Andorra - 28 to 30 September 2007 (GR2 & 3)

Our stay in Andorra was short, sweet and cold. We once again crossed borders with absolutely no hassles, not a question was asked by any of the officials at the Douanne (Customs) offices and 'voila', we were in the smallest country in the world. The authorities, we assumed, seem to think that if Spain or France will let you in, that's good enough for them. Our arrival in Andorra was after sunset and driving through the snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains along its numerous passes left us chilled and rather surprised. We were not expecting such low temperatures, let alone snow!!!

The kids seemed really energized by their first experience of snow, but I guess it would be fair to say that kids and adults alike were all equally excited. Our first night was spent in a motor-home parking lot in the town of Ordino. This did not cost us a cent, but it was brrrrrr COLD!!!

Andorra is a duty free country and most French motorists living close to Andorra drive here to fill up their vehicles with the 'cheap' fuel. We naturally followed suit and filled up our vehicles with diesel at the 'low' R8.60 per litre. Diesel in France costs around R11.50 to R12.00 per litre. Compare this to R0.13c per litre for diesel we paid in Egypt.

The group was up early the next morning and drove the 15km mountain pass to Andorra la Vella, a small town squeezed into the Riu Gran Valira Valley. Once again we were met with stunning views and some bright sunshine - yeah!! This little town is mainly engaged in the retailing of electronic and luxury goods and our time here was spent wandering through the narrow cobblestone streets flanked by attractive stone houses. The time here seemed to fly by and before we knew it, the sun was setting and we had to head back to our overnight stop in Ordino. As the sun set, temperatures dropped and before long we were warmly tucked away in our campervans under the sleeping bags. Oddly though, that evening did not seem as cold as the night before; were we acclimatized already!! We didn't think so.

We left Andorra the next morning, a little sad that our time there was over, but not before enjoying a breakfast overlooking the Pyrenees Mountains, on our way back to the French Riviera and Milan, Italy.

Later

GR2 & GR3