Andorra

"Time, and therefore life, passes quickly and what we end up remembering isn’t always what we have experienced."

Paraphrasing  Julian Barns, The Sense of an Ending.

Monday 29^th October

And so, with a heap of fond memories, we left France and drove up into the Pyrenees, heading for Andorra and then Spain.

It was -1.6˚C at 8am as we made our way over to the showers.  Clear skies and bright sunshine, the temperature rose to 9˚ by 11am as we set off on our journey to the Principality. Almost immediately we could see the snow covered tops of the Pyrenees.

The journey from Artigat to Andorra was just 80 miles but breathtaking as the road twisted and turned as we ascended  the mountains.  Past waterfalls, some white shiny and frozen into dagger like icicles.  The road climbed over 6,000 feet to the Customs Post where we entered Andorra .

By 2pm we were set up in our new temporary residence at Canillo, the temperature a cool 7˚C. We were some 4,500 feet above sea level here.  Later we walked along the Valira d'Orient, a tributary of Gran Valira, the river that runs through the centre of Andorra.  Biting cold but entertained by the many dippers and grey wagtails darting from boulder to boulder.

The following day we drove down to Andorra La Vella, the capital city where we did some shopping and found the restaurant we eat at when Franz had driven us there the previous Friday.  Although the currency is the Euro, Andorra is not a member of the EU and consequently not bound by the many restrictions laid down by Brussels.  This was clearly demonstrated when the couple next to us in the restaurant, having finished their meal, promptly took out their cigarettes and lit up.

 A waiter was at their table within seconds ……. and handed them an ash tray!

Wednesday 31^st October

It rained heavily in the night but was bright and sunny when we surfaced around 9am.  Whilst Wendy made good ready for our moving off tomorrow, and fed the feral cats on the site, I drove into Canillo to the car wash and to fill up with diesel. At €1.15 per litre or about 93 pence, I filled the tank for a little under £60.

Later that day we walked into Canillo where we bought a few postcards and took advantage of the duty free to take home for the family, conscious of the limited quantities allowed entering Spain.  An early night as we were advised to leave promptly the next morning. The traffic becomes heavy after 9am and the streets through the city are quite narrow.

Thursday 1^st November

After a rigorous search of ourselves, the car and inside the caravan by a gruff Spanish Customs Officer, we journeyed through a couple of long tunnels, and entered Spain proper and out to an immediate change of scenery.

Trees, fields, hedges, ditches, the landscape of the countryside.  So much of this was absent in Andorra, but then the country had its own unique appeal.  Without the sun it felt claustrophobic but when the sun shone, the immaculately kept streets and the expensive and well stocked shops glistened.  Glad we paid a visit but happy to be back to large open landscapes.  We were heading for Barcelona. Almost immediately it became warmer.  Within a few miles the temperature had risen to 17˚C so we stopped and had a celebratory picnic.