Monday, October 3, 2016

Pat and Brian

In the 2nd half of  2018 Pat and Brian will be easing into retirement. This does not mean the end of Quatretondeta holidays .

From summer 2018 the houses will continue to be available for all dates on a self catering basis with our wide range of walking route information available to guests.

For those who come specifically for the wonderful food provided by Pat these will be available on a more limited basis by special request.

We can accommodate a minimum of 2 people for fully catered self guided walking and for anyone wanting a guided walking we will be be able parties of 4 to 8  people by special request.

It is our intention to have a little more free time and do some travelling.

We look forward to seeing many of our long standing friends in 2017 and beyond.

Walking in Spain during almond blossom season 2017

Walking in Spain during the 2017 almond blossom season.

Almond Blossom of the Mountains of Alicante with Mountain WALKS




 The peak almond blossom season is usually the 2nd half of February.  


It is also a great time for seeing early orchids on many of the walks. 
Spring comes early to the mountains.




A self guided walking holiday based in Quatretondeta with full board and transport included.(from/to Alicante airport, and local transport to walks).
You choose your walks and from our extensive catalogue of 119 walks covering all levels of ability.

You have your own well appointed house to yourself whilst evening meals are served in our communal wine cellar dining room.



  7 nights just 750 Euros per person. *  

* discounts are available for 3+ people occupying 1 house up to a maximum of 6 people.
 There are no hidden costs, The only additional expenditure is for personal items and any drinks from the bar or  with dinner:


For information on other mountainWALKS holidays please check out our MOUNTAIN WALKS HOLIDAYS.
You can also follow daily events at mountainWALKS on our Facebook page.



( *the almond season can vary dependent on weather conditions in January and early February but these dates normally coincide with the peak blossom.)

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Moors and Christians Fiestas of Alcoy - 2016


Guided walking holiday
combined with 
Spain's most explosive fiesta!

The 
Moors and Christians, Alcoy
22nd, 23rd, and 24th April 2016.

A last chance to enjoy these wonderful fiestas
and experience Pat's wonderful cuisine before retirement approaches.


2016 sees the fiestas back on their traditional dates spanning St Georges Day. 



The armies march all day to the sound of the bands. Berbers, soldiers from Marrakesh, Mudéjares, Abencerrajes, Benimerines, all preparing for war. A group of Andalusian bandits is also there, as well as Basque soldiers, an army from Asturias, even a band of Valencian peasants armed with farming implements. All are set for the battle. Martial music announces the glory of the coming struggle. The people lining the streets admire and encourage the warriors. Soldiers march, sergeants wave at the crowds and horsemen show off their skills. All day long the hosts parade through a city decked with banners, especially the red cross of Saint George. The mood is festive as Alcoy sends her armies off to war.









 Two days later the city is filled with the roar of battle, the smoke of gunpowder covering the city as a fog. The Moors and the Christians do battle during the whole day; the Christians, are defeated in the morning and the Moorish crescent can be seen on the ramparts of the castle were the red cross had once flown. When the fighting is at its fiercest, Saint George himself appears at the top of the castle to aid the Christian armies. The tide is reversed; the Moors retreat.


Every year, in April, the Saint gives victory to the Christian hosts as Alcoy, in the Valencia, re-enacts the famous, and largely mythical, battle. The celebration is one of the great fiestas of Spain, the greatest in the world, according to many an Alcoyano. From our experience of over 20 years of enjoying and joining in the fun we would certainly agree with this. 



La fiesta is a year-long business for the people of Alcoy, as they prepare for those four days. Membership in one of the 28 Moorish or Christian armies, called filaes, is much more than a hobby. The participants meet regularly throughout the year to commune with their brethren, raise funds, organize banquets, and plan out the many activities that make up the fiesta. For them the year starts and ends in April, the time when they don their costumes and march to the sound of the bands. The euphoria is topped off during the battle, when they fire hundreds of blanks with their blunderbusses in this, the noisiest of Spanish fiestas. Money and time are spent prodigiously by the members of the filaes. Many save up throughout the year, and more than a few make yearly visits to the local pawn shops. The matter of clothes is expensive enough. Every army has its own traditional costume design, both fancy and fanciful. Many of them, especially those of the captains, cost a small fortune. Every year, the Christian and Moorish captains are provided by different filaes on a rotation basis. They always vie for the best-dressed captain ever. At the end of the fiesta the captains, usually well-to-do businessmen, donate their costumes to the Moors and Christians museum.


Although no effort is made to achieve strict historical accuracy in the clothes, plenty of attention is given to the details, and the costumes have to follow certain rules. Some modern things are allowed, like eyeglasses and watches, and most of the soldiers, even non-smokers, chomp on cigars. These cigars are a tradition of the fiesta, although nobody seems to know exactly why. "They're just part of the fun," says one Alcoyano. 


But this is no costume party, no carnival. No tell-tale trouser legs or modern shoes remind you that this is all make-believe. Maybe because, in a sense, it isn't make-believe; it seems, rather, that you are seeing these insurance salesmen, shopkeepers or bank presidents emerge from drab existences into their true, glorious selves. After the flags and drums, horses and castles, feathered helmets and shining armor, the rest of the year seems like mere Clark Kent stuff.

























But you don't go to Alcoy to see grown men and women make fools of themselves, either. 





A welcome balance is struck between all-stops-out abandon and respect for traditions kept alive over the centuries. This is fun taken seriously. Even in the wildest moments there are some set forms. At the end of the fiesta, Alcoyanos are always sad. But there remains a consolation: "only 361 days till the next one".
 


Mountainwalks are delighted to be able to offer our
"Taste of Spain in the footsteps of the Moors " guided walking holiday.



Commencing:-
 Wednesday  20th April 2016,  7 nights, 8 days
          Sunday 17th April 2016   10 Nights. 11 days   

This full board walking holiday includes, a visit to the Night of Music to witness the beginning of these wonderful fiestas; a full day at the fiestas  to witness the spectacular parades. We have prime seating booked on the parade route and an excellent lunch booked in a local restaurant. A long day but loads of fun. You will have plenty of time to wander about and meet the locals and join the fun. Finally a visit to the fiestas on the final day to witness the re enactment of the battles. When we are not enjoying the fiestas we are in  the splendid  mountain countryside enjoying walks. The holiday duration is 7 or 10 nights and features 1 full day at the fiestas plus 2 other visits, and  4 or 6 days guided walking. Full board, including wine with  the BBQ and at lunch when we visit to the fiestas on the day of the parades.

The price per person is 850 Euros. -   7 nights
                                       1150 Euros -  10 nights
                                      add extra nights for 90€


   

No single supplements.

For more information on 2015 contact us now. email us:-  

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Christmas Walking Holiday in Spain, 2015


ESCAPE FROM OVER COMMERCIALISED CHRISTMAS  
with a walking holiday in the Mountains of Alicante

2015



Our Christmas small group guided walking holidays are back.
These are full board Taste of Spain holidays featuring great walks and Pat's wonderful cuisine in the evening.
Don't believe us? Then check out reviews from our guest book here and from responsibletravel.com.



Accommodation is in our village houses  Casa L'Ametler , Casa Dianica , and our new Ca L'Oriol  all are recently restored to a high standard and very comfortable with central heating plus an open log fire in the case of Casa Dianica and L'Oriol.
Evening meals are taken in our wine cellar dining room just a few short 
metres from the houses . There is also a small bar here for socialising with a pre dinner glass of wine or cava.

Meals are from Pat's renowned Taste of Spain selection featuring the best of fresh Spanish cuisine with a celebratory dinner on Christmas day.
Quality Spanish wines are served with the celebratory dinner  

Walking will be a mix of moderate and strenous walking with the option to miss out on the strenuous walks if you don't fancy the tougher walks.



The holiday is 7 nights with arrival  20th   December. Prices include return airport transfers to Alicante airport, all local transport , guided walks , accommodation with daily servicing with breakfast being supplied for a serve yourself basis, including supplies for a packed lunch when needed, evening meal with gourmet cuisine.   The maximum number of places available for this holiday is 8 to 12 depending on the number of singles booked . There are no single supplements.

Please note that this will be the last Christmas holiday catered for by Pat, who will be heading for a well earned rest from Christmas catering after 23 years .

Prices:-


7 nights 895€ per person ( or  approx 750 pounds). 
Additional nights are available on request.

We have 3 rooms remaining as of 22/04/2015



A 100€ or 100 pounds deposit is payable on reservation and the balance is due 45 days before arrival. Pound payments can only be accepted by bank transfer or "Transferwise". Euro payments can be paid by debit or credit card securely on line.
MountainWalks Spain

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

INNTRAVELLER. Autumn 2013 edition. The personal touch.................

Pat and I are delighted to have been selected by Inntravel to feature in the latest edition of the "Inntraveller" magazine ( Autumn 2013) as part of their holiday in Alicante's Rugged Mountains.
Here it is:-

A warm welcome...

Our "hosts with the most"

"We're renowned for our hotels of character, and-very often- it's the people who own and manage them who make them a 'cut above'. Whether it's a 4 star lakeside haven amid the Austrian Alps or a simple chambres d'hotes in rural France. Its the personal touch that counts...

Alicante's 'dream team'


Brian and Pat Fagg, who have lived in the small village of Quatretondeta in Alicante's Rugged Mountains for the past 21 years, are a case in point. While Pat employs her cookery skills to sublime effect in the dining room (her special 7-course Taste of Spain menu left one visitor claiming that "each course was worthy of a Michelin star"), it is Brian who has come to know these limestone peaks and verdant hills like the back of his hand. In fact, he has documented over 100 walks in the area, and still claims not to have ventured into the outer reaches of the sierras! As he says : Our guests are amazed at how wonderful and quiet the scenery they walk through is,despite being only one hour from the airport; and what an incredibly diverse range of flora and fauna can be found in these truly breathtaking mountains."

Also featured is this article were Jill and Julio Pires of the Algarve, Portugal ;and Canan and Suleyman from Lycia, Turkey.

Contact Inntravel for a copy of this magazine and to visit there enormous range of holidays at www.inntravel.co.uk.

Details of the Inntravel in Alicante's Rugged Mountains can be found here.

For holidays based in Quatretondeta with Pat,Brian and their son Tom, check out the holidays at Mountain Walks
Mountain Walks guided and independent walking and biking holidays. is a family business and  is registered in Spain . 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Summer's day excursion
 to the peak of the Sierra Serrella.


Thursday 22nd August 2013 and we took off for the peak of the Sierra Serrella with a dual purpose, to visit our friend Miguel who is on fire watch duty and to collect some of the giant pine cones you find near the peak. The latter make superb firelighters for the log burner in the winter months.

We arrived at the fire watch hut at 2pm which really was a case of Mad Dogs and Englishmen out in the midday sun. It was 32ºC when we left Quatretondeta but after a  730 metre climb to the peak the temperature was registering 26ºC with a gentle 3 knot breeze.

 

Miguel explained the records he has to keep; of temperatures, wind speed and direction , humidity and rain fall. It was quite a shock to discover that it had been 40 days since the last rainfall. A veritable tinderbox yet still surprisingly green. A testament to the wonders of the limestone terrains' ability to hold and store water.


The view from the Serrella peak 1359 m to Pla de la Casa 1379m.


The views, as always, are breathtaking from here and it is no wonder it is such a favourite with our Mountain WALKS walking parties. The above is a view towards the distant peak of Sierra Bernia which seems to have a perpetual topping of cloud.





After leaving the peak we then took a rare visit down the valley to the tourist honeypot of Guadalest. Although it was busy thankfully there were no tour buses there from the Benidorm hotels. This tends to put you off from what is a very attractive spot. A very late and excellent value lunch in what appeared to be the only bar in town with a Spanish menu on show. Everywhere seemed to have only English or Russian on display.




Keep up to date with daily events at MountainWALKS from the MountainWalks FaceBook page

We're looking forward to being back on the Sierra Serrella in the Autumn. Pat and Brian, Quatretondeta.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

New web site for the mountain village of Quatretondeta.

The Quatretondeta web site in both English and Spanish has been launched to give information on the village and its history and to update visitors on events and accommodation within the village.
Visit Quatretondeta.com for more information.