Off from Valencia and back onto the highway again today. What should have been a five hour trip, soon turned into six, then seven. A wrong turn near Barcelona, then some white knuckle switchback driving in Andorra had me near the end of my rope. I was ready to run down any Andorran bovine who strayed into my path. Just when the swearing had reached it's apex, our hotel magically appeared before us. Once I shut off all 63 horses of the Citroen, and took a deep breath, I realized we were in a beautiful mountain valley! Andorra is a mini-Colorado, much like Liechtenstein. Lindso and I went for a run on a mountain trail next to a bubbling brook that slowly climed a thousand feet or so. For the first time on the trip we were really out in nature, and it was very nice.We found a pub that served Spanish beer and olives, and listened to the ringing church bells and watched little Andorran children run around the cobblestone streets. The pub had a bullfight on TV, which I kept popping in to watch, though I do agree in principle with Lindso that they are horrible and should be banned.
We found the one restuarant that was open (Andorra's high season is winter for skiing); and the French couple running it were very friendly and helpful, perhaps because we were their only customers. We both agreed that Andorra was a place that deserved a second look next time we're in town.
Some recent news on Andorra:
