Summer Guests

Do you have a query on how to get things done in Andalucia, where to find things, who to call? Find out by posting and hear about others experiences.

Are we mad inviting guests to our homes in July and August?

Poll ended at Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:10 pm

Yes we are stone mad
22
55%
No, its great to have guests
8
20%
Yes we are mad , but we love it really
10
25%
 
Total votes: 40

Lavanda
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Postby Lavanda » Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:29 pm

As you all know we live in the middle of nowhere. Three hours to Madrid, Seville or Lisbon airports. In the last year we've had 18 visitors with a total of 115 days taken up with their visits. We do the airport runs at whatever time of day or night and the whole guided tour bit. All in. Why? Three reasons: firstly, we are so blinking well amazed and shell-shocked that anyone wants to do the journey to see us here. Two, we love it here and want to 'show off' our little known part of Spain. Finally, we never get rude visitors as we only know nice people (we think everyone is nice - we obviously have no discrimination).

However, ask me in a couple of years!

Don

Postby Don » Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:55 pm

Kathy wrote:During our first year here we had over 95 guest nights.
I have now read and read again all the posts on this thread. 95 guest nights is over a quarter of the year! We have guests, mostly family who enjoy the break but including a few who really help out with everything. We enjoy meals in, meals out, trips out and about but our number of "guest nights" as you put it Kathy is, maybe, a third of your number. But then here is home and our base for work and our life, not a cheap costa holiday for those considering coming out. Vote cast.

Scot
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Postby Scot » Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:24 pm

I don't encourage anyone to come and stay anymore. Enjoyed it at the beginning as missed having people to talk to in my mother tongue (still miss that now sometimes as only one or two Brits where we live). However, now like to do my own thing - I guess I've got a bit more selfish. The effort that comes with guests arriving is just too much - especially in the heat of July and August, cleaning the house from top to bottom, washing and ironing all the bedding, shopping THEN when they get here, cooking, serving drinks, keeping the dogs out of the way (several of them don't like dogs) - just too much! I start to resent them coming over and notice when they book accommodation locally and we see each other (even daily!) then I REALLY enjoy their company!! The worst one is my cousin who asks me at noon when am I cooking then her belly rumbles again at 5pm! That means I'm in the kitchen noon, 2pm, 5pm AND 9pm!! Next house I move to will be in the campo (Competa sounds good) with a long dirt track and those sheer drops off the edges - oh and I will be suggesting they hire a car and drive themselves there!!!

Kathy
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Postby Kathy » Mon Aug 11, 2008 12:50 am

Yes 95 nights is sheer madness.

campocaro
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Postby campocaro » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:35 am

Scot- ironing sheets? Surely life is too short for that?!

mirandamac
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Postby mirandamac » Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:16 am

If they don't like your dogs Scot, then they should definitely be staying elsewhere. Why should you have to change YOUR life?

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anis
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Postby anis » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:05 am

Thank heavens my Summer ones are all paying guests - we have to restrict family and friends to winter for business reasons.
I have more time to be with them then anyway.
It's no fun for friends watching us run around all sweaty hot - we have been known to rope them in for a set of bedmaking :lol: :lol: sure it put them off coming out when they shouldn't !!
My sis is great though - she had a small hotel years ago and even volunteers to help, bless her, she knows what it's like - best guest ever - so I am in both camps - some guests are wonderful and some are awful.

Beachcomber
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Postby Beachcomber » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:50 am

I have already stated my views quite forcefully on this but if someone calls who doesn't like dogs then they stay outside of the gates. We don't shut the dogs away for anyone. Similarly no-one sets foot through the front gates if they are smoking. Smoking is banned on the whole of our property not just the house.

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:11 am

I don't suppose you have any views on people taking a leak in your pool then? 8)

Beachcomber
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Postby Beachcomber » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:22 am

Very few people get anywhere near the pool. Image

Paula
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Postby Paula » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:32 am

Beach, what do you do about Spanish workmen that spit everywhere :lol:

Beachcomber
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Postby Beachcomber » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:40 am

Make them clean it up! :wink:

Scot
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Postby Scot » Mon Aug 11, 2008 12:12 pm

The ironing of sheets has become a habit I guess - my OH irons the towels too (Spanish mother got a lot to answer for...). As for the dogs, we had Italian family here which was the most stressful of them all. All we heard was them shouting OUT the whole time to my dogs. It was Xmas so bit wet outside. At the beginning I was putting dogs in garden, the small boy would open the door, the dogs would charge in with muddy paws from grass, all hyped up too from all the in, out, shake it all about...... then they suggested coming back the next year :shock: Another friend came with her small daughter who is terrified of dogs - they stayed in the basement by request but I had to keep the dogs inside in the morning, listen for the basement door closing then time it so that when they were at the front door, my OH was at the back door ready to let the dogs escape. So we had a never ending round of dogs in, guests out, guests in, dogs out - phew! Can you imagine what a quandry we were in when the daughter wanted to play in the garden and the mum wanted to stay indoors!!!!!!!!

Scot
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Postby Scot » Mon Aug 11, 2008 12:16 pm

Paula I sent you a pm - did you get it? I can't see it anywhere now :roll:

Paula
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Postby Paula » Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:57 pm

Scot - No I didn't get it.

(perhaps you got it Katy :wink: )

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karandjon
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Postby karandjon » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:56 pm

I have found that it is a pleasure having friends to stay. It is the family who cause the problems! I wonder if this is because we choose our friends... :lol:
I have also noticed that with my family it is always one half of the couple who is the pain in the bottom, the other is a pleasure!! :x
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

Don

Postby Don » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:05 pm

Beachcomber wrote:I have already stated my views quite forcefully on this but if someone calls who doesn't like dogs then they stay outside of the gates. We don't shut the dogs away for anyone. Similarly no-one sets foot through the front gates if they are smoking. Smoking is banned on the whole of our property not just the house.
Quite rightly Beachcomber. A man's castle and all that. I did find it amusing that the insurance company sent out an engineer (turned out to be a lady) to inspect the bike and when she saw the gates obviously dog proofed, she asked if there was a dog and was visibly nervous as she stepped over the threshold even though the dog in question is a 6 kilos bundle of timidity and cannot get direct access to the drive and carport anyway. I also get quite peeved when a neighbour insists on walking up and down the street on his mobile phone and everybody has to suffer his whining voice and his cigarette fumes drifting into everybody's gardens.

Sandramay
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Postby Sandramay » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:43 pm

I was always taught 'A good hostess makes her guests feel at home........... and a good guest remembers they are not' :)
Sandramay

Scot
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Postby Scot » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:24 pm

Ok - who got the really long pm about red setters? :oops:

Marina
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Postby Marina » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:33 pm

Well it wasn't me, so now I'm feeling really left out! :lol:


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