Blogs from Andorra, Europe - page 10

Another trip to Pas de la Casa to practice my skiing. Much better conditions this year with 1m snow on the slopes. Chatted to a group on the bus journey who took pity on me and invited me to ski with them for the week. Also blagged my way into the intermediate group lessons and was bricking it when they started mentioning black runs and jumps! All I could keep thinking was that I've just handed in my notice at work and I have a medical next week for my new job - I can't afford to break anything!!!! Nevertheless onwards and up the six-man chair lift to the top, passing several boarding being stretched off the mountain! By the end of the week I had mastered the blacks and was airborne a few times without ... read more

Our experience in Spain up to this point had been wonderful and we had been on some great trips both in the country and outside of it, but there was one great North American tradition that we were beginning to miss - the road trip. So we paired up with experienced roadtrippers Nadine and Aaron, rented a car, and set our sights on the snow capped peaks of Andorra. If you aren’t familiar with the country of Andorra (as I wasn’t prior to the planning of this trip), it is a tiny country stuffed between France and Spain, atop the Pyrenees, full of amazing skiing and duty free shops where bottles of absinthe cost no more than 5 euros. It is possible to cross the entire country in hour. The trip up was very enjoyable. Nadine ... read more

My first weekend here, and I was off to Andorra! I was having snowboarding withdrawls already because I just couldn´t turn down the offer even though I hadn´t even settled in yet. I´m very glad I went though, it was beautiful in Andorra and so much fun to get on a board again! There are many old medieval castles to look at in town and the Pryenees are beautiful (thought I still don´t think nearly as great as the Rockies, but I´m probably just being bias!) We went on a greyhound type bus with about 20 american students and 20 local spaniards - we picked up a few on the way too. It was a blast of a ride there...so many people to talk to and practice my spanish with! My favorite part about it was ... read more

After a few days reorganising our lives again in Wales we headed off to Bristol in the wee hours for our early morning departure to Toulouse. From here we took a four hour bus drive up into the Pyrenees to the tiny country of Andorra...known pretty much soley for its snow resorts and tax free shopping. The country only covers and area of around 480 square kilometres with a population of 82,000 and interestingly the highest life expectancy in the world (83.52 years...thanks Wikipedia)!! Very very interesting given the fact that just about the entire population seems to enjoy a cigarette or two (maybe that was just the tourists taking advantage of the low prices??). Not too much to say really....had a fantastic week snowboarding. Jas starting from scratch and Kirst reliving her youthful times on ... read more

Went to Barcelona.... The direct night train hotel from Paris was so freakin expensive even with a railpass!!!!!!!! so I actually took a night train to a border city then another high speed train down to Barcelona....and cost only 15% of the hotel train...haaaa!!! Barcelona = Gaudi!!!! without him Barcelona will not be the same!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS CITY!!!! just by first sight...I remember Sevilla was beautiful and I loved it..I did think Northern Spain wouldnt be as nice but NO!!!!! Barcelona is as clean, and beautiful and vibrant in a very different way!!!!! Really liked the whole feeling of it just in a few hours of arriving!!! Arrived in the hostel and then headed out to the city, saw some of Gaudi´s building.....and WOWOW... Amazing........Amazing.......soooooooo the style I like!! The curves...the details.....the gothic influences and ... read more