VILLA MAS ROCA
ESTANYOL,
SPAIN
The name of this villa in Catalán means “Rock Farmhouse,” and they’re not lying. Set on a 110 hecatare estate (272 acres), this rustic looking but modern living farmhouse has six bedrooms and four bathrooms. There’s central heating (though it’s doubtful we’ll need it), washer-dryer, cable TV, DVD, sound system, etc. There’s a pool and a tennis wall.
It’s about 30 kilometers to the ocean, so a quick day trip to the beach is quite possible if you need time to clear your head. You can walk in just a few minutes to Estanyol, the tiny village nearby, take a quick drive to Girona or even a slightly longer one (about an hour) to Barcelona (or a train from Girona).
Did I mention that it’s on a 272 acre estate with only one other house, about a half mile away? In other words, we have the best of both worlds—isolated, yet close to civilization if the urge hits you.
But it probably won’t hit you. There is a shaded outdoor sitting area with the BBQ just outside the entryway to the kitchen and dining room. The dining room has a long wooden planked table and benches and a fireplace. Stone walls and beamed ceiling make it rustic and cozy in equal measure. The kitchen is right next to the dining room. The pool and the tennis wall are under pine and holm oak (the owners sell cork to some of the big Catalan cava producers).
Across the downstairs central hallway is the huge living room, where the entertainment center is. The TV has cable which allows you to watch movies and shows in the original version—meaning, in most cases, English! Perhaps the nicest feature of this living room are the three large windows affording nice views out onto the garden and letting in lots of sunlight.
The large downstairs bedroom (room 1) is at the end of the downstairs hallway, up three steps, and this bedroom has a double bed and a single bed, and a private bathroom, with a nice wide walk-in, slate-floored shower. The water pressure is excellent.
Upstairs there is a large central living room leading to the five other bedrooms, two of which are off on a separate wing, so all the rooms are somewhat far apart and more private than, say, rooms lined up in a linear hallway.
With a lovely private terrace under crooked old wooden beams overlooking the pool, there is a large en suite room with double bed and private bathroom with bathtub. On one side of the upstairs salon, there are two rooms on either side of a bathroom with tub. One bedroom has three single beds, and the other bedroom has a double bed. Across the hall there is a little wing with two bedrooms, one with double bed and a small bathroom with shower, and another bedroom with two single beds. The small bathroom for room 5 has two doors, one direct to the bedroom and one to the salon, for easy access for room 6.
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DIRECTIONS (from Barcelona Airport)
Let me know your flight arrival time and flight number so that we can keep track of your arrival even if the flight is delayed. Also, if you are not renting a car and need to be picked up at the Girona train station, please let me know ahead of time.
The address:
Mas Roca
17182, Estanyol
Girona
GPS coordinates:
41º56'36.99" N
2º44'21.13" E
IF YOU'RE DRIVING
Airport
The first thing you might want to do upon arriving at Barcelona Airport is to go to the Tourist Information Desk (9:30 to 15h in terminal A and 9:30 to 20h in terminal B). In terminal A, the international terminal, the tourist office is situated just behind the one and only bar—to the far left when facing the exits. They can give you all kinds of maps and information on the Costa Brava and Catalonia in English and for free.
As you leave the airport precinct there is a clearly marked blue sign reading Girona and Francia. This leads you around metropolitan Barcelona's outer ring road. You will notice after about 5 kms that there are two roads, one reads A-7 and the other C-33. I recommend you follow signs for the C-33 to the Ronda de Dalt, which leads you around the inner ring road and saves you a longer route around the outer ring road to the A-7.
I would only opt for the sign leading to the A-7 instead of the C-33 if you notice that the access to the Ronda is very, very congested, which might be the case if there is an accident or during rush hour, say 8 to 10:30 am or 5 to 8:30 pm. When you pick up your car, they can tell you which route is the best.
To Estanyol:
Mas Roca is just outside a tiny village called Estanyol situated about 8 or 9 kilometers southwest of Girona. If you have a good map, Estanyol would be just below the town of Bescano on the GI-540. After about 90 kilometers on the A-7 from Barcelona, (2 toll booths, and about 6 Euros, which you can pay in cash or with any credit card) you'll come across the exit nº 8 for the Aeroport de Girona.
Exit and follow signs in to the Aeroport de Girona, and at the second traffic circle, you want to take the well-marked exit for Aiguaviva. This traffic circle is just before entering the airport precinct.
Take this 6 km stretch around the airport, and in Aiguaviva at the traffic light, turn left towards Santa Coloma de Farners. Then, on that road to Santa Coloma, after a fairly long uphill stretch, you take a right turn at the first crossroads, well signposted for Estanyol and Anglès). After a kilometer or so on this road, take the right turn clearly marked for Parroquia San Andreu de Estanyol and Hostal Estanyol.
To the house:
The left turn in to Mas Roca is signposted about 3 or 4 curves after passing the church at Estanyol. This would be about 350 meters after passing the church. Another way of looking at it is that the turn off for Mas Roca is the second possible left turn after passing the church. You can't miss Mas Roca—you can see it amidst the trees, a reddish burnt umber-colored house you can see between the trees from the road.
IF YOU'RE TAKING THE TRAIN OR BUS
The Train (RENFE)
To get to Girona (where I will pick you up) from Barcelona Airport you have to first catch the RENFE train that leaves from the airport T2B and then change at Barcelona Sants station. From Barcelona Sants station you need to catch the train headed towards Figueres and then get off at Girona which is 2 stops before. Links to train timetables appear below:
"Alsa" Bus Service
This bus service leaves from outside both T1 and T2 of Barcelona Airport and will take you to Girona. It begins at T2 and then continues to T1 before carrying on to Girona. Transport time to Girona is 1 hour 50 minutes from T2 and 1 hour 35 minutes from T1. Ticket price is approximately 19 Euros for an adult single. For further information, please call the numbers below.
- For bookings, timetable and up to date pricing information, telephone
+34 902 422 242.
- Alternatively call the Barcelona Airport Tourist Information line and ask for further information on Alsa. Telephone
+34 93 478 4704.
Other questions? Contact the Rewrite Mentor: paul@rewritementor.com
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