Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Visitors

From time to time there are hot topics amongst the residents at Villas Andrea. It might be, for example, the telephones or the state of Calle Escocia but these are just passing concerns. The one topic that endures though is visitors.

Most residents will tell you that when they were in the UK, people would come and see them for the day. Occasionally they would stay overnight or even for a weekend. Now that we live in Spain though, visitors want to stay for a week or more. Not only that but people whom you seldom saw in the UK suddenly become close friends who desperately want to come and see you. So you end up with more visitors staying for longer periods.

Having people for the day is one thing but when they stay longer it is more difficult. Most of us live in small houses on a pension of some sort. Coping with extra people for a week or more is therefore both difficult and potentially expensive.

Folks back in the UK need to recognise that whilst they are on holiday when they come to Spain, we are here to stay. Our normal lives don't involve all the things that you might want to do during your stay. Even trips to the airport cost money and there are only so many routes you can take to either Alicante or Murcia. The novelty of the journeys there soon wears off especially at peak times when the roads are congested.

Most visitors will contribute to the cost of food and fuel, maybe buy a meal out or two. It has to be said though that they have still had a cheap holiday in the sun. The cost of a flights on a budget airline and a couple of meals out comes no where near the cost of a package holiday to Spain.

Of course some people love having visitors and welcome one lot after another so I am not speaking for them. The rest of us want to see our families and close friends out here. As for anyone else though, they need to ask themselves "are we coming out to see good friends or are we just after a cheap holiday?" If they just want a cheap holiday we know of lots of villas they can rent close by and we can put them in touch with good car rental deals. Then they can come and visit us for the day just like they did in the UK.

3 comments:

Pete said...

Benjamin Franklin hit the nail on the head: "Visitors are like fish, they stink after three days".

Bigastroandbeyond said...

Benjamin's bifocals obviously gave him a clear vision.

Anonymous said...

The dreaded "We want a cheap holiday and thought of you" message is responded to with "Great, we will arrange a good deal on the car hire from the airport for you" seems to sort it out.

Steve (a bit further north keith)