Well, the students went home, and we are running around Europe like a couple of chickens with their heads cut off. We left the hotel in Barcelona and got on a train headed for La Tour de Carol, France. Unfortunately, the tracks were being worked on, and we were told to get off the train and transfer to a bus. There were two girls that were supposed to do the same, but they got off one village too soon. The conductor told us that there were no more trains that day. I wonder what happened to them?
We got on a bus playing Pink Flloyd music and drove to a tiny village in the Pyrenees called Puigcerda. It was really bizarre. There were lots of buildings and very few people. We did not know when or if the next bus would come. Luckily, another bus did come, and when we got off we were in another small town full of rude people. We boarded one final bus, and we got off in Andorra. Mostly it was just another passport stamp that we were after, but we ended up loving Andorra.
The town of Andorra la Vella in nestled in a valley in the peaks of the Pyrenees. There are police on every corner, and the town is spotless. Everyone is very well dressed in name brands and drives a fancy car or motorcycle.
Dev and I decided that we should start the adventure with a nice dinner, so we went to a mountain lodge type restaraunt. They served us marinated olives which we proceeded to eat with a knife and fork. Andorra is too good for finger food. We had pizza and a bottle of merlot. We sat and chatted for qutie a while before heading back to the hotel.
The next morning Devin went to the Cigar Shop, and I hit the local market in search of fresh fruit and bread. I was even able to find peanut butter. I have a feeling that I will never eat another peanut butter and apple sandwich again after this trip. At least it is easy to pack and cheap too. I have been using my finger to spread the peanut butter and a wine bottle opener to cut up the apples.
We had to get to Toulouse so that we could catch a train to Paris. The only way was a bus that cost us €62. Yikes! The drive was beautiful even though the bus was more like a small van with no air conditioning. We rode with a crazy driver who I was just sure was actually taking us to Bratislava, a man named Mauricio who had lived in California for six years and his traveling companion, a french teacher, and a couple of Canadian backpackers.
When we got to Toulouse we decided to follow the Canadians on the night train to Paris. Once we got our tickets we realized that we were headed to a different station than the one where Grant is meeting us. We sat waiting for seven hours before finally getting on the train and sleeping all the way to Paris. Now we are sitting in an internet cafe trying to figure out how to find Grant. I hope we find him soon!
