I didn't expect much when I booked this cottage for a 5 night break over Easter; it was last minute and all I wanted was to get away for a few days and spend time with someone special. The cottage was available from the day after I wanted to arrive (ideally) but chatting to the owner, he made arrangements for me to arrive after 7pm on my day of choice. I arrived late at night having followed the faultless direction emailed by the owner. As I wound my way through the country lanes I felt I was leaving the stresses of work behind me and actually became quite excited about 'the cottage'. Over the final little river bridge I entered a world that could have been 16th or 17th Century, it's changed so little since the Mill and the Blacksmith here were doing a roaring trade these and two other small cottages are the only buildings in the village!. Despite the late hour and the quietness of the setting the pale blue front door of salmon leap was very welcoming and I gently eased it open. I immediately saw a beautiful old fireplace with modern log burner stacked with logs waiting for cosy chats and a glass of wine on the beautiful white sofa. Beyond that the wide patio doors opened out onto a veranda and fabulous views and the sound of the gently flowing river what a peaceful haven! The rest of the cottage continued to meet my now, high, expectations. Beautifully decorated throughout in modern light colours, this small two bedroom cottage felt big and airy. The kitchen which leads off the main downstairs room has an ultra-modern halogen hob and oven, along with all the mod cons you could need along with dining table and chairs, although the weather was so wonderful we ate every meal outdoors. Upstairs the main bedroom has spacious and luxurious with windows to enjoy views from the front and rear but for a real treat, open them up to let you wake to the sound of birds and the river simply wonderful! The second bedroom is much smaller but quaint and equally well appointed. The bathroom was excellently designed with plentiful hot water and power shower over a bath if you need to soak off a day walking. The cottage also has a DVD player, iPod dock, SKY TV and supply of DVD's and CD's, but this being at the foothill of the wonderful Brecon Beacons mountain range, I was outdoors exploring as soon as the sun came up. Brecon Town is 5 miles away; 4 minutes by car should you need to stock up at the supermarket, visit the TI or practically anything else you might need, all packaged into the tiny little town. I spent a day exploring the town and it's Cathedral, another walking in the beautiful mountains and the third day wandering the nearby town of Hay, famous for the Literary Festival but packed year-round with book shops, outdoor specialists, classy clothing shops, bakeries, antique shops and numerous places to eat and drink. On the drive back to the cottage I also stopped at Arthurs stone, a Neolithic burial site that still has the standing stones as this site has never been excavated. As I left on day 5 I felt a pang of sadness at leaving Salmon leap and wondered if I could realistically make the daily commute to work from this wonderful place, but dreams are just dreams and I waved a sad goodbye to the ducks on the river and added the little grey wagtail to my list of birds spotted in the visitors 'spotters' book. I'd wholeheartedly recommend Salmon Leap to young or old couples wanted to get away, to walk or just talk it's a tiny piece of heaven. read more

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