Monday, 23rd December 2019
Not a lot done today.
Tuesday, 24th December 2019
Again, nothing much done, just getting ready for the day tomorrow.
Wednesday, 25th December 2019
Christmas day
This Christmas is a Christmas that is very different to every other one we have had.
After making family phone calls through Facebook, and an extra early one at 3.30 am, we are headed up to Font Romue for our Christmas day. We were hoping that there would be a bit more snow about the place, but there is less. Where we took pics a week ago, there was no snow, it has all melted away. None the less, there is still snow about. We arrive a bit early, and to my amazement, most of the shops are open. I guess as this is a ski area, families will be coming up here to spend the day skiing, and trying out new equipment.
We get to our resturant, and are a little early, so we walk a bit more until they are open and ready for customers. It would have been great to have a window seat, as the views from this place are wonderful, but seating arrangements didn't allow that to happen.
Our menu has a couple of chioces for each course, which I thought might be a set menu, and it is in French, so we are busy using our phones to translate what the foods are that are available to us. Orderning drinks is a little easier.
For my entree, I order, Salmon done 3 ways, and Bob has Pumpkin soup with a couple of prawns. The soup, had an interesting flavour to it, and we figured it out that there was a hint of vanilla in it and entrees were very nice.
Next course, I ordered Duck with pear and honey, which is offered as rare or medium, so I choose the medium preferancem and Bob has the Beef. It is very nice, although, I don't eat all of my Duck, as I think Duck should be fully cooked, but I wanted to try something different, as the French would eat it. Next is Dessert, and I have a Pistachio and Raspberry dessert, and Bob chooses a Burlee of some sort, but they are both presented beautifully, and taste amazing.
It has been a nice Christmas lunch with a not to noisy clientelle, which makes it for a very pleasant dining experience and the staff have been very friendly.
We now think we will go up on the chair lift up to the snow, and skiing fields to have a look about. We walk up the stairs to the chair lifts, and ask about tickets and are told that they can be purchased down at the office next to the office of tourism. So we head back down the stairs, and obtain the tickets, and go back up.
We get seated into the chair lift, and enjoy the ride up the mountain, and take in the views beyond us. Once we get to the end of the lift, we hop out, and go out into the snow. It seems that where we are is dedicated to the learners and children, but it is good for us to get pics. We see the other ski chairs and the things that pull you up the mountain, and watch skiiers coming down the mount.
We go back down, and head back to that car, and head back to our unit. Christmas in the snow has been done, and enjoyed very much, and the thing is I didin't over eat, or feel bloated as we all usually do after a Christmas lunch. Our white Christmas has been wonderful.
Thursday, 26th December 2019
Boxing day, and we didn't go out anywhere. The town seems very quiet.
Friday, 27th December 2019
Today we have decided to go to Andorra. Andorra is a tiny country between Spain and France, in the Pyrenees Mountains.
Andorra is 71 kms away from where we are, or a 2 hrs 20 mins drive. As it is it own country and not part of the EU, we are thinking that there will be some sort of customs check. Andorra is a low tax or tax free haven and encourages duty free shopping. It has a population or 76,177 and is at an altitude of 1,996 meters.
When we get inside the car, we notice that the windscreen is covered in ice. Neither of us have encountered this for a very long time, so we have to spend some time defrosting the windscreen, with water from the washer bottle, and the air blowing from the inside. But It isn't hot air, as the car is not warm enough to blow hot air yet. Eventually it starts to melt, and we are soon on our way.
On our way, as you can imagine, it is cold outside, and we notice that there are icicles formed on the wire netting on the mountain side, which makes for fasinating pictures. The netting is to stop rocks and stones falling onto the road, and it some places around here, are are many levels of netting to catch the fall of rocks.
As we are getting closer to Andorra, the traffic is growning, and eventually we come to a stand still. Not sure of what is happeing, but thinking, that we are close to the border, and it is a customs station. There are Kilometers of cars behind us, and not sure how far ahead the check point is. All we can do is wait and have passports at the ready. We wonder if they issue stamps for the passports, or not. We get closer to the check point, and it seems that all of the cars ahead of us, are driving through without being checked, and the same goes for us aswell. So on stamp in our passport saying we have been into this country. There is lots of snow around, and there have been a few photos taken.
We are headed for the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella, with a population of 22,256, but with tourism, this number explodes. According to Wikipedia, there are 10 million tourists to this tiny county each year. It is hard to believe the figure is so large, given where it is, up in the Pyrenees mountains.
On our way to the capital, we travel through the longest tunnel to date for us. It is a distance of 4.8 kms, going though, a mountain, and this tunnel is only one of a few.
We find somewhere to park the car, and start exploring this city.
We head for a shopping centre, so we can get some lunch, and Burger King is good. At least with some of the fast food outlets, you can use the kiosk, and choose the language you need. Takes all the difficulty out of things. after we have eaten, we stroll around this shopping complex, and then after some research, discover there is a long retail street, not to far away. So we head out to discover what might be out there, and it is incredibile to see so many people and a long long street of shops.
We walk up the street, and it just keeps going on and on, and when we turn to look behind us, it is just an ocean of people moving in all directions for as far as you can see.
Bob has decided it might be a good place to purchase a dashcam, and we go into a couple of shops, and ask for prices on what they have, but nothing suits what we are willing to pay. Eventually, we find or rather Bob finds a great deal, and a deal is done.
Now we turn back and go down the street, and getting our bearings as to where the car is parked we continue down this busy shopping mall. I happen to notice on one of the light poles something that says, it is a mile long of shopping, and I think it could be right. There are many Christmas decorations, and Disney Characters about, and photos are taken.
We eventually head back to the car, and leave this busy little metropolis to the many people who are busy shopping.
Leaving the country is the same as entering it, with long queues waiting to go through the customs point, again, with no checks being done. I am driving this time, back down the windy mountain roads, and there are many impatient drivers that overtake is crazy places, but that seems to be the normal for over here. We arrive back to our unit safe and sound, and have had a wonderful day.
Saturday, 28th December 2019
Today was a chillaxing day, and some washing was done.
Sunday, 29th December 2019
Another quiet day, bit of a fog over the mountains this morning, and the temp was down to 3 degrees at 9am this morning.
We go for a walk about the town to see what is happening in this quiet place.
There is no sirens wailing, or even dogs barking. It is a very very quiet place.
We take the rubbish for a walk to the bins, and then we continue to walk up to the old church that is perched up on the hill. The old church, has a sundail on it, and if seems it has been here at least since 863.
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