We
entered Spain at Puigcerda, having been diverted around the town of
Bourg-Madame because of a big market day and losing our way and
completely missing going through the old border post. We had to stop
at a garage and ask where we were in relation to things, Carol is
happy to be able to communicate a little more easily again using her
little bit of spanish. We had forgotten about a little country in the
mountains called Andorra. It has only one main road running through
it and is apparently a shopping meca for those living in the
surrounds. It was right near our projected route through the Pyrenees
so we decided we would go there too. This is the third very small country we have visited in Europe (Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and now Andorra) and each one has been smaller than the last. Andorra has an
area of 468 km2 (181
sq mi) and an estimated population of 83,888 in 2009. Its
capital, Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at
an elevation of 1023 metres. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_microstates
One
good thing we discovered on entering Spain is that petrol is cheaper
than France at about €1.16 per litre for 95 octane but even better
still petrol is cheaper again in Andorra at €1.06/ltr. It was
about 60km from the border of Spain to the border of Andorra where
there is a big border for the Spain side where everyone, including
cars, on their way out was being checked and there was a big waiting
line, the Andorra border about 20 mtrs later consisted only of police
watching who came and went. We unfortunately arrived on a Sunday at
2pm and found the only shops open were for food and 2 motorbike shops
which we perused but found the prices on most things were the same if
not more expensive than we would pay in NZ. In the food shops as you
will see in our pics Carol found some gigantic Chubbachups and a
gigantic bottle of Nutella. We filled up and drove to the border to
go back into Spain expecting to sit in a queue and have a long wait
but we were lucky and a guard stepped out and waved our line of cars
straight by the side of the post so we didn't even have to slow down.
Back
on the road through Spain (still headed for Montrejeau in France)
between Llavorsi and Vielha we travelled over a pass that was covered
in snow and it snowed lightly as we were crossing it. This was
Carol's first experience of driving in snow conditions, it was fun
and beautiful scenery. At Vielha we picked up two women hitchhiking
to a large supermarket at the border and it gave us a chance to
practise our Spanish a bit. To see our photos http://cjb.pascoe.net.nz/ (click on or copy and paste into browser)
