Day 116: Sant Julia de Loria to El Nasrou, Barcelona - Fri 29 Aug

Day 116: Sant Julia de Loria to El Nasrou, Barcelona - Fri 29 Aug
Oh no, just about to make an early start to cross into Spain when John discovered a sheared bolt on his back tyre - 4 hours and a replacement bolt later we were finally on the road. Ann and GirlRob topped up the groceries, then explored the plaza and managed to resist the duty-free goods including the biggest bar of Toblerone we'd ever seen! 

Off to Barcelona, on what might be our last day of windy mountain roads and quaint villages. Passed border (waved through), customs (once we started to open top and it was obvious we were a motorhome not a light truck, we were also waved through) then finally police (didn't even look at us) we were out of our brief sojourn in pretty Andorra. Welcome to Espana! Beautiful drive up sheer mountainsides and down into valleys, past ochre-coloured communities with impossibly narrow entrances and lanes. Very Spanish church bell towers. 

Apples for picking - no need to stop....

El burro!

GirlRob's photo translates nicely as a watercolour.....

All too soon it was time for a coffee stop at top of mountain for last view before descending into more urban territory. 

 
  








 
 

Veered past tempting jagged outline of Montserrat Mountains in afternoon sun and followed trusty Garmin through the maze of highways and satellite cities of Barcelona. 

  
 










Relieved to run straight down to Mediterranean Sea and find there was space in the caravan park north of the city. Sultry, crowded and noisy, we are at least close enough to catch public transport into city to explore over next couple of days. With all windows and shades open and one fan on (GirlRob’s didn't work!) it was cool enough to sleep.

Day 115: Fontpedrouse to Sant Julia de Loria - Thurs 28 Aug

Day 115: Fontpedrouse to Sant Julia de Loria - Thurs 28 Aug

Another milestone coming up today, exiting France and crossing Pyranees into world’s smallest country, Andorra! GirlRob could not get out of her head the words of a poem learned in primary school for an Esteddfod. The singsong words and phrases recreate the feel of the old lively Italian folk dance, the Tarantella:

Tarantella (Hilaire Belloc)

Do you remember an Inn,
Miranda?
Do you remember an Inn?
And the tedding and the spreading
Of the straw for a bedding,
And the fleas that tease in the High Pyrenees,
And the wine that tasted of tar?
And the cheers and the jeers of the young muleteers
(Under the vine of the dark verandah)?
Do you remember an Inn, Miranda,
Do you remember an Inn?

Passed buildings with rustic-artistic rounded roof tiles. Had to back off small bridge for turning log truck – locals rule OK! 

  








 

 








 

Climbing higher into the Catalan Pyrenees, sticks protruding along sides of road to show edges during snow. Saw first ice patches on mountains, waterfalls, running creeks.

Snow sticks

Snow fences

Couldn’t find an explanation for big queue coming out of Andorra (would think any shoppers or gamblers taking advantage of tax haven would be going IN for weekend…) Crawled through Pas de la Casa ski town on border for shopaholics, its crass brightness a blight on mountainous landscape. Cattle and ponies on windy road up. Stopped on plateau at top for lunch 2400+mtrs. Pleasant sound of cowbells drifting up valleys.

 








 
Turned off at Canillo to explore a snaky high road but didn't even get half-way to Ordino; drove through weight restrictions, but just past some totem poles thought it prudent to turn back due to height restrictions ahead.
 

 

 












On to capital Andorra la Vella, what a squeeze to fit city into such a narrow valley. Not a hope of parking camper trucks, so couldn't stop for Salvadore Dali statue as planned. Space at such a premium even crypts in cemetery were stacked and terraced, sharing walls. 

Andorra la Vella in ribbon valley far below

Growing tobacco on valley walls

 









Looking for a campsite, turned to do wriggly mountain loop-road out of Sant Julia de Loria. Goats on road, high country terraced agriculture. At higher altitude more obvious longitudinal cracks in road. Our hoped-for quiet mountain outlook for night turned out to be a Nature Park - horse riding, go-carts, mini-golf, wild animals, tyre luge, and a bobsled run!! We moved on, finishing loop back in Sant Julia.

Found Mile's recommended free camping by chance, at Sant Julia, carpark behind enormous River Commercial Shopping Complex alongside fast flowing dirty river - last tax free shops before leaving Andorra. BoyRob made very good fried rice with an egg the Asian way. Woken through night by spectacular thunderstorm, lightening show, and sonic booms ricocheting off walls of narrow valley. Pelting rain drowned out sound of gurgling river as we tried to go back to sleep.