Sant Jordi Andorra la Vella

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 ...

... only thing in sight, a bus in a gravel lot. It then struck me why there were only 2 buses that left from the “station” per day, there are only 2 trains per day. So, half relieved and half amused, I loaded my things onto the bus, paid the short stout Spaniard my fare and saddled up for the ride to Canillo.

At first I could only laugh to myself as I got on the bus watching the tiny but wide driver bounce back and forth to blaring salsa ...

... 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.

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...

... 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).

... on the pavement before us are things we‘ve seen all along our travels in France. But neither of these are edible and so interest me little. At the farm there are a few new nut trees: walnut and chestnut.

Having never been a nut eater, this is a new culinary adventure I‘ve been slowly traveling on the last few years. Able to only bear shredded cocunut in baking and the odd candied almond, I‘m now embracing nuts of ...

... the weekend and they’re ready for pickup and processing. Brian had always been interested in butchering meat, so here was an opportunity to learn a bit.

The drive back from the abattoir was more difficult than I’d expected. Sitting beside 4, ½ pig carcasses was less than comfortable. +6 degree weather outside we still drove with the windows down and the A/C on trying to get the temperature down to 2 or 3 ...

... the ‘hostel’ guy- calls me up- again- on my emergency world phone.

"Where were you? You were supposed to be here at nine o’clock!"

“Where was I? Where were you? I was there- at eight o’clock! And where’s this so-called ‘Barcelona City House? Your neighbors said you left!”

“Where are you now? We can still meet up.”

“I’m in a ...

... am fitting in like a true Andorrian. Watching a little Spanish football on a big screen TV in a smokey local bar doesn´t do any harm either - Real Madrid Vs Some Team Stating With G without any stars that I have never heard of. Even though it is bitterly cold, I am enjoying it here. Perhaps it is just the novelty factor though, as I am not sure if I could handle being in this for 4 months in every twelve, year in year out. Perhaps I could actually learn to ski for once.

Blond Klara from the Czech Republic found a ski pass last week. A tourist had evidently lost it. Little Klara became very excited, more excited even than usual. She and black-haired Slovakian Martina already had ski passes for the whole season. But, their American friend didn´t. I was very reluctant to accept this five-day ski-pass, because it meant some poor tourist was going to be without one. Sorry, tourist. But, I try to always support excited friends. (yeah, I took ...

... to fall over during class that he would buy us a bottle of champagne....Not even an hour later, he was on the baby run and fell over! Everyday we got up and headed to the snow fields taking on different runs and becoming more confident. In the afternoons we would take a break and kick off our boots, warm our, by now, very numb feet and sip on hot chocolate with Brandy....mmmmm, no better way to relax. On the last day of ...