree, the warmth of the sun at this time of year finalises the process, up until now the fruit has been green and hard and certainly bitter.

But today, well the strong scent of orange is released into the air as soon as the fruit is picked and this scent multiplies as soon as the peel is broken - you have to be there to understand.

Mid walk, in mid twenty degrees of heat, with wall to wall blue skies and a glaring sun - it is November after all! There is NOTHING as refreshing as one of these oranges, beautifully sweet and as juicy as a drink.....

The rest of the walk was great too!

I've said it before and I'll say it again....

2008-12-21T12:34:00.002+01:00

We have had some fabulous guests stay with us at Casa Blanca Rural since we opened our doors as a guest house. Earlier this year we were pleased to welcome Lance and Heather, all the way from Australia taking a rest during their three-and-a-half month tour of Europe.

Heather put pen to paper and this is what she wrote about their stay....

Taste of Spain

Do you want a taste of Spain
With a flavour that is ‘real’?
Don’t just take Neil and Caroline’s word
Listen to this happy traveller’s spiel

All the way from Australia
We managed our way to Montichelvo
We’d only written down ‘Casa Blanca’
We had no idea where to go

A half-dressed and drowsy senora
From her siesta we woke
Not much good to us Aussies
Because Spanish was all she spoke

Next we found the mechanic
He put an end to our search
He walked us up the street
And indicated opposite the church

We were ready for a well-earned rest
And we’d chosen the right spot
We were welcomed like old friends
And hospitality was all that we got

Our experience of the village
Allowed me to feel the real Spain
To wander and be part of it
Was certainly to my gain

There’s the Tuesday square market
But don’t get the fruit boy started
Humouring the women of all ages
Bawdily but warm-hearted

Just outside their front door
Are the bar, church and playground
A wonderful meeting place
Where the young and old can be found
From all the church clocks around
The bells ring their beautiful chimes
There’s a delightful sense of confusion
They ring at four different times

There are plenty of places to wander
Through orchards of oranges, olives and pears
If you’re tempted by a ripe fresh fruit
You can savour what the bountiful bush bears

The area is awash with walks
It’s ‘here’ where you get a great deal
There’s no fear for losing your way
‘Cause you can always take along Neil

And what an idyllic performance
Of a goat herder and his flock
Had Neil arranged our meeting
And of our journey to block?

The shepherd’s words were enigmatic
But like some kind of barrr-code
The ladies in his care did stop
Immediately in the middle of the road

I imagine he asked their preference
And how they wanted their day spent
There was some utters and nodding
Then off down the road they went

If doing very little is required
Plonked on the patio more your style
Snooze with the rest of the town
And then go to the town pool for awhile

It’s the pool with the best panorama
Nothing between you and the hills
And when siesta time is over
With laughter and happiness it fills

There maybe a night of paella
On the spectacular roof to dine
With Caroline’s ‘special’ recipe
And plenty of sangria and wine

Even from 26,000 kilometers away
I’d love to go back again
As my poem will certainly attest
It was a highlight of our stay in Spain

Heather Lindsay
26/8/08

Thank you Heather, we sincerely hope that you two pass this way again sometime. There's always Paella and Sangria available!

House hunting in Spain? We know just the place to stay!

2008-11-05T09:34:00.002+01:00

Paul and Daisy from Holland have been staying with us while house hunting in the area. They were in the region earlier in the year and decided then that this was the part of Spain that they wanted to settle in.

We were able to offer advice based on our own experiences of finding and buying property here. We also recommended a Gestor (lawyer) to them as they were concerned about how to find someone reliable to act for them when they found a property to buy.

They found a lovely casita that ticked all the right boxes and have returned to Holland while the lawyer sorts out the, sometimes complicated, purchase process for them.

They wrote:

We would really like to thank you for your hospitality, your help, and your kindness. We are really glad we've met you and hope to stay in touch.

Thanks again for everything and hope to meet you in our new house, so we can take care of you like the way you did to us.

Muchas gracias para todos y hasta luego!

Paul and Daisy

We wish them the very best of luck and look forward to meeting up with them again in their new home!

A walking holiday in Spain

2008-10-02T11:04:00.003+02:00

Colin and Evan, two brothers from Suffolk and Norfolk have just stayed with us for a walking holiday. Unusually the weather was not too kind, but, as experienced walkers they were well prepared and spent their week exploring some of the many beautiful walks around here.

On their return to the UK they sent us the following write-up:

“Monticheivo is a small village in the mountains some 40 kms south of Valencia , we (Evan and Colin, two very mature walkers) were met by Caroline and Neil and driven to their home, a converted town house offering a home from home holiday with all the benefits of English speaking guides, they also offered a transfer service to and from the walks that begin and end high in the mountains, complete with detailed maps of the area and details of the walks in terms of distance approx time and interesting things to see while on route.

The area offers walks for all requirements from circular wanders through olive groves, acres of orange and peach trees of between 2 –20 kms all starting within 50 metres of the house on flat roads in the valley.

For a longer walk after a 30 min car ride we followed a well marked path from the small village of Lorcha climbing through the La Safor mountains to a height of 400 metres before descending to a disused railway track alongside the river Serpis which we followed for around 11 klms, the total length of the walk is 22 kms. For us this was a good walk offering views from the mountains and along the river an abundance of wild life, rabbits, birds and fish to watch as we ambled along passing through some tunnels made by English Victorian engineers who built the railway.

The second longish walk was very different, we set out to climb Benicadell - this mountain towers to a height of 1078mtrs. Again we started by being taken by car (around 20 mins), the walk is well marked and the smell of the pines, wild mint and rosemary seems to be everywhere on the mountain, only the last 60 metres is a bit of a scramble but the view from the top makes it all worth while, on a clear day it is possible to see the sea.

In conclusion the holiday offered wonderful walking, good food, and friendly hosts. The weather for us was unkind with 6 days of rain but we still enjoyed our stay and as a reward on the final day the sun came out to show us how much better the area is in the warm sun.”

Colin and Evan have spent many years walking together in many countries around the world and we are delighted that they have looked so favourably on our part of “Real Spain”. We look forward to their next visit.

House hunting in our part of "Real Spain"

2008-10-01T16:00:00.002+02:00

Last week we had Clare and John staying with us from Pembrokeshire. They were spending a couple of weeks in the Valencia region house hunting. We were delighted with the guest book entry they left.

Clare and John wrote -

We have enjoyed 4 memorable, if damp, days at the Casa Blanca Rural in Montichelvo. Our hosts, Neil and Caroline, couldn't have been more welcoming and helpful. Through emails, we explained that we were visiting the area with the intention of finding a simple retreat in rural Spain and, by the time we arrived, they had drawn up a list of trustworthy English speaking estate agents and even found a couple of local properties for us to consider.

Casa blanca Rural is beautiful – clean, comfortable, full of character and homely touches. Neil and Caroline went out of their way to help us in our search, keen to impart local knowledge. Having sold up and moved into a small Spanish community themselves, who better to ask for opinions and advice? Each morning we would chat about our plans for the day and each evening, discuss the results. They know the area, the people, the culture and the geography. They fit in here and have been accepted into village life – we would recommend anyone looking for property in Real Spain to spend a few days here – they have so much information that they are keen to share.

Although we did not see the village at it's best because of the weather, we could see from photos that the views are fantastic. The access to the coast via the CV60 is fast and easy. It is a perfect base to search – quiet and relaxed yet close to the amenities of towns where the estate agents are located.

We will be back to see Montichelvo in the sunshine. Thanks Neil and Caroline.

We have always been very fortunate with the guests that have stayed with us here at Casa Blanca Rural. It is always lovely to spend time with family and friends when they are able to visit and it is also lovely to meet new people such as Clare and John. Hopefully they will find their property in Real Spain and we look forward to seeing more of them in the future.

It's that time of year again......

2008-08-03T17:51:00.006+02:00

Moros y Cristianos
Or, in English, Moors and Christians is a specular celebration held in many different Spanish towns and villages. This festival acts out a part of Spanish history demonstrating the battles between the Arabs and the Christians that took place in the region centuries ago.

Soldiers march, sergeants wave to the crowds and horsemen show off their skills.

Just one example of subjects for a photography holiday in Spain.

We visited our neighbouring village of Benicolet last evening....

Thanks for looking, please feel free to leave a comment.

To the top!!!

2008-04-03T19:30:00.011+02:00

Today we climbed a mountain! Well, to be precise we walked up a mountain. Benicadell rises to over 3000ft and has a very sheer side that involves special climbing skills and a more gently sloping side that has become our top walk!

Keith, Alison and Sandra are visiting their home-from-home in Montichelvo this week and they love walking as much as we do. In fact it was Keith and Ali that first showed us a track up into the mountains of the Penyes Albas behind our village last year. So we decided to tackle Benicadell as a group, Caroline and I had made the summit before, in January, but it was to be a first for our friends.

We drove up to a refuge on the side of the mountain and started our walk from there. Moderate to hard going would be an honest description of the tracks that lead to the top but after an hour and a half of good healthy exercise we made it!

The scenery is truly breathtaking with 100 km views in all directions. We sat and ate our packed lunches at a comfortable spot just below the summit.

We were then treated to a fantastic display of ridge-soaring by two large eagles who came into view at a height lower than us, but soon swirled round and round in the gentle up-currents and moved away into the distance high above us – a very special moment and a great time to share with friends. (Click to photo for a larger view, although you may still not be able to make out the eagles – they are right in the centre, honest!)

When we got bored with the scenery (NOT!) we made our descent via a “Nevera” which is an igloo-like building built of stone for storing ice centuries ago.

Back in the car we called in at Beniatjar for a much deserved cold beer – a real “Ice Cold in Alex” moment, and the locals, not used to seeing strangers in their village, were entertaining to say the least…..

There is a wealth of information about Benicadell and the towns that surround it here http://www.valldalbaida.com/rutes/benicadell_en.php (this should show as a link that you can click on but,for some reason you will have to copy and paste the webaddress into your browser window to get to the website)

How quickly Spring heads towards Summer!

2008-03-29T13:58:00.004+01:00

To make the most of some quiet time between guests and the lovely weather we popped into Gandia and then spent a relaxing afternoon at a beach side restaurant and then onto the beach at Daimus which is about 20 minutes from Casa Blanca Rural. In Gandia the temperature was an impressive 29 degrees

and the wonderful scent from the roadside orange blossom was almost overpowering.

Daimus is a small town just south of Gandia. There are numerous bars and restaurants serving traditional tapas and main meal dishes, not quite as cheap as inland prices but very good value nonetheless. We enjoyed a couple of ice cold beers and tapas for two for the equivalent of about £10 at Tapas Rigo sitting outside at a table on the promenade watching the sea and the world passing by.

With a light breeze, sitting on the beach was a real pleasure. The beach is very clean, well maintained and has as much personal space as anyone could want. In fact when we left at about 4 o'clock ours were the only footprints to be seen.

A typical week on holiday at Casa Blanca Rural

2008-03-29T12:00:00.007+01:00

Vicki, Perry and their two daughters, Georgia and Maddi, exchanged snow and sub-zero temperatures in the UK for a week with us in Montichelvo. They were in need of some R&R and a break from the routines of their busy lives at home.

The weather treated them very kindly with temperatures between high teens and low twenties and wall-to-wall sunshine. They had hired a car from the airport (which we recommend) so had the freedom to explore independently and to experience the thrills of driving in Spain!

Once settled in they were able to take advantage of our local knowledge and accompanied us on our most popular walk which is up a valley in the mountains behind us and across to a Moorish ruined castle for a picnic.

The girls installed their Barbie and Ken dolls as King and Queen for the duration of our visit!

We also took them on a mountain 4x4 ride to show some of the amazing views around these parts.

Luckily their visit coincided with Las Fallas and other festivities so we all went into Gandia, which is our local main town, to experience fireworks like you wouldn’t believe and burnings of the monuments late into the night.

Local cuisine was sampled at the Moli Canyar (a large converted mill) that serves a splendid all-you-can-eat menu del dia. They also had our in house barbeque and on another night our “Paella de la casa”.

A couple of different days were spent at the beach which Georgia and Maddi loved and became very relaxed too……..

We also took them on our most popular excursion which is a trip by 4x4 along an old disused railway line that winds its way along the route of the river Serpis. Beautiful scenery in every direction – we never tire of it. And before returning to the house we stopped for a very leisurely tapas lunch sitting in the sunshine outside a bar in a village mostly in the middle of nowhere – a world away from day to day life back home. And just to show that we really enjoy what we do - this is me being a very happy host...

Apart from the trips out there were shopping trips, visits to the local bar (25 yards away in our church square) meeting the friendly locals, practicing long forgotten Spanish. Amazing how jokes can be enjoyed between people who barely understand what the other is saying!

All too soon the week came to an end and our guests traded the warm sunshine for snow and sub-zero temperatures once more. So, were they relaxed and refreshed? – Yep, no doubt!

It's Fiesta time!

2008-03-23T16:38:00.009+01:00

Our guests over the last couple of weeks have been able to enjoy some of what Spain does best!

Last week was Las Fallas and because Easter is early this year, that led immediately into Santa Semana.

Las Fallas lasts for 5 days and always ends on March 19th. The last night is when the fantastic detailed monuments, that have taken the last year to build, are burned where they stand in the streets. We watched the proceedings in Gandia where 20 odd of these monuments had been on display. The intricate detail is quite amazing to see. The monuments are cartoon like, the characters depicted with subtle humour and slightly risque poses!

A couple of photos give an indication here but there will be far more appearing shortly on our Casa Blanca Rural website.

On each of the Fallas days at 2pm a "mascleta" took place in the centre of Gandia. These are incredible firework displays that literally shake the town centre with violent explosions. An amazing spectacle!

On Good Friday was the silent procession in Gandia, a long procession of hooded participants slow marching to heavy drum beats and subdued music from brass bands.

Bare footed volunteers shrouded in black gowns and hoods carry heavy wooden crosses on their shoulders, the only sounds that accompany this group are the chains dragging behind them that are shackled to their ankles, a pretty haunting sight to see.

Back in the sleepy village of Montichelvo on Easter Saturday night was a midnight service at the church opposite our house this was accompanied by loud explosive fireworks during and after the service. Last year it caught us by surprise and we thought the house was collapsing - but this year we were ready for it!

Busy, busy, busy!

2008-01-08T20:45:00.000+01:00

We have been preparing for the start of this new year by stepping up a gear with our advertising.

So - our NEW website has gone live!

Enquiries are filtering in so if any of you are planning a visit (and we hope you are!) then please book asap to get the dates you would like. Just for information there are big fiesta/parades going on locally at Easter and its our own village fiesta in early May - not to be missed, but don't expect too much sleep!

We have also started a Walking Holidays operation which is an extension of our existing website -

Please have a wander around it :-)

On a completely different subject The White Cat Company www.thewhitecatcompany.com who are credited at the bottom of our website has also had a website revamp. If you want a website putting together or an old one re-worked then why not drop them an email?

Sunset at Montichelvo

2008-01-08T20:38:00.000+01:00

Just thought we would share this photo taken from our roof terrace yesterday evening...

Not bad eh?

Waterfall Walk

2007-12-27T18:30:00.000+01:00

Part way along our valley walk is a beautiful diversion that doubles back along the course of the stream.

Running well at this time of year, it flows between crystal clear rock pools and waterfalls as it makes its way towards the font, where visitors can fill their water bottles with fresh, chilled mountain water.

The footpath is signposted with the familiar green and white painted flashes that confirm that you are still on the Ruta d’Agua trail.

The path is tricky, having to cross and re-cross the water using whatever stepping stones that can be found, and care needs to be taken to avoid a soaking! Except for those who want a dip in the very cold and refreshing pools…..

You can always rely on Antony! :-)

What - No Sunshine?

2007-12-27T18:16:00.000+01:00

Mark, Steph, James and Sam joined by Antony paid us a return visit for the Christmas period. Now, we do say that this area is blessed with over 300 days a year of sunshine, sadly this period, with the exception of Christmas Day, formed part of the other 60 days!

However the weather was not to spoil things and proved no obstacle to the superb walks that we have been telling everyone about. We all walked up the mountains behind our village (all except Antony who used the opportunity to train, prior to his joining the Royal Marines, by RUNNING all the way up the mountain!).

Even though the top of the mountains were in the clouds the views were still worth the effort and spirits were not dampened as we continued to the next village of Terrateig and back via the cami roads (lanes) to Montichelvo.

A special treat at this time of year is to eat freshly picked oranges along the way – NOTHING tastes quite as refreshing I can assure you.

Click on any photo for a larger version.

Christmas Day at Casa Blanca Rural

2007-12-27T18:06:00.000+01:00

Click on any photo to see a larger version

Mark had a desire to take a swim in the sea on Christmas Day and luckily for him the weather broke and we were all treated to a glorious sunny day.

Gandia Grau was to be the venue for the swim and Mark was joined by James and Antony to brave the waves.

Those with more common sense looked on and took photos….

The water was, by all accounts, remarkably warm and after quite some time we adjourned to a local bar and sat in the warm sunshine to enjoy a cool beer or nice hot coffee as required!

A valley walk

2007-11-19T12:22:00.000+01:00

Bit of a walking theme this month! Yesterday we explored a new path to us, one that follows the path of a stream (barranca) up a valley between two of the mountains behind us. It is a signposted walk along the “ruta d’agua” (route of the water) so is not too difficult to follow.

We decided to walk about an hour outwards and then back giving us about two hours in total. This is a really pretty walk as it goes deep in the valley amongst the pine trees. The barranca has to be crossed at several points using conveniently placed stepping stones. Occasionally the path climbs steeply away from the water in order to get past a waterfall or two.

Where the path climbs up away from the bottom the going is quite strenuous, picking a way along rocky steps.

Part of the walk goes onto and along the centuries old terracing which provide flat growing areas for olive trees.

With the sun being low at this time of year there was a strong contrast between the shadows in the valley against the strong light on the mountains.

Our camera-phone struggled to cope with this so the photos don’t do justice to this beautiful area – but hopefully you’ll get some idea of just how natural and unspoilt it is around here.

At the one hour point we had reached a crossing of paths just past an old ruin, which we will explore next time, so we came back down the same way. But, the great thing about walks like this is that the views are so different on the way back that you get two walks in one!

A walker's paradise!

2007-11-15T18:46:00.001+01:00

The weather is wonderful at the moment - 20ish degrees, brilliant blue skies, lush green vegetation – November is a great month for mountain walking! At hotter, more intense, times of the year walking would be more limited to mornings and afternoons but avoiding the midday heat. But, now, we can walk anytime or even all day as the temperatures are really comfortable.

Don't forget - click on any image to get it's full size view.

We have just been for a walk to the top of the mountains behind us – the Peñes Albas. It takes just a few minutes to walk from our house to the foothills that start the climb.

The entire walk is on tarmac then unmade stony tracks and it’s a fairly steady climb to the top zigzagging along the track, each turn providing ever more spectacular views.

At the top of this walk is a walker’s refuge, which is a lovely place to picnic and rest.

Time taken to get to this point at about 1000 feet above Montichelvo is an hour and a half (at a leisurely pace).

From here the choices are to go back (an hour and 10 minutes mostly downhill) or to carry on to the neighbouring village of Terrateig with more stunning views on the descent into the village. From Terrateig there is a nice walk back to Montichelvo using country lanes (Caminos). The complete circuit takes about 3 hours

History on our doorstep...

2007-11-07T17:41:00.001+01:00

We’ve been doing a lot of walking lately, exploring the mountains behind us and discovering stunning scenery - and a ruined castle.

“Our” local castle can be seen in the distance from our roof-terrace, on the peak of a mountain by Ayelo de Rugat which is the neighbouring village to Montichelvo.

The castle dates back to Muslim origins sometime before the 11th Century and is apparently best know for being the place where King Jaime 1 (otherwise know as The Conquistador) was nearly killed, along with several of his horsemen, when they were ambushed by the rebel, Al-Azraq, who had invited the Aragonese king to a pretend wedding. – Exciting times!

In 1339 parts of the castle were dismantled and from about 1500 it was left to decay.

Today, there are still parts of exterior walls and battlements, interior walls window openings and an almost intact hallway of some kind.

Click on any of the photos for a full-size picture

A fascinating place to sit and ponder and with the castle being some 490 mtrs above sea-level the views are stunning.

The castle is reached by way of a signed trail that leads out from the back of Ayelo de Rugat, crossing streams via stepping stones and rising steeply towards the summit which is visible for most of the walk.

Good shoes or walking boots are a must as the going is tough in places but the result is well worth the effort! There and back is under 3 hours so it can be walked either side of the hottest part of the day.

Kiko Beach

2007-09-11T13:22:00.000+02:00

Our favourite beach! 25 minutes drive from us towards the town of Oliva is a lovely, natural, fine white sand beach.

The whole of the coastline here, along the Costa Blanca and Costa del Azahar (the orange blossom coast), has numerous beautiful beaches - some stoney, some sandy, some busy and some quiet. Visitors are literally spoilt for choice!

Kiko beach is approached through miles of orange groves (or, at least, the bit we go to is). Parking is easy – just pull in at the roadside where the road peters out just before the beach itself, then a short walk through the dunes and you can take your pick where to settle down – there are acres of space!

Later during the afternoons kite surfers arrive to enjoy their sport, which is quite exciting to watch…..

The sea is comfortably warm, and shallow for a long way out, making this a very safe area for swimming.

Within a few minutes stroll there is a great beach bar where you can relax to background chill-out music whilst enjoying an ice-cold San Miguel...or two :-)

Out and About

2007-09-11T11:55:00.000+02:00

We had a week to ourselves last week ‘in-between guests’ so took the opportunity to explore some of our local walks.

The countryside that can be seen behind our house from our roof terraces contains numerous signposted walks. This gives us the advantage of not having to drive anywhere to get to a walk!

The particular route that we chose is a variety of stoney paths and tracks and took about an hour or so to complete at a leisurely pace. From our house we headed out towards the foot of the mountains and along to our neighbouring village of Ayelo de Rugat then via a circular route back to Montichelvo.

This route is mostly through cultivated areas with an abundance of fruit trees, vines and olives etc. Hopefully the photographs show this well.

Indoor Pilota!

2007-09-11T11:04:00.000+02:00

A change from the version that is played in the street we visited a Trinquete (a purpose built indoor court) in nearby Bellreguard to watch a match this week.

Being purpose-built the spectators seating areas are raised giving a much better view (and understanding) of the game. We sat in the gallery at what we understand is the ‘safest’ end to watch from! The accompanying photos show the good view that we had.

The player’s hands are fascinating in the way that they have to be prepared for the game. They are used as the racquets themselves to hit the fast moving hard leather covered ball from one end of the court to the other. The player’s hands take about an hour to make up with ‘armour’ consisting of leather thimbles and pads together with metal plates to protect vulnerable joints, all bound with padded plaster to keep everything in place.

Our Spanish neighbour who went with us to the match introduced us to a friend of his who manufactures the hard leather thimble-like pieces that form part of the players hand armour. Each ‘thimble’ takes about 15 minutes to make and the thick hide has to be soaked in water in order to be moulded and stitched into shape.

These matches are played regularly and are a recommended visit for our guests that enjoy sport and want to see something different as this sport is only played in a big way in the Valencia Region.

Moors and Christians at El Verger

2007-08-18T17:06:00.000+02:00

“Moors and Christians” commemorate some of Spain’s most turbulent times between the 8th and 15th centuries with processions that take place at various times of the year and at many locations across the country. Some are small village processions like the one in Benicolet that we reported on recently and some are grand affairs in larger towns like the one we saw this week in El Verger, near Denia which is about 40 minutes away from us.

So we were treated to numerous marching village bands in-between groups of warriors representing the Moors and an equal number representing the Christians, all wearing recreations of their fierce battledress. I have to say that if some of these scary looking characters were running towards me in anger, (and that includes some of the women!) I, for one, would be running even faster in the opposite direction!!

The procession at El Verger is especially well known because it has a safari park nearby and some of their animals join in the spectacle.

Again the photos give just a taster…..

Picnic at Anna Gorge

2007-08-18T16:32:00.000+02:00

We had the opportunity to explore somewhere new to us last week when we accompanied some friends to Anna Gorge near Xativa which is about 30 minutes drive from us.

Anna Gorge is a natural feature and has to be accessed via a long set of stone steps, but the climb down is rewarded by spectacular scenery, very refreshing ice cold water, a 50-60ft waterfall and the odd tunnel to clamber through.

Other than the stone step access this is not a man-made attraction and its location seems to be less well known than in tourist areas, making this a very pleasant picnic spot far away from the madding crowd…… except for a few locals that is!

"Our" Swimming Pool.....

2007-08-12T16:15:00.000+02:00

.....is actually the Montichelvo village swimming pool. Open between June and September it is beautifully kept and provides a very refreshing location during our hottest months. It's less than 2 minutes walk away from Casa Blanca Rural and is rarely crowded.

Our guests just love it!

Mountain Biking

2007-08-10T17:41:00.000+02:00

A regular activity at Casa Blanca Rural is an evening mountain bike ride. Bikes are available to hire locally at very reasonable charges and are delivered to, and collected from guests when no longer required (Link to bike hire company on our website).

The evening rides are usually guided and vary in length according to guest requirements, the most popular takes in a couple of neighbouring villages and varying degrees of tracks between them. The ride lasts between one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours, again depending on guest requirements and numbers of stops etc.

Mountain biking is a great way to see the area, the going is mainly on tarmac and dirt tracks so is not too difficult. Although if difficulty is required it can soon be found!!

Oh – and apart from the bike hire charges there are NO additional costs to the guided rides, we can’t say fairer than that can we?.......

Another visit to the old railway track

2007-08-07T16:53:00.000+02:00

Mark, Steph, James and Sam were keen to explore the old track following the glowing reports they had heard. So we took them down to it earlier today in our 4x4. More pictures best describe this beautiful place.....

No matter how often we take guests on this excursion we never get bored with it. We always see something new, this time we watched an enormous catfish playing half in and half out of the water, we ate fresh figs straight from a tree and clambered across a spectacular weir.

Steph summed it all up...... "FANTASTIC!"

More Paella!

2007-08-07T16:40:00.000+02:00

We don't only eat paella! But we had one of our in-house versions the other evening with Mark, Steph and family up on the top roof terrace.

Everyone enjoyed the mixed seafood and meat paella together with home made Sangria a good time was had by all.......

Moors and Christians

2007-08-05T17:42:00.000+02:00

We attended the Moors and Christians processions in the neighbouring village of Benicolet this week. We have Mark and Steph, together with their sons James and Sam from Norfolk staying with us and thought it would be a good opportunity to see some of the local celebrations.

The amazing thing about this part of Spain, which we constantly refer to as “Real Spain” is that these village events and many others like them are not set up for tourists to see – these are just what go on as part of remembering the past and tradition, this is real life in real Spain – you have to experience it to feel the “el ambiente”, the atmosphere, for yourself. In the meantime some photos should give a taster…..

Bull Run

2007-08-05T17:21:00.001+02:00

One of the Spanish traditional events is to run bulls through village streets with willing human participants running in front (as fast as possible!) to give the bulls something to chase….

We sat safely on the sidelines to watch the madness take place! :-)

Where's ERNIE?????

2007-07-30T18:22:00.000+02:00

It may just have been the Rioja but doesn't one of our guests look incredibly like the other half of a sadly-missed great british double act?

Viva Espana!!

2007-07-30T18:00:00.000+02:00

Six of us had a treat on Sunday and lunched at a famous local restaurant - Viva Espana.

An especially ordered vegetarian paella was served following amazing vegetarian tapas and gazpacho. The house wine was an excellent Rioja and was enjoyed by all.

Following the meal we were treated to traditional flamenco and gypsy dancing - the photos follow......

A licence to fly microlights

2007-07-30T17:52:00.000+02:00

Another of our guests, Paul from Kent, stayed with us last week while he trained for and passed his qualifications to fly microlight aircraft.

He is building a machine at home in the UK and had become a bit fed up with the unreliable weather which was making life very difficult training to be a pilot. Often lessons would be booked but most of the day would be spent sitting around waiting for suitable weather.

Not so here in Montichelvo!

Paul was with us for just over a week and was rewarded with perfect flying conditions EVERY DAY! Together with stunning scenery (especially from the air) he had a great time and went home with the required licence - WELL DONE PAUL!

The flying school where Paul trained is about 4kms away from us and is English run. Link is on our website

Pilota

2007-07-30T17:12:00.000+02:00

Well, its been a busy week!

Some guests accompanied us to a game of street Pilota in Genoves, which is about 20 minutes from Montichelvo. Pilota is an ancient game, a little like tennis (apparently tennis was developed from it). There are, however, three players per side and each player has their hands meticulously prepared as they are used as "rackets". Each hand is fitted with strong leather thimbles, metal supporting plates and bandage for padding, and then bound with tape to keep them all together!

There is no net as the object is to get the ball to the opposite end of the court (hopefully avoiding balconies, drainpipes and spectators etc). The ball is just larger than a squash ball and has a hard core and smooth leather shell. It hurts to get in the way of it as spectators often do! Spectators crowd at each end of the "court" which is a green painted village street, whilst others line the edge of the court, which does seem an extremely dangerous place to be!

Again....photos give an insight to the event.

And some excitement for me was that Spanish TV carried an interview with yours truly about why I liked the sport....all in Spanish too!

Village Paella!!!

2007-07-28T12:42:00.000+02:00

Last evening saw the annual Montichelvo village paella. The massive paella, accompanied by water and sangria served approximately 400 villagers and guests!

The event was ticket only and cost each individual 3euros 50cents, approximately £2.30, so you can't say fairer than that!

The meal was served at around 10pm, outdoors of course with the benefit of reliable dry and warm weather, and the event concluded with dancing to live music. I can safely say that a good time was had by all!

A visit to the Borja's Palace

2007-07-28T12:21:00.000+02:00

This week, a visit by some of our guests took place to the family home of the infamous Borja family. The Palace is in Gandia which is about 20 minutes away from our house in Montichelvo.

The guided tour of the Palace is all in Spanish, but, the young lady giving the tour was keen to practice her English so translated throughout. It seems that nothing is too much trouble in these parts!

The Palace is an amazing building having been restored during the last century or so and has maintained many of it's fascinating original features. Rather than bore you with a history lesson these pictures will provide a brief insight......

A private chapel built in the style of a burial casket!

Exploring an old railway track

2007-07-25T17:17:00.000+02:00

Cheryl and Paul, together with their daughters Holly and Dayle, from the UK are staying with us this week and whilst enjoying a vegetarian paella on our roof terrace last night decided to venture out on our popular excursion to explore an old disused railway track.

So with cold drinks on board we set off this morning to show them this amazing place. The railway was constructed by British engineers in Victorian times and was dismantled in the 1960s. The track follows the winding River Serpis from Villalonga to Llorcha, a distance of about 15kms. The scenery along its route is STUNNING!

We carefully picked our way along the track in our 4x4 wondering at the views in every direction. At several points we stopped to look more closely at the surroundings and took a break to cool off at the river's edge.

At one point the track is interrupted by the absence of a bridge to cross the river so we had to negotiate a rough track down to the river to cross it by a derelict hydro-electric station, before climbing the other side to rejoin the route of the track. Crossing old arched bridges and travelling through tunnels along the way.

At the end of the track we were rewarded with the incredible view of a ruined castle precariously perched high on a hill at LLorcha.

Then it was, via a scenic mountain road and lunch in Castello de Rugat, back to our house in Montichelvo to relax and swim in the community swimming pool before attending an open air band concert in the evening. "Real Spain" is an amazing place!

Wish you were here.......part 1

2007-07-25T12:11:00.000+02:00

Welcome to Casa Blanca Rural - Bed & breakfast in REAL SPAIN!

On here we will bring you details of day to day life in very Spanish village inland from the coast of the Costas Blanca and Del Azahar.

Weather is fantastic, food is great, scenery is amazing......wish you were here!