Wednesday 29 December 2010

Friday 22 October 2010

Sella to Finestrat Road OPEN!


After 9 months, the road (CV758) between Finestrat village and the CV770 to Sella that was closed to facilitate a road straightening project, has finally re-opened. There is still some work ongoing, so although a road that was once full of twists and turns and character now tempts you to try and break the Fini to Sella land speed record, please drive with caution!

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Tuesday 14 September 2010

New Geocache - Puig Campana Summit!

Click to enlarge.

villagehouseinspain.com today did and were FTF (first to find) the new geocache that has been placed on the summit of Puig Campana . On arriving at the summit there was a slight delay, as I had to wait for the Spanish army who were also up there (on manoeuvres?) to bugger off! You really DO want to find this one if you go looking for it - over 4 hours round trip with an ascent of over 1000m (3281ft) and then the same again coming down! For more information CLICK HERE

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Friday 13 August 2010

'Mama Mia' style wedding in Sella

This weekend Casa Blava and Sella hosted a real 'Mama Mia' style wedding. The ceremony took place at the chapel that sits above the village with the bride arriving on a donkey! CONGRATULATIONS to Steve and Katarina.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Puig Campana Night Walk

Saturday 26 June 2010 - guided by the light of a full moon we summitted Puig Campana.

how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Saturday 19 June 2010

George Leigh Mallory


Its been an eventful 18 months for anyone with an interest in George Mallory - Mark Mackenzie's book 'In the Footsteps of Mallory and Irvine: The Wildest Dream' was published in May of last year', Jeffrey Archer's novel 'Paths of Glory' hit the bookshelves in September and now the release date for the long awaited film (with Conrad Anker and Leo Houlding) The Wildest Dream has also been announced - Friday 6th August 2010.

how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Tuesday 1 June 2010

And Another New Geocache - Cova de L´Aigua


Another new local geocache 'Cova de L´Aigua' has been set up. This cache is not as easily accesible on foot as the previously reported cache (Alcantara) and not possible at all by car! However, both the location and views are stunning. For more information CLICK HERE

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Sunday 23 May 2010

Sella Cultural Fiesta

This years Cultural Fiesta saw queues all the way down the street (past La Casa Blava) as people waited patiently for a portion of the giant paella!

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Sunday 2 May 2010

New Geocache - Alcantara

A new local geocache 'Alcantara' has been set up. The cache is easily accesible both by car and on foot, in fact if you are doing the local walk 'Ruta de Agua' you will walk right past it!

For more information CLICK HERE


how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Saturday 3 April 2010

Good Friday Procession


Although on a completely different scale to the large pocessions that take place in bigger cities throughout Spain at this time of year, this solemn march can still leave people feeling quite moved and has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Thursday 1 April 2010

Ermita circa 1960

I came across this very short (only lasts for about 5 seconds) piece of old footage, orginally taken on a 16mm cine camera around 1960 during a ferocious storm. The winds were so strong that they caused a lot of damage and as shown in the film actually blew the weather vane from the top of the village Ermita (chapel).


how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Sella on TV

Sella featured on local Valencian TV station Canal 9 this afternoon. One of the locals´'Juani' gave a 'live' cookery demonstration, cooking Borreta amb melva - a fish dish local to this area.

To see the broadcast CLICK HERE

how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Article - Sella a piece of Switzerland in Spain

Norwegian magazine HOY has this week published
an article called Sella a piece of Switzerland in Spain.

Click HERE to see the article - Norwegian

Click HERE to see the article - English (Google Translate)

how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Sunday 28 March 2010

Palm Sunday Celebrations

Palm Sunday celebrations included - the blessing of palms, performances in the church by the Sella Choir, the Rondalla de Sella (string instruments) and the Sella Band as well as a performance in the main square by the Sella Dance Troup.

To see these photos on flickr CLICK HERE
(best viewed in full screen mode)

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Saturday 27 March 2010

Villajoyosa Rally

Click to enlarge.

This weekend has seen (and heard) the annual Villajoyosa Rally passing through Sella. The Sella to Relleu leg of the rally started just outside the village early on Saturday morning and then later in the morning many of the cars passed again through the village on their way to Confrides for the next leg. This years rally attracted 69 entrants - good luck to all and drive safe!


how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Friday 26 March 2010

Inspired by Leo Houlding - Eric Holding On!

Hi everyone, Eric here - I know that a few of you have been wondering what I've been up to? Well, after watching Alastair Lee's brilliant film The Asgard Project, which follows British 'rock star' Leo Houlding as he makes the first free ascent of the mile high Mt Asgard on Baffin Island (deep in the Arctic) I have to admit that I was left feeling a bit inspired. They say that a picture speaks a thousand words, so heres a couple of grands worth - the first's an Asgard pic of Leo, and the second's an Asgard vid of . . . . . . well just take a look!




how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Thursday 25 March 2010

Picnic in the Clouds

We enjoyed a very atmospheric 5 hour picnic at the top of the Tagarina Valley. It was a continual cycle of clouds descending and clinging to the mountains before the sun would burn through and disperse them and then the process would start again.

Wednesday 17 March 2010

Monday 15 March 2010

Church Tower Under Wraps

Although there has been a lot in the news over the last few years about Spanish authorities cracking down on illegal properties (ie those built without the correct planning permissions) and in some cases even the demolition of such properties, we believe that this is not the case with the Sella village church of Santa Ana.

Although currently under wraps (scaffolding) we believe that this is just to enable repairs to the tower to be carried out, as opposed to demolition because some higher authority does not have his paperwork in order!

Sunday 21 February 2010

Saturday 20 February 2010

Ridge Walkies!

Another great walk with MHS today - I had a great time,
we scrambled up to the top and then did a ridge walk!

For more info about where we went CLICK HERE

how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Berghaus Caption Contest Winner

(re post 02 Dec 2009)


I knew that dogs hunted in packs but this is ridiculous!
Rupert Tyrrell

how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Thursday 18 February 2010

Local Geocache Found on 3rd Attempt

Su-Per found Sella's Divine Mountain (Traditional Cache)

Then we succeeded!!
On the third attempt we found the most impressive and exciting cache we have found until now. In our first and second attempts we 'attacked' our cache from the south side. We left the car - GPS show nearest driving ability to the cache. Parking around 1000 meters from the goal! But few hundred meters before the goal, we hit our heads against a vertical rock wall! So close to the target We agreed that the cache should be allocated with at least 103 stars under 'Terrain'. In the third attack, we followed the fine directions and arrived to the cache from the north side 2 days of intensive work was crowned with success. Thanks to Eric's Dad & Eric.

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

GPS Walking Article

Click HERE to see the article (PDF)

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Sunday 24 January 2010

PC With Internet Access

For those who choose not to bring a laptop, La Casa Blava now has a PC with full internet access in the top floor sitting room.


how to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Sella to Finestrat Road Closed

Map - click to enlarge

The road (CV758) between Finestrat village and the CV770 to Sella has been closed for improvements. We are not sure if this is just a short temporary closure or whether it will last for the duration of the works.

This does NOT affect the normal route up to Sella from the coast
(CV770 - Villajoyosa, Orcheta, Sella) so no problems getting to Sella.

Any new information relating to this road closure will be added to this post as it becomes available.

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Basin & Book

Today - followed an ancient, but little used path that takes you to a small cave high above the village of Sella. Inside the cave, a natural spring and two stone basins can be seen. There is also a visitors book dating back to 2003 with comments and thoughts etc. of people who have visited this remote place.

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Sunday 17 January 2010

That Blessed Dog!

Sunday 17th January 2010 - Erics First Time In Church.

No, Eric has not been 'born again'. However, along with numerous other dogs, several cats and even budgies, he went to the Santa Ana church in Sella to be blessed as part of the anual fiesta of Saint Anthony.

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Friday 8 January 2010

I like Snow!

Walking in the Tagarina Valley this afternoon

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Thursday 7 January 2010

WiFi Availabe

FREE WiFi is now available for all
guests staying at La Casa Blava.

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Buddhist Valley Walk

Photo taken whilst doing the Buddhist Valley Walk this afternoon.
(click to enlarge)

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Tuesday 5 January 2010

The 3 Kings

Being Epiphany (6th Jan) as is the tradition, the 3 Kings (Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar) arrived in Sella bearing gifts.


Another Sella tradition on this occasion is selecting an original form of transport and this year was no exception - they arrived on three dumper trucks!

how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE

Saturday 2 January 2010

ZERO 1408 - the 2010 January Challenge

When we talk about the height of a mountain, we are refering to it's height above sea level so, we came up with the idea of doing just that - a walk from sea level to summit!

2nd January 2010, 07:30 - starting at the coast (zero meters above sea level) and walking to the summit of the mighty Puig Campana mountain (1408 meters above sea level) but of course that was not the finish, as we still had to come back down!



ZERO 1408 The Movie (8 mins)



To see a photo slideshow on flickr CLICK HERE
(best viewed in full screen mode)


"There's no way round it. When it comes to Costa Blanca walking, Puig Campana is The One. Towering over everything else near the coast, its soaring dome fluted with turrets, towers and fanciful crenellations. The ascent looks daunting from a distance (from the south it's the long grey green scar in the middle of the mountain - yes, that one!) and it can get pretty daunting on the ground too." Charles Davis.





Date 2nd Jan 2010
Duration 10 hours 35 minutes
Length 23.34 km / 14.5 miles
Average Speed 2.25 kmh / 1.4 mph
Vertical Up 1527 m / 5010 ft
Vertical Down 1182 m / 3878 ft


HELP - how do I to add a comment?
CLICK HERE

Friday 1 January 2010

New Years Eve

Midnight saw a packed Plazor Mayor as everyone (and
their grapes) came out to welcome in 2010.
how do I to add a comment? CLICK HERE