Andorra...

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Today we are off to Andorra.

As we leave the farmstead near Mazeres, the morning is like crystal. The Pyrenees Mountains in the distance are as clear as we have seen them so far.

We will soon be driving up and over those mountains out of France and into the small Principality of Andorra.

After less than an hour we have reached the foot hills of the Pyrenees.

Soon we are right amongst the mountains.



We drive up along the valley floor, winding from side to side across a mountain stream. At one point we see a truck that has recently crashed though the guard rail and lies on its side in the bottom of the stream.

Then we begin the serious climb. On the map the the road has so many squiggles that it looks like a map of the small intestine.

We roll through the check point between France and Andorra unchallenged. Some cars are pulled aside.

We climb upwards, slowly snaking our way up the mountain side. The road is not steep but it winds it way zigzagging up the mountain side. Just before we reach the first town inside Andorra, Pas de la Cassa, we have the option of taking a tunnel (with toll) through the mountain or continue on over the pass. No we are not at the top yet despite the best part of an hour climbing. We are all for adventure, the road is excellent and the car has heaps of power, so we opt to over the top.

Pas de la Cassa is a ski resort (no snow at present) and a duty free shopping mecca for the French.

It is not a big town but it is very popular even when there is no snow. We drive on, but get a chance to stop just above the town to get another photo. The duty free extends to fuel also. In France we have been averaging 1.11 Euro per litre for diesel; in Andorra we buy it for 95 Euro cents per litre.

Another climb and we reach the top of the pass called Port d'Envalira.

At 2,400m above we feel like we are on top of the world. Two days ago at Col de Port we thought we were high at 1,200m; chicken feed now.

From here it is all down hill, still windy, but down hill. At the top of the pass the read out in Picasso was saying, based on our fuel consumption rate, that we had 195km to go before we needed to fill up. By time we coast the 33km down into the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella, the read out says we have 450km to go; we are making fuel!

We glide down through several ski villages.
From what we can see there is no flat land in Andorra, and Andorra la Vella is not different. The small city is built at the lower slopes of a very steep mountain valley.
We did find one flat area, the park in the heart of the city.
A fast running mountain stream flows through the city.

The bulk of the city is very modern although there is a range of architecture.



The streets are crowded with shoppers, because as Jenelle discovers to her delight, the prices are very very good.

The streets are full of flowers in unusual pots and sculptures are everywhere. The city has the same feel as the capital of Liechtenstein that we visited a few years ago. Very modern, clean, upmarket and lots of public art.


These sculptures include this original Salvador Dali.

As a measure of modernness and cleanliness, the loos at the McDonalds, where we went to check our emails, were as good as any 5 star hotel.

But for all the luxury and wealth there is always a farmer to keep our feet on the ground. Although we have no idea where he would find enough flatish land around here to cultivate.

Andorra has gone onto Jenelle's top 10 shopping cities list, as joint number 1 along with Riga in Latvia.

At 4.00pm it was time to head for home. We decided to complete a loop that will take us out of Andorra into Spain and then back into France over another high pass in the Pyrenees. But we better top up the tank before we go anywhere. We squeeze every drop of the 95c/L diesel into Picasso. The read out now says we have a range of 1240km before we need to fill up again; if only.

We continue to coast down the valley into Spain, stopping only for a cursory Border check by the Spanish authorities. Not worried about passports, “do you have any cigarettes or alcohol”. “No”. “Vamoose”

As we roll further into Spain we notice the mountains become more barren and the roads get rougher. The bottom of the valley gradually widens out into a flat plain covered with farms.






At Puigcerda, we turn north and head back towards France. We climb again into the Pyrenees.

We have seen some ski slopes today but nothing as steep as this run. Although the photo does not do it justice this slop looks almost vertical. This is obviously where the suicidals come to ski.

We stop for lunch (5.00pm) at the top of the pass Col de Puymorens. This time we are only at 1,950m; a mole hill really.

After lunch of sausage on buttered baguette and a cup of tea we head for home. It is all down hill from here now. Buy 7.00pm we are back at the ranch; the sun is still high in the sky and it is 32 degrees. We have been on the road for 10 hours and its time for a beer.

Carcassonne...

Today is market day in Carcassonne. In addition to our standard fruit and veggies, we buy fresh Almonds, Hazelnuts and Dates.



Carcassonne is divided into two cities; the old and the new.



High on the hill on one side of the river is the Old City with it's walls intact.



The Old City, dating from the 9 or 10th century, is today largely a tourist trap. Full of shops, cafes, restaurants, cheap souvenirs, an upmarket hotel and of course tourists.

The unremarkable Basilica St Nazaire,within Old Carcassonne, has some spectacular stained glass windows.


The Lower City is on the other side of the river. In the late 12th century the locals were evicted from the old city after an uprising. They were only allowed to build on the lower ground on the other side of the river. Today the Lower City is the main part of town.



The Canal du Midi which begins in Toulouse and extends 240km to the Mediterranean Sea, passes through Carcassonne.



Maybe next year we can rent a canal barge like this, Jenelle?



After our visit to Carcassonne we take a drive through the countryside to have a look at the major dam in the region; Lake Montbel. Fed by the melting snow of the Pyrenees, Lake Montbel is getting low by the end of summer. Most of the water (90%) is used for agriculture, but the cost of the water (96%) is paid by the residents through their town water supply charges. Agriculture is very heavily subsidised by the government and strongly supported by the people. Agriculture and rural life is the heart of modern France.




We drive around the Lake a little looking for photo opportunities. Along the way we see a Chateau in the distance but despite our best efforts to get closer it disappears like a mirage.



In the end we find the local sail club on the shore of the lake. The French love their sailing. There is not a major town within cooee of here, but the shoreline is covered with small sail boats.

A Drive in the Pyrenees...

Today dawned all dull and overcast. Well we guessed it dawned that way, because when we got up at about 9.00am it was dull and overcast. We spent the morning on housekeeping, shopping, blogging and catching up on the world news. Back home the Federal election was still undecided, but Labor was more likely to form government.

At 1.00pm as if on cue, the sky began to clear, just in time for us to hit the road into the Pyrenees.



Up and up to over 1250m at Col de Port, the pass on the road between Tarascon sur Ariege and St. Girons. Our first taste of the Pyrenees is awesome and Jenelle is bouncing around the car trying to get photos out of the windows.


Up here the air is cool, there is a faint smell of cattle in the air and then there is the incessant rattle of clunky cow bells. This herd has been happily wandering up and down the road and even camping on it if the cow pats are anything to go by.

The hills around here are steep. This fence goes straight up to the top of this mountain which is 400m higher than where we are parked at Col de Port.
The view from up there is apparently amazing but we give it a miss. We did see a couple, with backpacks, marching up the zigzag path that leads to the top of this mountain in the half hour or so we had lunch.

Even the yards at the pass are built on a steep slope.
We see quite a few cyclists riding up and over the mountain road.


One wise couple and their young daughter were brought by bike hire company to the top of the pass and they then coasted back down. The mum gave the brakes a good test out before they began their decent; as you would. Most of the road has no guard rails. The sides of the road are marked with long poles (green tipped on the left, red tipped on the right) which we find out later is to guide people when the road is covered with snow.

As we wind our way down to St Girons we follow along beside mountain streams that are gently babbling now but must be a fair torrent when the snow melts in spring.


Far off on a distant mountainside we catch a glimpse of the final remnants of last winter's snow.


St Girons village has a picturesque centre that is surrounded by pretty run down buildings and derelict factories.


Back on flat ground again. Every patch of grass that is not almost vertical has been mown and baled into huge round bales. Sheds are stuffed full of bales.


Jenelle wants to know where are all the animals that will eat all this hay? We see very few herds of cattle in the fields. Apparently at this time of year most of the cattle, sheep and goats are in the high country grazing. They are brought back down towards the end of autumn to spend the winter in barns chewing their way through a mountain of hay bales.

Along the road side we see a church with chapels going up the hillside behind marking the stations of the cross.

On top of the hill is a statue of Jesus.

We stop to take photos of the entrance to this huge cave called the “Grotte du Mas-d A'zil”; not knowing that the road we are following is about to drive right though it.


The 500m long tunnel is about 20m in diameter. It was scoured out through the mountain by the River A'rize. Very convenient for the road builders, but devastating for the archaeology of the cave system., much of the caves leading off the central tunnel cave have been sealed up to protect them from the road traffic pollution. Exciting to drive through though.

The final stage of our trip took us though the rolling hills around Pamier. As you can see they farm up and over anything that is not classed as mountain.