501 Places

This week’s guest post is written by Juan Otero Rionda. I spent several days with Juan on my recent blog trip to Valencia, and during that time he described how he owns and manages a couple of rural guest houses in the beautiful countryside of Asturias in northern Spain. His passion for his home region and the restoration work he has done to restore his houses to their full glory shone through whenever we chatted. So I asked Juan to share his story on 501 Places:

The village of Antrialgo

More than fifteen years ago my family had a cottage in a sunny village called Antrialgo in the Council of Piloña, Asturias. This cottage used to be rented from time to time but it was not prepared to receive many people. We have always liked the countryside, and thinking about restoring a typical Asturian house with its wood and stones was an important challenge which would make us work in a different way.

The house during construction

We thought about making the two houses into one to avoid a very uneven piece of land and we aimed to build a typical Asturian rural house, while considering the design of a hotel. A long time ago rural tourism meant that your parents sent you to your family village during the summer, but now setting up a business in the countryside is part of an important economy run by entrepreneurs who do not necessarily live in a rural environment.

The house is finished and ready for guests

When we started to restore the house all the family worked on it, and even during the weekend we worked hard to be able to have it opened for the summer. When building a house for renting it is important to take into account that August is the peak season and it must be ready to welcome customers at this time.

Even harder than building the property was finding the name of a website in order to be visible on the internet which, although slowly at first, was starting to be used by many holidaymakers. The name we chose was that of the area where the house is settled; Campón de Antrialgo (www.campondeantrialgo.es). At that time many hotels did not have their own website and their email addresses were hosted on hotmail, which made them look bad in front of the customer.

Inside the house

We worked hard to create a quality brand although we realized that intangible things were not the key for customers to come to us. Our main worry was to be able to pay the loan we had asked for in order to mend the house, and to gauge our business to make sure we could get full occupancy during the busy days.

Inside the house

We met a lot of people: rural tourism allows you to be nearer to your customers and they even become our friends. Our tourists were and still are mainly domestic, and we have always thought that the real challenge is to make us well known in other countries. Every time we have German, Dutch or British customers we realize that there is still hard work to be done in order to sell our product in Europe.

We have been like this now for ten years, until by chance we were offered a chance to be part of what is known as Huerta San Benito. This has become one of the most important businesses in Asturias, being in several interior decoration magazines and being one of the 180 charming houses classified by the prestigious “Guia El País Aguilar”.

Currently we have a new focus, which is the conversation derived from social media. Being in rural surroundings does not mean that you can’t use the internet in a professional way with your customers, but it does mean that you must talk to them in order to foster your brand. Many of these customers have their own blogs, Twitter or Facebook accounts and they speak highly of us through these channels. Our business, although settled in the small community of Rural Tourism, has and uses the same online resources as any other firm.

Juan Otero Rionda was born in nearby Arriondas, and used to work for a large multi-national business before turning his passion to developing and managing the rural houses.

As well as looking after the growing business Juan also founded Ruralvalue, the first franchise of Rural Tourism in Spain and is the founder of Turismo.as, a forum to discuss Tourism and Technology that had its first meeting in Oviedo in April 2010.

When he is not working hard Juan can be found travelling around Asturias, constantly learning more about this region while enjoying its diverse gastronomy and beautiful landscapes. You can follow Juan on Twitter.

Rooftop waterfall - SHA Wellness Clinic

It was almost 9 years ago that I stopped frequenting fast food joints. Yet after my first night at the plush SHA Wellness Clinic in southern Spain the thought of a McBreakfast did briefly enter my head. How could this make any sense? We had just spent a night at one of the most luxurious places I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. The setting could not have been further from that of a greasy fast food joint if it had been on the other side of the moon. Let me explain…

On the rooftop

SHA is located above the town of Albir, around 60 km from Alicante and only a short drive from Benidorm. In fact you can see the skyscrapers of the popular holiday resort rise from the morning mist as you lounge on the rooftop. SHA has the obligatory infinity pool which comes complete with a waterfall, and also on the roof you’ll find a putting green, another pool and a view down to an adjacent tennis court. And the next to these, the highly prestigious restaurant.

The view from the SHA roof toward Benidorm

Ok, we’re getting back to food again. One of SHA’s unique features is the importance it puts on healthy eating. Alfredo Bataller, the founder of the resort, was converted to the school of macrobiotic diets when he was seriously ill and found no respite from traditional western medicine. In a short time, a change in his diet following macrobiotic principles produced a rapid recovery. He decided to build SHA to offer these benefits to others.

So there we were, on the first leg of a press trip to the Valencia, in care of Alfredo’s son Alejandro who recalled this story as we sat down to our first meal. The evening meal was superb. Various combinations of vegatables, root-based soups and a delicious tuna steak. For dessert the ginger ice-cream was so delicious that I could have sneaked into the kitchen, tied up the chef and devoured the entire stock of this home-made marvel. And as for the chocolate cake? One spoon into its heart and a dark molten chocolate oozed from its centre. The sublime taste is not something that I will forget in a hurry.

It was the breakfast was a shock to my system. There were steamed vegatables, miso soup and even small cakes on offer. There was however a lack of any trace of dairy produce. No cheese, and more importantly, no milk. Well, that’s not quite true. Have you ever tried your cornflakes soaked in almond milk or rice milk? Perhaps it takes some getting used to. I decided that this healthy living could be hard going.

SHA Wellness Clinic in bloom

It was set in this context that when 30 minutes later we drove past those ubiquitous golden arches in the town, for a fleeting moment I had a pang. I did not succumb and it soon passed, but the episode confirmed to me that I have some way to go before I can embrace a macrobiotic diet and the lack of meat and diary products that it entails.

As for the resort itself, if you’re after a total escape from everyday life the SHA is hard to beat. Spacious bedrooms, walkways with soothing music and tinkling waterfalls and a room that had surely been treated to a generous helping of feng shui. I felt utterly at peace during the 20 minutes we had between our arrival back at the hotel and our departure for dinner.

The attention to detail of the designers is evident in every feature of the guest rooms and of the public areas. They have succeeded in creating an environment of peace, calm and relaxation. In fact, it could be a setting in one of those weird sci-fi movies, set in the future and representing a utopia where each of the life’s causes of misery and discomfort has been eliminated. But then again, I wasn’t paying the bill.

The infinity pool and beyond

It is one of those places that was a real shame to leave behind after only two nights. It might not be the type of place I would choose for a personal holiday (it is, after all, more used to hosting the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell). But if you are looking for a few days of healthy indulgence and total relaxation and are prepared to shell out a few euros to be pampered in the most tranquil surroundings, the SHA Wellness Clinic is hard to beat.

For my stay at SHA Wellness Clinic I was a guest of Land of Valencia, the Valencia Region Tourist Board as part of their #blogtripf1 event, with flights organised by the Spanish Tourist Office.

If you asked most British people what they knew of Valencia, few would be able to shed much light on Spain’s third biggest city. Football supporters may have heard of its illustrious team for their occasional victories over English opponents, but beyond that? Even I, a person obsessed with maps and travel guides would have struggled to say much about this city or even place it with great accuracy on a map of Spain.

Maybe the Spanish tourism officials have had other priorities over the years as millions of visitors from all over Europe flood to the country’s famous long Mediterranean coast line or to its two principal cities, Madrid and Barcelona.

Valencia may not get the attention that its larger sibling cities enjoy but that’s not down to its own lack of appeal. On the contrary I was very pleasantly surprised to discover this historic and easy-going city and could have happily stayed longer to explore its beautiful buildings, narrow lanes and its green walkways.

Valencia has been inhabited since Roman times. While the influence in many of the buildings of the old city is distinctly Moorish (the city walls betray an Arabic influence),  the cathedral stood on the site of a mosque yet bears resemblances to a Roman Coliseum. It also houses the Holy Grail (or at least shares this claim with many other sites around the world). For the best vantage point in the city climb the Torre del Micalet. From here you can enjoy very impressive views over the red roofs and plazas, and the reward of the view is worth the 200+ steps that you need to negotiate to reach the top.

I particularly enjoyed walking twice between the old city and our hotel, the Meliá Valencia; a walk of some 30 minutes that took us through a long narrow stretch of parkland, filled with blooming flowers and water features.

Valencia comes alive late at night; it’s after midnight when the action gets started. We wondered down to a central plaza for drinks after dinner and watched as fish were grilled in front of us on a large fire while hundreds of people danced to the beat of a mobile DJ set up in the corner of the square. It clearly pays not to live in the centre of Valencia if you want to sleep before dawn!

I was there as part of a sponsored trip to witness the Formula 1 races that zips through the city’s streets. As a result my time was extremely limited and I would have loved to visit the Oceanographic Centre and the Science Museum, which are from what I hear, world-class museums. Valencia also  boasts some stunning inland scenery that I would love to explore by hiking or mountain biking.

But I know I’ll be back. How can I be so sure? Because when I showed my wife my photos from Valencia she immediately decided that I have to show her the city too.

I was a guest of Land of Valencia, the Valencia Region Tourist Board, as part of their #blogtripf1 event, with flights organised by the Spanish Tourist Office in London.

Benidorm beach

I had never been to Benidorm, and I have to admit it would never have featured in my list of top 100 places to visit. When I saw that the town was a prominent stop in the itinerary of the F1 Blog Trip I had mixed opinions. On the one hand, its reputation as a tacky, seedy resort full of drunken British tourists did nothing to excite me, while on the other hand that same awful perception intrigued me enough to want to see for myself what Benidorm is really about.

I have to admit to feeling quite indifferent to the town while driving through its centre. It was bright and modern, and the forest of tall skyscrapers that form a Manhattan-like skyline turned out to be well spaced enough to avoid engulfing the streets in permanent shadow. I would describe the town centre as nice, with all the ambiguous connotations that this description suggests. Any place can look pleasant in the sunshine, especially when it boasts a white sandy beach and an attractive coastline.

Benidorm from the hilltop

I have always preferred wide open spaces devoid of human habitation to sprawling cities, so Benidorm was always going to have a tough job in appealing to my tastes. If I’m in a city it needs to have some impressive architecture to hold my attention, and in a place that was barely on the map 50 years ago I was never going to find that here. So it was a relief when we took to the hills above the town in a Jeep and left the fast food joints and Olde Worlde Real English Pubs in our dusty wake. I was eyeing up the ragged surrounding peaks with some impatience as we sat on a boat and viewed the town against its mountainous backdrop, so it was a relief to soon be staring down at the skyline from those hilltops.

Jeeps heading off-road

The Jeep trip is a quick and fun way to explore the surrounding areas and even allowed us to visit a nearby waterfall, busy with mainly Spanish tourists. We travelled with Marco Polo Expeditions, and they showed us some surprisingly hidden natural spots not far from town. I would give the area a nod of approval as an avid hiker, and imagine that there are many good trails to be covered in this part of Spain. A return visit would certainly include extensive walking in these hills.

On our way out of Benidorm the next day, we took a sea kayaking trip; something again that I would happily do again, and which I hadn’t associated with this region before. I paddled solo at first and later in a two-man boat, while the water changed from lily-pond calm to very choppy in a matter of minutes. The return journey was exciting with the waves controlling our motion far more than my feeble efforts with the oar could do.

Benidorm by night

So my verdict on Benidorm? As a town itself it has good restaurants and cafes and in the daytime at least, does not live up to its grim associations with the worst of British holidaymakers. While I would never consider staying there for a week, I am not a beach resort person and would be no more keen to stay in the Maldives. At least here there are many ways for the active person to spend their time. I did warm to Benidorm in the end, but it would be for its rural surroundings and the range of activities on offer outside of the town that I would return.

I was a guest of Land of Valencia, the Valencia Region Tourist Board, as part of their #blogtripf1 event, with flights organised by the Spanish Tourist Office in London.

The start of the European F1 Grand Prix, Valencia

“It’s like standing behind an aircraft when it’s taking off”; “the monotonous drone can send you to sleep”. This was what I heard from someone who had been before. Armed with these expectations I visited my first ever F1 race in Valencia, ready for a lot of noise and burning rubber. Having witnessed the event at first hand I have to disagree with my friend.

If you are heading to an F1 race anytime soon, here’s a few bits of advice that can help you to prepare in the best way for watching the race. This video is a great place to start, and gives a flavour of the noise, the speed and even the shameless sexism that abounds freely at such a race (keep your eyes on the giant screen behind the cars)

1. The noise. It is impossible to appreciate just how loud it is until you’re there. The sound can best be described as mosquito-like (x100000), with a decibel level that would outblast any aircraft engine. Our group stopped by a pharmacy on our way to the track and cleared them out of earplugs. Dubious at first as to the necessity to bring them, I was persuaded within a short moment that they would stand between me and permanent hearing damage. Even with these little cotton plugs the noise is overpowering. For the next few hours after the race expect to repeat anything you need to say to your fellow race-goers several times before they hear you.

F1 Grand Prix, Valencia

2. The glamour. With luxury yachts in the harbour, multi-million dollar mobile homes for the team members and Ferraris in the car park this is a world where material wealth speaks loud; those who run the show do so with a show of money that is both intriguing and distasteful. No wonder the tickets for the event are typicall in the €200 to €500 range – these trimmings need to be paid for. Look, but don’t touch, admire and accept with grace that this is not your world.

A track girl

3. The girls. Testosterone abounds at Formula 1. This is, after all, the ultimate glorification of the boy racer. An essential accessory to a boy’s race is of course a bevvy of scantily clad young ladies, and they are here in all their glory. Standing on the track for an hour before the race, these girls appeared positively bored while holding the national flags on the respective grid positions. I can only guess that there is a rigorous selection procedure for these highly sought-after posts.

Capturing a car racing past is not easy

4. The view. There are barriers everywhere. We enjoyed superb seats: right by the starting grid and opposite the pit lane. Yet the chance of capturing the main events of the day without a big metal grid obscuring your view is limited. Having seen the way that Mark Webber’s car left the track and flew through the Valencian summer sky, I do not begrudge these fences one bit. But be prepared for this if you have a seat that is close to the track.

5. Watching the race itself. The giant TV screens are a must. Without these the event would be a meaningless procession of racing cars, with no knowledge of who is doing what in the race. It was the first time I had attended a major sporting event where I could only see a fraction of the action, and where I was mainly relying on the same TV pictures as I could have enjoyed at home.

F1 is a spectacular show. It’s not about being a racing fanatic and getting absorbed in the technical aspects of the race; for that you will be better off watching it on TV, especially considering the price of the tickets. But for a show of glamour, fast cars and ear-splitting sound, it is hard to match. After many years of ambivalence about the sport, I’m glad that I can now finally say I’ve experienced a race for myself.

I was a guest of Land of Valencia, the Valencia Region Tourist Board as part of their #blogtripf1 event, with flights organised by the Spanish Tourist Office.