Coma Pedrosa Hotel Arinsal

Today was my last full day in Andorra. There wasn't a huge amount to do. It wasn't snowing, but the wind was so fierce that it seemed like a sand storm made out of snow. I had a great time watching a group of cows grazing in snow up to their stomachs. Other than that I had a walk around town and spent about an hour at a ...

... transformed. Snow everywhere. I went for an early morning walk to take some pictures of the same places I did before to show the huge difference. It's been snowing all day and even now as I write this I'm starting at snowflakes the size of tissues hit the window. I wouldn't be surprised if it was up to my waist tomorrow.<br><br> There's not too much to do with it snowing like this (ironically enough the ski resorts don't even open till the end of ...

... village et quand on est arrivé, il avait le marché du matin. On a acheter du vin à environ 1 euro le litre (vin de pays) et du bon fromage bleu pour le déjeuner.<br><br>On avait pas le droit de prendre des photos dans la grotte pour pas faire de la pollution lumineuse (il y avait déja des ptites pousses de plante pres des lanternes...ils veulent pas en rajouté non plus). Aussi il faut pas déranger les chauve souris...pauve cocottes...<br>

... What it does mean, we're not quite sure of yet. Still dealing with the shock and going over a few different options. All while kicking myself for not realizing this sooner. Only one thing is for certain - I'm not going to let this spoil our trip, and we're going to have to get cycling! (o.k., two things). <br>

... checking on the new babes the next day, I say a little one-day-old-piglet outside of the pen. He had fallen out of a crack along the inside. The entrance back into the pen was impossibly high for such a little one. He was running around the outside looking for a way in and I just had to help him get back to the heat lamp and Mommy&#8217;s milk! I went for him once and missed. As he started to run away out of the electric fenced boundary, I ...

... on toast it resembled scrambled eggs in both texture and taste. Won&#8217;t become my favourite dish, but it was interesting to try out. I can certainly appreciate the effort to use every part of an animal in respect for it giving it&#8217;s life, but I did feel a little like Hannibal Lectre. There&#8217;s just something in knowing you&#8217;re eating brain that doesn&#8217;t appeal over all the other organs on an animal.

... the time to see the final goal. Then the sweet feeling of triumph when you&#8217;re actually there!<br><br>Now it&#8217;s time to relax, but one of the most difficult parts is still to come: the descent. This is a relaxing &#8216;walk&#8217; down the rock face while to seat yourself into the harness low enough that your legs are at 90 degree angles to the rock. Your weight born by the belayer below you slowly step your way down more keeping ...

... and roads scattered everywhere - if you can find them. Driving is a very different than walking. In great contrast to the towns below, the wind howled and ice formed on the road. On foot the walk was extremely harsh and I could see why there were shephards and hikers huts dotted all around for shelter. You can see why farmers train their animals instead of caring for them themselves ...

... As the van rolled away we went to jump in with only Luke, conveniently the mechanic amongst us, getting aboard successfully. Now the van didn't roll start by the first corner. Or the second. And so we watched it roll around the third corner and out of view. We waited for about fifteen minutes before seeing it return. As Luke would relay later, it didn't come to life until it was almost at Soldeu (some 4kms downhill) and the guide was again hinting at needing a push ...

... with the last pair hitting me squarely in the face. It was not pretty. Luckily, I had a good supply of tissues about my person.... In between donor sessions, I did fit in some skiing and learned to love it, if not display any real aptitude. Kay had skied before, as had her sister and brother-in-law, who also came on the trip. So, luckily I was in the numpty beginners' class on my own and didn't have any witnesses to my ...