January 27, 2011

Andorra

By roads-rus

Looking for just the right word to describe Andorra is not easy, so let me just say that I found it, well, unusual.

Andorra has no airport, yet.  One has been proposed.  No trains enter this tiny principality birthed in 1278 but without a constitution until 1993. It was not easy to get there, high up in The Pyrenees, from Barcelona, but I managed to find a bus to take us there and bought tickets using extreme body language.

Andorra’s main tourist attractions, as far as I could determine, are skiing and shopping.  Ruth and I cruised many stores which sold what is readily available in airport duty-free shops but with a lot more, mostly casual clothing.  But we saw no bargains.  Maybe that’s because we were not there during two annual sales.  Andorra is said to be a tax-free haven, but the tourist literature is kind of vague about how the system works, as in, “When shopping in Andorra, we must remember the customs taxes.  The products which can be taken out of the country are tax-free to the limits determined by the customs exemptions….”  We weren’t tempted to test the law.

Andorra’s number one product and export is cigarettes, number two is cigars, and three is furniture.  Anyone looking for that place in the world where they can still smoke freely should head for Andorra.  There’s even a Tobacco Museum.   There’s also a Pin Museum.

The official language of Andorra is Catalan, making it the only country in the world where Catalan prevails.  We heard Spanish and French too but didn’t find the locals especially friendly.   They mostly seemed glum and preoccupied, maybe because they have to go so far to be warm.

We experienced local food twice but weren’t especially impressed, perhaps because we were surrounded by avid smokers.  The tourist literature promised 425 restaurants in a land where, “Throughout the year, popular culinary meetings are held which keep the country’s gastronomy alive.” We didn’t sample sausage meal or sponges.

Despite tourism being a big business here, Andorra might soon be making international headlines.  Barcelona, which has already hosted the Olympics, is thinking about bidding for the winter games.  If it’s selected, Alpine events will be held in Andorra and Barcelona will become the first city in the world to host both the Winter and Summer Olympics.

Andorra is quite scenic.  Its tiny capital, Andorra la Vella, is in a narrow cleft between high mountains.  Wedged between Spain and France with only one road in from each, Andorra’s mountains are impressive.  Andorrans call their home “a country of snow.”  Don’t forget your coat.

Hank

About roads-rus

Since the beginning, I've had to avoid writing about the downside of travel in order to sell more than 100 articles. Just because something negative happened doesn't mean your trip was ruined. But tell that to publishers who are into 5-star cruise and tropical beach fantasies. I want to tell what happened on my way to the beach, and it may not have been all that pleasant. My number one rule of the road is...today's disaster is tomorrow's great story. My travel experiences have appeared in about twenty magazines and newspapers. I've been in all 50 states more than once and more than 50 countries. Ruth and I love to travel internationally--Japan, Canada, China, Argentina, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, etc. Within the next 2 years we will have visited all of the European countries. But our favorite destination is Australia. Ruth and I have been there 9 times. I've written a book about Australia's Outback, ALONE NEAR ALICE, which is available through both Amazon & Barnes & Noble. My first fictional work, MOVING FORWARD, GETTING NOWHERE, has recently been posted on Amazon. It's a contemporary, hopefully funny re-telling of The Odyssey. View all posts by roads-rus
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