What a great find. The host’s neighbour Anna was very welcoming and helpful (even with my basic Spanish). During our week's stay she was very friendly and accommodating . Communication with Monica was very easy and she was always happy to help. The house was beautiful and unique. It’s a very big, old house on 3 floors in the heart of the medieval fortified village of Besalu. It consists of 4 bedrooms and 3 good sized bathrooms, two sitting rooms (one on the ground floor, the other on the top floor with sofa bed) and a really well equipped kitchen. A bonus is the lovely top floor balcony terrace looking west and over the back garden. It's a nice place to chill in the evening. The house is tastefully decorated with many interesting objects which add to the character anf thoughtful lighting. It's a lovely balance between old and new, and looks to have been tastefully converted by an architect. The house feels more like a home than a holiday let, with some nice furniture and good quality materials. Its ancient thick stone walls and tiled floor helped maintain a very cool interior, even on the hottest days when temperatures reached 36-38 degrees outside. This was welcomed. 3 of the bedrooms had fans which helped keep the worst of the heat away at night, but in the July heatwave, some nights were still uncomfortably hot. The garden was great – full of fun and surprises with great natural plunge pool, fed from spring water and filtered through a huge bed of tall reeds. It was very well looked after with all the necessary amenities. It was a great place to spend a hot afternoon reading in the shade of the trees or covered terraces of which there are two - one for breakfast/dining next to the huge BBQ, the other for lounging - it even has a ceiling fan. The town of Besalu was lovely with all necessary amenities and beautiful narrow streets, good restaurants and even an unusual museum of minitures. Catalonia has much to offer. We would definitely recommend some of the visits. Truly amazing how medieval towns were built on top of hills or nestled on outcrops with their terraced designs and thier networks of tight streets. We visited Garrotxa Volcanic Park and also Saderness - the walk to St. Aniol was lovely. The swim in the nearby river was lovely and refreshing. The beach of Saint d’Empuries wasn’t too busy for Costa Brava, but it required a longer drive. The 7 Gorgs near Campdevanol were stunning as well. The famous Dali Museum in Figueres is definitely worth visiting - even if Dadaism and Surrealism aren't your cup of tea. Girona is also a short drive away and is very beautiful, withe medieval city wall and cathedral a particular highlight. Overall we would recommend the house, town and the region of Catalonia to anyone.