Friday, 13 April
Well, busy we have been for the last few days. It's been a while since my last post so let me tell you about the bookings we have had in the last week or so.
First, our guests from Barcelona arrived on Sunday and stayed for eight nights; they plan to return for the month of August as well. Then we had a foursome from Belgium arrive on Monday for 3 nights, four very nice ladies. A German family of four arrived on Tuesday for four nights so Monday through Wednesday, the hotel was half full. Then another three rooms arrived on Thursday bringing us up to 7 rooms, almost full and for Friday and Saturday, the hotel was complete. It did not stop there either as we had five rooms for Sunday including a threesome from Madrid in addition to a Dutch couple that stayed four night through Tuesday.
On Friday, we had a group of 21 motorcyclists arrive at 2.00 for lunch which we were expecting. Thursday was a disappointing day for lunch but the weather was not cooperating at all with cloud, fog and rain. We also had a bad experience on Friday with a Spanish couple that came through right at the height of lunch. As I told everyone that day, no one could order anything that was not on the menu. This woman however insisted on ordering fried eggs with manteca. Actually, this story is starting to bore me because this couple reeked havoc with us this afternoon and I've already recounted it a few times. Basically long story short, I told her she could only order things on the menu but she insisted on her fried eggs. I tried to make her happy but there was just no doing that! In the end I lost my cool and told her and her husband that if they passed through this village again in the future, please pass the hotel!
She asked to speak with someone who understood Spanish (a bit of a slap in the face for me, no?). I told her I was the owner and we were doing the best we could for her which obviously was not good enough. After I told them not to come back, she asked for the complaints book, a first for us!! Of course I did not know where the book was and was so busy in the restaurant that I did not have time to spare to look for it (although I did try to find it and gave up). I thought they will have to wait as my diners were more important than her complaint. Meanwhile, her husband decided to call the police because we did not have the complaints books available, a requirement!! This couple was just completely unreasonable, no. Everyone around them saw what was happening and were very supportive of us. Ivan came out of the kitchen to speak with this woman after having told me that I should not be telling guests not to come back. He was with her for a few minutes apologising and trying to make things better but when he returned to the kitchen, he said he wanted to wring her neck!! She and her husband were just intent on making trouble for us no matter what anyone said or did.
Eventually I found the complaints book (an official form from the Junta de Andalusia) and she completed her form which neither one of us signed. She took all copies with her and then paid her bill willingly even after Ivan told them he did not want their money. Ivan refused to sign the form because she did not write what actually happened. Some of the other people around told us not to worry as we did not sign it and she did not give a copy so we had nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, this couple had sat around waiting more than two hours to complete this form on a holiday weekend. We all thought they should get a life. Anyway, that's behind us now.
Well, busy we have been for the last few days. It's been a while since my last post so let me tell you about the bookings we have had in the last week or so.
First, our guests from Barcelona arrived on Sunday and stayed for eight nights; they plan to return for the month of August as well. Then we had a foursome from Belgium arrive on Monday for 3 nights, four very nice ladies. A German family of four arrived on Tuesday for four nights so Monday through Wednesday, the hotel was half full. Then another three rooms arrived on Thursday bringing us up to 7 rooms, almost full and for Friday and Saturday, the hotel was complete. It did not stop there either as we had five rooms for Sunday including a threesome from Madrid in addition to a Dutch couple that stayed four night through Tuesday.
On Friday, we had a group of 21 motorcyclists arrive at 2.00 for lunch which we were expecting. Thursday was a disappointing day for lunch but the weather was not cooperating at all with cloud, fog and rain. We also had a bad experience on Friday with a Spanish couple that came through right at the height of lunch. As I told everyone that day, no one could order anything that was not on the menu. This woman however insisted on ordering fried eggs with manteca. Actually, this story is starting to bore me because this couple reeked havoc with us this afternoon and I've already recounted it a few times. Basically long story short, I told her she could only order things on the menu but she insisted on her fried eggs. I tried to make her happy but there was just no doing that! In the end I lost my cool and told her and her husband that if they passed through this village again in the future, please pass the hotel!
She asked to speak with someone who understood Spanish (a bit of a slap in the face for me, no?). I told her I was the owner and we were doing the best we could for her which obviously was not good enough. After I told them not to come back, she asked for the complaints book, a first for us!! Of course I did not know where the book was and was so busy in the restaurant that I did not have time to spare to look for it (although I did try to find it and gave up). I thought they will have to wait as my diners were more important than her complaint. Meanwhile, her husband decided to call the police because we did not have the complaints books available, a requirement!! This couple was just completely unreasonable, no. Everyone around them saw what was happening and were very supportive of us. Ivan came out of the kitchen to speak with this woman after having told me that I should not be telling guests not to come back. He was with her for a few minutes apologising and trying to make things better but when he returned to the kitchen, he said he wanted to wring her neck!! She and her husband were just intent on making trouble for us no matter what anyone said or did.
Eventually I found the complaints book (an official form from the Junta de Andalusia) and she completed her form which neither one of us signed. She took all copies with her and then paid her bill willingly even after Ivan told them he did not want their money. Ivan refused to sign the form because she did not write what actually happened. Some of the other people around told us not to worry as we did not sign it and she did not give a copy so we had nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, this couple had sat around waiting more than two hours to complete this form on a holiday weekend. We all thought they should get a life. Anyway, that's behind us now.
So Easter in Juzcar... they have a tradition here of cutting down trees in the countryside to decorate the whole village, kind of cool actually. Branches adorning all types of surfaces, a creche of sorts by the town hall for the Virgin of Moclon (the patron saint) and Jesus. There are things happening thorugh the week with lots of drinking, another tradition. Unfortunately some of the village festivities during the week were somewhat rained out, not as lively as in the passed two years. There was dancing on Sunday afternoon though in the school with a music group playing. And we had a bigger procession this year than in the past I think because this is an election year; a big band arrived at 10.40 on Sunday morning, some of them dropping into the bar for a cafe or juice. They accompanied the virgin and Jesus through the village on its way to the creche. In the past, the band was comprised of people from the village and the valley... this year, I'm not sure where they were from but certainly not here.
The weather is still not so great; it's like winter arrived when spring was supposed to start. It's been raining here on and off all week and there is more forecasted for the coming week. We had water in the bar of course with this amount of rain. And to top that, a hole appeared in the yard a couple of mornings ago. Francisco is repairing it today, the result of the rain and low quality work of the previous owner, yet again!
I've been taking more bookings which is good. We had two Danish couples stay one night this week who had tried to stay with us in the fall when we were full. They promised they would come back as they enjoyed themselves but want to return when we have better werther. Last night we had three rooms including Diana and Francisco from Cadiz with their loud daughter. They've been to see us a few times now and will be back for sure.
Tonight we have no one in the hotel but we are looking forward to sleeping in a bit tomorrow as we have had little rest in the last couple of weeks, a good thing actually but tiring nevertheless!
Hey, readers, I have a request of you.... my mom asked me if anyone ever comments on my blog. Now I know that I have some readers as I have been told by some that they do read my blog and enjoy it. So my request is please make one or two remarks if you will. Do you enjoy my writing, am I boring, do I write too much... not covering something you'd like to know? Mentioned something once and never mentioned it again. Any questions.... really, anything, please!
Speaking of parents, Ivan's were here for 10 days along with his grandma, and we really appreciated their help. Paz made a few dishes which we sold as well such as veggie soup, a fried milk dessert (yummy) and torrijas, Spanish sweet toast.
Well, that's it for now. Tomorrow we have three rooms and then on Sunday two new rooms for a couple of nights each. In fact, we have some bookings every week through June. And I received another group enquiry for October 2008 thanks to my friend JoAnn in Colorado. I'm waiting to confirm that booking; it is a group with a different theme than painting which is fantastic as I would like to branch out into other areas besides painting!! When that booking is confirmed (thinking positively here) I will add it to the theme holiday index page and you all can see who and what that will be about!! In the meantime, I await some of your comments, please.
Hasta luego!
I've been taking more bookings which is good. We had two Danish couples stay one night this week who had tried to stay with us in the fall when we were full. They promised they would come back as they enjoyed themselves but want to return when we have better werther. Last night we had three rooms including Diana and Francisco from Cadiz with their loud daughter. They've been to see us a few times now and will be back for sure.
Tonight we have no one in the hotel but we are looking forward to sleeping in a bit tomorrow as we have had little rest in the last couple of weeks, a good thing actually but tiring nevertheless!
Hey, readers, I have a request of you.... my mom asked me if anyone ever comments on my blog. Now I know that I have some readers as I have been told by some that they do read my blog and enjoy it. So my request is please make one or two remarks if you will. Do you enjoy my writing, am I boring, do I write too much... not covering something you'd like to know? Mentioned something once and never mentioned it again. Any questions.... really, anything, please!
Speaking of parents, Ivan's were here for 10 days along with his grandma, and we really appreciated their help. Paz made a few dishes which we sold as well such as veggie soup, a fried milk dessert (yummy) and torrijas, Spanish sweet toast.
Well, that's it for now. Tomorrow we have three rooms and then on Sunday two new rooms for a couple of nights each. In fact, we have some bookings every week through June. And I received another group enquiry for October 2008 thanks to my friend JoAnn in Colorado. I'm waiting to confirm that booking; it is a group with a different theme than painting which is fantastic as I would like to branch out into other areas besides painting!! When that booking is confirmed (thinking positively here) I will add it to the theme holiday index page and you all can see who and what that will be about!! In the meantime, I await some of your comments, please.
Hasta luego!
