Longs days hunched over a computer, hours bingeing Netflix and a continually buzzing smartphone means we're all in need of a bit of screen respite these days.
Cue Rustic Escapes, who offer bespoke retreats at their four rural properties – one in the UK and three in Spain – with the aim of reconnecting guests with nature, culture and more traditional (non-digital) pastimes.
Whether your tonic be long, countryside walks, befriending local wildlife, learning to cook new cuisines or simply catching some much-needed Z’s, owner Tracy Ibberson and her team are on hand to arrange everything – or nothing, should sleeping be top of your agenda.
Where is it?
On this occasion, I'm heading to their newly-restored farmhouse, Partida de la Mar, in Almàssera, a sleepy agricultural town just 5km from the Spanish city of Valencia. This will be my base for a long weekend of lie-ins, sunbathing and discovering the area’s exceptional culinary offering.
As my taxi pulls up to Partida de la Mar, it's clear that it’s place where one can switch off, both digitally and mentally. Reached by only narrow, dusty tracks, the farmhouse (or 'alqueria') is surrounded by rows of orange trees and verdant fields of artichokes and spring onions. Everything is silent, still and downright beautiful.
Where to stay
Inside is a just as enticing: exposed, amber-coloured brick walls are adorned with local antiques and modern canvases. Chic pendant lamps hang from original ceiling beams, while Intricate blue and white-painted tiles cover the floor. All of it, of course, will have you to itching to grab your phone and immediately share with your social media following. Oh, the irony.
And that's just the downstairs. A dinky set of steps off the main reception room leads to the old loft, which has been renovated into a luxurious master suite, complete with a towering king-size bed and free-standing copper bath.
Some of the alqueria’s heavy wooden doors have been replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass ones, so light pours into all corners of the property. The back set open out onto a sun-drenched terrace and kitchen garden, where guests can pick their own tomatoes, aubergines, basil and rosemary.
What to do
After one of the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had (honestly, it’s in my top 10), Tracy arrives to take me on a food tour of the area. First stop is Albufera, a UNESCO-protected freshwater lagoon filled with rice paddies, located south of Valencia city centre. It was using the round, pearl-like rice grown in Albufera, along with seafood from surrounding lakes, that fisherman first cooked Spain’s most famous dish, paella – something that I’m keen to learn how to cook whilst in its birthplace.
Next up, we travel the 11km into the heart of Valencia for a meander around the Mercado Central – one of the city’s oldest and busiest food markets. Spanning over 8,000 square metres, the Art Nouveau building houses hundreds of stalls selling meat, fish, charcuterie, cheese, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Do as I did and take a tote bag (or three) to stock up on Iberico ham and buttery manchego for an afternoon nibble.
The finale of my Valencian food education was a paella workshop. Hosted at the alqueria on my last evening, the workshop was run by lovely Eduardo, who arrived armed with his industrial-sized paella dish and all the traditional ingredients. As Eduardo guided me through the cooking process (when to add the stock and the rice, how to stir it properly etc.), Tracy was on hand to offer us generous pours of Spanish rioja.
Once cooked, tradition has it that paella is eaten all together straight from the pan. So, as we sat out on the star-lit terrace, all digging in with just our spoons and swigging on fine wine, I realised that this, right here, is living the good life.
The following morning, I headed to the airport feeling relaxed, recharged and still absolutely stuffed from last night’s feast. As for a souvenir from my stay in Almàssera, sadly there was no way I could take home the abundant sunshine and fresh country air. But I did stuff my suitcase with Albufera rice and slip Eduardo’s paella recipe into my jeans pocket.
See, once you have a taste the good life, you just can’t get enough of it.
Rustic Escapes’ Come & Cook in Valencia package starts at £90 per person, based on 4 people for 7 nights (flights not included).
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