Three countries in one day.

Travel

Jun 6

Our alarm is set for 530 am as we have a full day ahead. At 6 am, we make our way down the stairs to walk to our meeting point for today's tour. On the last step of a landing, Norm thought he was at the bottom but was not and took a tumble. He twisted his ankle and knee slightly, but it didn't seem too bad.

We walk for 15 minutes, enjoying the quiet streets and the early morning glow of the rising sun.

Our destination is the country of Andorra 🇦🇩.

Andorra is a small, independent European country situated among the southern peaks of the Pyrenees Mountains. France is to the north and east, and Spain to the south and west. It is one of the smallest states in Europe and not part of the EU. The capital is Andorra la Vella, which we will visit today.

Up to the 70s, this country was impoverished until they discovered tourism and business. They are now a tax-free country that offers skiing and hiking in their beautiful mountains.

We enjoyed a light breakfast with some exploring of the town of Baga. Baga is a little Pyrenees town in the Catalonia Region of Spain, famous for hiking.

Our route also takes us through France. We stopped for lunch in Ax-les-Thermes. It is a famous hydromineral resort town. It is fed by a spring 4000 meters underground, with temperatures reaching 120°C. The water is sodium sulphide in nature and is considered to have healing properties. There are spots around town where you can relax and soak your feet. I stopped and soaked my feet in one medium heated pool.

Andorra is not big, but it is beautiful. The mountains are impressive, especially now with spring flowers in full bloom. The capital city, la Vella, is in a narrow valley that only receives direct sunlight for 4 hours a day. The buildings are all modern, built to withstand the long winter season.

We had time to explore the city and shop before returning to Barcelona. By this time, Norm's Knee was pretty sore and swollen, slowing him down on our walks.

We slowly walked back to our hotel from the bus drop-off point, and on the way, we passed a 100% gluten-free bakery. Okay, we passed, and then I returned to treat myself to a couple of cinnamon buns and a cookie. The plan was to eat one bun today and the other tomorrow. They were so good I ate both tonight.

There is a pretty Mexican restaurant with a lovely patio in our hotel, so to minimize Norm's walking, we ate there. As it turned out, it is a 2019 and 2020 Michelin restaurant. The prices are very reasonable, and the food is superb. It's a perfect way to end the day.