Mas Ros is situated in a tiny hamlet in the Pla de l'Estany, an area to the east of Banyoles dotted with pretty little agricultural villages, most of them little changed in appearance since Medieval times. Words can not do justice to the beauty of this region; an enchanting area of rolling hills where nature, local traditions and gastronomy converge to delight the visitor. If pressed for a simile I´d say it´s a bit like the best of Tuscany but with the busloads of tourists.

One of about a half-dozen large ancient houses clustered around a outsized 15thC church, Mas Ros offers splendid views of the Pyrenees and out towards the sea. The pool is of a good size and well kept, as is the lawn area surrounded by a hedgerow. The church is beautifully illuminated at night.

Most of the food and drink is produced locally (the owners husband owns over 700 head of cattle on a farm a safe distance away), and the cuisine here has gained quite a reputation. She has visitors who return every year in large part to have more of her home cooking. Maria Dolors, co proprietor and cook, is also President of the local Rural Tourism Association, so you can be sure she runs a tight ship.

Meals are optional, and cost 22 Euros. Give Maria Dolors notice if you intend to eat in as she buys everything fresh. Only overnight guests can eat at Mas Ros, and the small and irregularly shaped dining room with stone arches is simple but quite pleasant. If dinner is not available, not to worry, as there are dozens of good restaurants close to Mas Ros, many of them with terraces for outdoor meals. One of my absolute favorite restaurants is a very cheap family-run eatery just up the road in Sant Esteve de Guialbes, where a dinner of Catalan salad (with cold cuts on top of lettuce and tomato, roast duck with black morchell mushrooms, and chewy house wine will set you back all of about 12 Euros! What´s more, you are served by four generations of the same family! It´s a red checked cloth place under ancient vaulted ceilings or in summer out on the terrace.

Where were we? Oh yes, back to Mas Ros... There is something else I really liked about this house and that I find quite special. While the antique furniture and the decoration is more or less what you would expect in a quality house, the truth of the matter is that this B&B's upstairs bedroom quarters are of recent construction, and they are very well thought out. All rooms are set fairly far apartment, often separated by a stairwell, so that no rooms share a common wall. (I can´t stand hearing my neighbor's next door when I'm in a hotel.) Also - and this is harder to describe - all rooms have a very small entry hall with a little hall closet, and two doors: one to the bedroom and the other to the bathroom. This is very clever not having the toilet opening directly onto the room.

On the second floor there is a little terrace with wicker furniture and nice views of the fields across to the village of Sant Esteve and its church tower surrounded by gorgeous old stone houses - typical of the entire region. All you can hear is the breeze and the churping of little birdies. The owners live in that huge and magnificent farmhouse between Mas Ros and the church. One of the nice things about my job is that I can stay at these houses at a reduced rate. Mas Ros is one that I go back to again and again!