Brynhonddu Country House B&B

We booked a night at this B&B in advance, with the aim of taking the border collie up a local hill called The Cat's Back. On the Saturday morning it looked like someone was throwing a bucket of water against our window - there would be no 'glorious views' from the top of the Cat's Back for us, and we decided to leave the dog behind, and make the best of a weekend of torrential rain and floods. We had no trouble finding the place, using the guide on our phones (google maps) and moved the car down to the car park after dropping off heavy bags at the door. The owner greeted us warmly, and gave us a tour - I think the idea of sitting with other guests at breakfast is great - would have loved to have met other guests. The hotel reminded me, on this windswept night, of the hotel in Agatha Christie's 'The Mousetrap', which we saw recently in a touring production. I was hoping to meet some kind of Colonel Mustard and Miss Peacock at breakfast. Sadly this early in the season and with the weather warning of 'threat to life' there were no other guests. There are photos and pictures telling the story of a family as it grew, and lots of local maps and resources. The room was fine - it gives the impression that you are staying in someone's home - which is what B&B's used to be. If I wanted a sterile soul-less but pristine experience, I could just travel the country staying at chain hotels. We dined out at a local restaurant '1861' which was lovely, though the phone failed us as there was no signal. In the remoter parts of Wales I think it's better to have a good map, for when the signal drops. The breakfast was really excellent - I can't get eggs that hot and perfect. We loved all the local information, and crucial local knowledge about which roads would be flooded - managed to get home safely. We will be going back, when it's dry enough to get up the hills.