In my quest to collect countries since I retired Andorra was an elusive one! I was never near enough or had extra time to visit this very small, landlocked sovereign country that lies between Spain and France. I vowed that this time would be different; I would make time to allow for a visit.
Andorra is about a three hour drive from Barcelona. I did not want to drive and trains do not go directly there so I looked for a tour that might take us on a day trip. I did find several on Viator and selected one that appealed to me. It was labeled as a small group which was desirable. I booked it quite a few months before the river cruise trip. We almost had a major glitch when the tour guide (Antonio Falcon) texted me that he could not take us on the day we had agreed on. Luckily we were able to move it to today by shifting our food tour day.
Andorra is small (181 square miles) with a population of about 79,00o. It is the 6th smallest microstate in Europe. The others (smallest to largest) are Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. We have visited all the others on previous trips, so this visit will complete the set! It has been a member of the United Nations since 1993. Surprisingly it is not a member of the EU although its currency is the euro. It was created by Charlemagne in the year 795 to act as a buffer state against Moorish invasion. It was jointly ruled by France and Spain until recent times. Andorra, nestled in the Pyrénées Mountains, is known for its ski resorts and as a tax haven. It consists of seven states (called “parishes”). Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest elevation city in Europe, sitting at an elevation of 1,023 meters.
As it turned out we were the only people on his tour. Antonio picked us up at the hotel and we walked to the local underground garage where he had arranged for a rental car (as he commonly does when he leads this tour. For larger groups he simply gets a larger car).
Our small but adequate Kia vehicle. I rode in front seat with the driver.
Cloudy skies as we left Barcelona.
Time flew by as Antonio loves to talk and we learned a lot about the area. We stopped in a small town for a coffee and “technical stop” about 2 hours (traffic in Barcelona had slowed our departure) after leaving Barcelona.
The castle above Cardona, Spain where salt has been mined since Roman days.
Our coffee stop in Solsona, Spain. Its population is about 9000.
The Catalonian flag.
Fountain outside the cathedral.
The coffee shop was new and modern. We had hoped to find an “old world” shop in this small town.
Disappointing pastry. That is all that was available this morning.
No such thing as an americano here.
Cathedral of Santa Maria de Solsona, dating back to the 14th century.
It is obviously a very old church. I was surprised that it was a cathedral, given the small town it is in.
Inside the original early century chapel.
A really old door at the Solsona cathedral.
The original cistern in the church courtyard.
Courtyard of the cathedral.
A vending machine for candles!
10 AM and the town was quiet.
A door in Solsona.
Back on the road we arrived at the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella around 12:30.
The Pyrenees start to appear.
Fields of red poppies.
Near Oliana, Spain, an area noted for rock climbing.
Near to village of Coll de Nargo, Spain.
A ancient stone home below a big Stone Mountain!
Scenery near Organya, Spain.
Ribera d’Urgellet, Spain with a population of 923.
Ruins of a fortress above La Seu d’ Urgell. The bishop of this town is one of the co-princes of Andorra.
Crossing the border into Andorra. No one stopped us. We drove right by the security police stationed there.
Antonio proceeded to show us the major sights in the area, including a famous bridge and the oldest known church that dates back to the 8-9th century. Because parking was an issue he briefly dropped us off in the center of town to check out the souvenir shopping (surprisingly it was not good) before picking us up and taking us to a nearby town for a fabulous late lunch!
Sant Julia del Loria, the southern parish of Andorra. Popularion 9200, elevation of 908 meters making it the lowest elevation village in Andorra.
The gateway to the capital, Andorra La Vella.
Andorra is noted for its tax free shopping.
What an Andorra license plate looks like.
Pont de la Margineda, that dates back to the 14th century
We finally made it to Andorra!
Another view of the bridge (and us).
Church of Santa Coloma. The oldest church in Andorra. The chapel dates to the 8th century. The tower is from the 12th century.
Unfortunately the church was not open to view its interior.
Original 12th century timbers in the church wall.
The main street of Andorra La Vella. I expected an older looking town.
The Gran Vilara River flows through Andorra La Vella.
Famous Andorra landmark.
Local take on Salvador Dali concept of a melted clock.
Our guide said perfumes are a bargain in Andorra.
The mountain village (population 853) of Anyos.
Entering the mountain village of La Massana, which reminded us of a mountain ski village.
Snow capped peaks in the Pyrenees mountains.
Our luncheon venue.
I believe it was a former barn or farming building.
A tasteful, relaxing atmosphere.
Menu of the restaurant. Antonio made some suggestions.
A marvelous rioja. Surprisingly you can get it in the USA.
Antonio showing us how to prepare bread smeared with garlic and tomatoes.
Andorran trinxat, a mixture of cabbage, potatoes, onions and sausage.Delicious!
Veal and mushrooms.
Sausage and bean cassoulet.
Meats are finished on this wood fired grill.
Happy, satisfied customers.
After a lovely, leisurely lunch Antonio drove to a couple more spectacular viewpoints overlooking the valley and a local shrine before heading back to Barcelona on an alternative route. We basically had covered all the “parishes” of Andorra during our brief visit.
The area around Canillo.
Scenery becomes even more spectacular. It reminded us of Switzerland.
Scenery near Canillo, a small town in Andorra.
The scenery is spectacular.
A sculpture on the grounds of Our Lady of Meritxell.
Our Laday of Meritxell, the patron saint of Andorra. This is a replica of the 12th century statue. The original was lost in a fire in 1972. The story behind the statue is that it appeared by a blooming rose in January. The locals put it in a chapel. The next day it was found back by the rose. This happened three times and the villagers took it as a sign they should build a church there, which they did in the 12th century.
Courtyard of the Church of Our Lady of Meritxell.
I have never seen a circular main altar.
One of several bookcases that house bibles in languages from around the world.
List of languages where bibles have been translated.
Even one in the American Indian language.
The 12th century chapel of Meritxell.
The original statue was lost in a 1972 fire.
The view leaving the shrine.
We arrived back around 7 PM just in time to face the only rain we saw the entire trip. In fact it became a downpour as we walked the short distance to our hotel. Although we had our raincoats Yvonne requested that we buy an umbrella to avoid getting entirely soaked!
The village of Torrefeta i Florejacs, Spain. Population of 590.
Lush yellow fields. I am not sure what was growing; nevertheless it provided for a dramatic landscape.
The rain dissuaded us from venturing out for a quick dinner; we opted to simply grab something in the hotel dining room which turned out to be a pleasant experience as they brought complementary champagne at the beginning of the meal-another nice touch!
Overlooking La Rambla where the rain is finally ending. The city needed it!
Complimentary champagne to start the meal.
Toasted Iberian ham & Brie sandwich.
Roasted vegetable and ham soup. All European soups seem to be puréed.
Thus ends our lovely trip. We must catch a 4:30 AM cab to the airport as our flight leaves at 6:50 AM and we do not to risk missing it.
