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| Mirador Roc Del Quer over Meritxell, Andorra |
First, the photos of the Pyrénées scenery looked gorgeous (when we went to Spain in 2015, we saw most of the country except the Pyrénées, so this was making up for that).
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| The Pyrénées |
Second, I wanted sufficient nature time to balance out the more urban parts of this trip.
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| The Garonne River |
Third, it’s a new country for me.
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| Map: BBC |
And, fourth, it sounds like the setting for one of those Hallmark movies where a regular guy turns out to be an epaulette-wearing prince who marries a sweet-and-or-cynical American girl and everyone lives happily ever after.
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| Posters: Hallmark |
It turned out to be not quite what I expected (and we didn’t meet a prince), but it was lovely.
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| Church steeple |
Of course, we had to get there. This is where I had my fingers crossed. There were two routes: skirt the Pyrénées on the French side (most likely tollway much of the trip) or go into Spain and drive through the mountains. I wanted the latter, but wasn’t sure whether Scott wanted to do the extra driving. He picked the latter without any pressure from me and it was beautiful.
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| GPS sure wanted us to go north |
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| Foothills of the Pyrénées |
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| Aneto; Aerial image: Gerardo Bielsa |
The highest peak on the border is Pique Longue at 10,820 feet. The tallest French summit is Pointe Chausenque at 10,512 feet. By Colorado standards, these seem low, but they are rising from just above sea level rather than Colorado’s 5,000-plus-foot base. So, they are tall.
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| And, her name lives on |
She pours out her story to the trees, attracting wild beasts who tear her to pieces (again, typical). Passing back through the region, Heracles is grief-stricken (a little late, bud!) when he finds her remains.
He lays Pyréné to rest, demanding that the surrounding geography join in mourning her and preserving her name (have someone else do all the work).
Most foothills of the Pyrénées are on the Spanish side; the French-side slopes descend abruptly with no foothills except in the northeast. With very few lakes, the Pyrénées have a large number of mountain torrents called gaves that often form lofty waterfalls, surpassed in Europe only by those of Scandinavia. The highest waterfall is 1,515-foot Gavarnie, just south of the town of Cauterets.
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| Gavarnie Falls; Photo: GoLulu |
There are few passes through the mountains. Principal roads and railroads between France and Spain run only in the lowlands at the western and eastern ends of the mountains, near sea level. Here's a little taste of driving in the country.
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| A tower on the French/Spanish border |
The metallic ores of the Pyrénées are not of much importance, although there were some iron mines in Andorra. Coal deposits capable of being profitably worked are chiefly on the Spanish slopes; the French side has beds of lignite. Luzenac is one of the greatest sources of talc in Europe.
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| Talc hills in Luzenac, France |
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| The Louvre |
There are many marble quarries in the Pyrénées, most opened by the ancient Romans. They provided prestigious marbles used in Rome and Constantinople, statuary white marbles as well as colored marbles used to decorate the Louvre, Versailles and the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain.
There are some glaciers in the western and snowy central Pyrénées, but there are none in the east because there is insufficient snowfall.
Glaciers do not descend into the valleys, but rather lie along the top of the mountain chain.
The lower mountains in the extreme west are wooded, but the extent of forest declines as one moves eastwards.
The eastern Pyrénées are wild and barren. In the west, the flora resembles that of central Europe while in the east it is distinctly Mediterranean in character.
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| Pretty colors; Photo: Scott Stevens |
At least 124 plant species have been observed, including 25 that are endemic.
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| A town on a wooded foothill; Photo: Scott Stevens |
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| A lone bale of hay |
Historically, the principal animals moved were cows and sheep, but since people moved with their animals, they also took pigs, horses and chickens. This movement became a mass biannual migration, moving up in May or June and returning in September or October. During the summer, the families lived in basic stone cabins in the high mountains.
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| Ruins of an old cabin |
Today, industrialization and changing agriculture practices have diminished the custom, but it is still celebrated in popular festivals.
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| Most of the towns seemed a bit bleak; see a drive through one here |
Created in 1967, Pyrénées National Park is home to 70 different species of mammals, including some that are endangered: the Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture), Pyrenean Desman (a small semiaquatic mammal related to Moles and Shrews), Pyrenean Chamois (a Goat-Antelope), Capercaillie (a Grouse-like bird) and a small population of Bears.
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| We saw no wild animals, but we did see some Red Kites |
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| Spanish Pyrénées; Photo: Scott Stevens |
Mont Perdu World Heritage Site straddles the border between France and Spain. The eastern portion of the Park became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
It was a beautiful drive, but we didn’t stop for too many photos.
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| We did like this valley |
We crossed the border (no passport check) over the Garonne River in Fos.
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| We did stop for a picnic (bread, cheese, gazpacho); Photos: Scott Stevens ... |
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| ... and to capture a beautiful green hillside sporting a stone tower and a small horse paddock |
The mountains got taller with some sporting snow caps. The winding road started to pass through ski resorts (many, many ski resorts) featuring lovely stone buildings.
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| A stop at a "mirador" AKA overlook; Photos: Scott Stevens |
Andorra
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| Tea from our hotel named after the capital |
We entered Andorra from the south (there was a passport check but no stamp) into the capital of Andorra del Vella.
The Principality of Andorra is the 17th smallest country in the world with an area of 181 square miles and a population of approximately 79,034. Nestled in the rugged Pyrénées, it is a landlocked country bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south.
The highest peak is Coma Pedrosa at 9,652 feet and the average elevation is 6,549 feet. The mountains are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the Gran Valira River leaves the country for Spain.
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| Church of Sant Joan de Caselles |
Andorra’s higher elevation means that, compared to France, it has more snow in winter and slightly cooler weather in summer.
The present principality is headed by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, and the President of France. Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 3,356 feet.
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| It's definitely a mountain-based community; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The country started as a seasonal camp settled in 9,500 BC that was a pass between the two sides of the Pyrénées, perfectly located for hunting and fishing.
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| Mountain passes are rare in the Pyrénées |
People who moved to the Valley of Madriu in 6640 BC grew grain, raised livestock and developed trade routes. In the Bronze Age, people worked iron and made coins and reliquaries.
A people called the Andosin, from whence the country’s name evolved, lived in the valleys during the 7th to 2nd Centuries BC and traded with Roman cities from the 2nd Century BC to the 5th Century.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Andorra came under the influence of invading Germanic Visigoths and the Spanish Kingdom of Toledo and Diocese of Urgell.
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| Visigoths by Angus McBride |
The Visigoths remained in the valleys for 200 years, during which time Christianity spread.
When the Muslims ousted the Visigoths in most of the Iberian Peninsula, Andorra was sheltered from the invaders by the Franks. Andorra was ruled by the count of Urgell until 988, after which the bishop of Urgell took over.
In 1278, a military dispute resulted in Andorra's sovereignty being shared between the count of Foix (to the north), whose title would ultimately transfer to the French head of state in 1607, and the bishop of Urgell. This gave the principality its current territory and political form. The General Council of the Valleys, the second oldest parliament in Europe, was founded in 1419.
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Frescoes from the Church of Sant Joan de Caselles; Photo: Reddit |
Social unrest in the early 1930s led to an attempted coup in 1934 when adventurer and nobleman Boris Skossyreff, with promises of modernization, declared himself King of Andorra, simultaneously declaring war on the Bishop of Urgell. He was arrested and ultimately expelled.
The country was relatively unscathed by the two World Wars and the Spanish Civil War, although many refugees from both sides of the Spanish conflict settled in the country, contributing to an economic boom, the beginning of the capitalist era and a decidedly Spanish character. During World War II, Andorra remained neutral and was an important smuggling route between France and Spain. Citizens helped victims of oppression in Nazi-occupied countries and survived by profits from assisting with smuggling.
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| Andorra del Vella, 1949: Photo: Incredible Andorra |
Given its isolation, Andorra had existed outside the mainstream of European history, with few ties to countries other than France, Spain and Portugal. But, as barriers began to break down, Andorra created a new service economy and began to build infrastructure including hotels, spa resorts, roads and communication systems.
The country signed an agreement with the European Economic Community to regularize trade relations in 1989. Andorra formalized diplomatic relations with the United States in 1996, participating in the 51st UN General Assembly. In 2006, a monetary agreement with the European Union was formalized that allows Andorra to use the euro.
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| Andorran flag |
Andorra does not have its own armed forces except a small ceremonial army. Responsibility for defense rests primarily with France and Spain. In emergencies or natural disasters, all able-bodied Andorran men between 21 and 60 must serve and, therefore, by law must keep a rifle, even though the law also states that the police will offer a firearm in case of need.
To build the economy, Andorra has promoted two industries: tourism and duty-free shopping.
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| A huge shopping area; Photo: Exploring Ed |
Tourism accounts for roughly 80 percent of GDP and is heavily based on winter sports. Indeed most of the country looks like a giant ski resort.
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| Stone chalets have a lot of charm |
They rest is basically a mall. Andorra achieved a GDP per capita and a life expectancy higher than the most countries.
The largest ethnic groups in Andorra are Andorrans (45.5 percent), Spanish (26.6 percent), Portuguese (12.9 percent) and French (5.2 percent).
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| Our hotel; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The historic and official language is Catalan, but most Andorran residents can also speak Spanish, Portuguese and/or French. English is less commonly spoken among the general population, but is understood to varying degrees in the major tourist resorts. Indeed, our innkeepers at the Hotel L’Ermita in Meritxell were seemingly fluent in all.
Children between the ages of 6 and 16 are required to attend school. Primary and secondary education is provided free in Catalan, French or Spanish. Parents may choose which system their children attend.
All schools are built and maintained by Andorran authorities, but teachers in the French and Spanish schools are paid for the most part by those countries, respectively. About 39 percent attend Andorran schools, 33 percent attend French and 28 percent go to Spanish schools.
The public Universitat d'Andorra, the only university in Andorra, was established in 1997. It provides first-level and graduate degrees in nursing and computer science and first-level degrees in business administration and educational sciences. The country’s geography and small population make a full academic program impossible. So, the University is a virtual studies center connected to Spanish and French universities, offering 20 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
A large majority of citizens is Catholic. The patron saint is Our Lady of Meritxell.
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| Sanctuary Basilica of Our Lady of Meritxell |
Andorran gastronomy is mainly Catalan with French and Italian elements. Typical dishes of the country are rich stews, oven-roasted snails, pastas, roasted meats with nuts and sweet breads. We had some breads at our hotel’s breakfast, but didn’t sample much traditional cuisine. We did have a spectacular dinner (well, mine was spectacular) at Restaurant Borda L'Era del Rossell, just down a flight of stairs from our hotel.
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| It specializes in meat cooked on an open grill in the dining room; Photos: Scott Stevens |
We started with great appetizers. I had mushroom croquettes, a typical Spanish tapa, that were otherworldly and Scott had foie gras (his new favorite thing).
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| Extraordinary! |
I followed with one of the best steaks I had ever eaten. Scott’s dinner was less successful. It was a “mountain paella," featuring sausages and meats rather than seafood. He said it was meh.
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| Well, at least he liked the wine |
Dessert was an interesting grilled pineapple with rum.
The hotel was up a hill off the main street right next to the Basilica of Meritxell. It was on the edge of town and convenient to our two destinations: the Mirador Roc Del Quer and the Tibetan Bridge.
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| The hotel had nice views of the mountains |
We found the staff exceptionally friendly and Scott loved an option at breakfast that we have seen nowhere else: a small hot plate and little pan where you could cook your own eggs.
Since eggs are generally either not available or totally disgusting in European hotels, Scott was so happy!
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| Breakfast |
Mirador Roc Del Quer
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| Quite a road |
I had reservations early in the morning for Andorra's two big attractions: the Mirador Roc Del Quer and the Tibetan Bridge.
Access was a bit confusing. You can take a bus from town, but we opted to drive up the winding road to the Mirador.
The word means “viewport” and that’s what it is, a 65-foot-long metal platform that juts 40 feet out from an-almost perpendicular cliff.
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| It's pretty impressive from afar |
It features several see-through glass sections that allow you to look straight down. Fortunately, unlike many places, you could walk on the glass windows and take photos.
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| Not as scary as you would think; Right photo: Scott Stevens |
But, you are actually looking at the slope, so it’s not exactly breath-taking. There is a large metal statue by artist Miguel Ángel González of a man sitting on the edge contemplating the town of Meritxell 1,640 feet below.
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| A giant man with a great viewpoint; Photo: Scott Stevens |
It is a quarter-mile walk down a steep path to the platform. I think the view from the higher-up parking lot might have been better.
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| But, I got a great shot of a Coal Tit at the platform |
It was pretty, but not as spectacular as I was expecting. I think I had seen dramatic photos taken in winter with lots of snow.
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| Looking down on our hotel; Photo: Scott Stevens |
Our weather was sunny with a chilly wind, but there was no snow to be seen.
After a few minutes on the platform taking pictures in that glorious sunlight, we walked back up the path and to the parking lot to catch the bus to the trailhead for the nearby Canillo Tibetan Bridge.
I thought the bridge was up the mountain from where we were, but it was down (we had driven past it on our way up and not noticed). It's a good thing we didn't attempt to walk from Mirador Roc Del Quer to the bridge!
Tibetan Bridge
It was confusing where to catch the bus and, I must say, the driver of the bus we took was quite surly. The drive was shorter than we expected and, right after the bus pulled away, Scott realized he had left his jacket on the bus. We knew the buses were on a circuit. So we waited for the next bus and explained our situation (through Google Translate) to that diver (a much more pleasant man). Then, Scott suggested I go ahead up the trail while he waited. This made sense since I generally take more photos and linger longer.
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| The trail goes up a terraced hillside; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The walk to the Bridge is about a half mile up a steady slope. I took it slowly because, while not difficult, the sun was warm, especially since I had dressed for expected cold mountain breezes. I waited for Scott before actually walking on the bridge. As he finally approached, he was smiling, waving his arms and pointing.
I thought he was happy to have finally gotten there.
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| I was waving back and taking photos of him |
It turns out that he was trying to alert me to a Eurasian Griffon flying right over my head. I didn’t see it until later flying a bit farther away (actually, I saw two). This wasn’t a new bird for me, but it was my first photo of one.
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| Eurasian Griffon |
I wish I had gotten it when it was closer and when I wasn’t standing on the slightly shaky bridge (but not nearly as shaky as I had anticipated).
A Tibetan bridge is entirely supported by anchorages at the ends and there are no towers or pillars. It has vertical cables (hangers) all the same length, causing a significant sag in the middle.
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| It hangs over the gorge |
It had mesh over the slats and high mesh sides, making it much less scary than other Tibetan Bridges I have seen photographs of.
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| A bit too shaky for photos from the bridge; Left photo: Scott Stevens |
Spanning the Vall del Riu, the Canillo Tibetan Bridge is one of the longest pedestrian bridges of its type in the world with a length of 1,978 feet, a width of 3.2 feet and a height of 518 feet above the valley.
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| Tibetan bridge |
The view was pretty, but, once again, not as spectacular as advertised.
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| I think I am mountain-jaded |
After walking out on the Bridge and returning to solid ground, I FINALLY saw a new bird ...
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| ... a cute little female Black Redstart posing nicely on a nearby rock |
Then, I had an exciting moment where I thought I was seeing a large tawny-colored raptor high in the trees above me. What it turned out to be was a cow, specifically Andorra’s local Bruna d’Andorra cow whose flapping ears looked (momentarily) like wings.
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| I thought it was a bird! |
On the walk back down, I took my time to admire the scenery ...
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| Church of Sant Joan de Caselles from above |
... and photograph some critters ...
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| Mules |
This was one of the few places I actually saw a variety of birds ...
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| There were lots of Bank Swallows and Rock Pigeons |
... bugs ...
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| Banded Grasshopper, Scotch Argus Butterfly and European Honeybee |
... and lizards ...
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| A Pallars Lizard and an Iberian Rock Lizard (more lizards than I saw in Mexico) |
It was a lovely morning.
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| Scott and I also got a selfie overlooking Andorra |
To France for a Castle and Back
After our morning activities, we wanted to do some exploring, but we found that Andorra is exceptionally narrow and doesn't really have a lot of roads. So, we decided to go see the one thing we were sorry to have missed by taking the Spanish rather than French route to Andorra: Foix Castle.
The castle is about 60 miles north of Andorra in France. I had seen lots of castle in Wales in June, but Scott was anxious to get his castle fix. It was a beautiful drive and a gorgeous day. We were there in no time.
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| Headed toward France |
And, it was a fantastic castle.
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| Foix Castle |
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| The French name is Château de Foix |
The limestone rock on which the Château de Foix is built shelters prehistoric caves, some of which have revealed traces of human occupation. However, the rock was not really inhabited until the 7th Century.
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| Banquet hall |
The first written mention of Foix Castle dates from around 987 when it was a single tower and wall.
In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard.
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| Despite it being a weekend, the castle wasn't terribly crowded |
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix. Its high perch provided a strategic surveillance point over the valley below and its walls were virtually impregnable. This was important because, during those times, every kingdom was in constant danger of invasion.
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| Looking up to the walls |
During the two following centuries, the area was a refuge for Cathars, a Christian sect considered heathen by Catholics (which, you guessed it, made them even more vulnerable to attack).
Often besieged, the castle was only taken once, in 1486, because of treachery between two branches of the Foix family (and, then, there's that!).
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| This is a trebuchet, used for hurling stuff at enemies |
From the 14th Century, the Counts of Foix spent less time in the austere castle, moving to Pau, about six miles away in Béarn. From 1479, the Counts of Foix were also Kings of Navarre and the last of them was named Henri IV, King of France. He took his Pyrenean lands with him to become part of France.
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| Crenelated wall |
As seat of the Foix region from the 15th Century, the castle continued to ensure the defense, notably during the Wars of Religion. Alone of all the castles in the region, it was exempted from the destruction orders of Cardinal Richelieu in the early 1600s. Fortunate for us.
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| A giant wheel was used to lift heavy objects, such as building stones, over the walls |
Until the French Revolution, the fortress remained a garrison for troops protecting the region.
The castle has two square towers and one round one. The Round Tower, built in the 15th Century, is the most recent.
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| The towers loom above the walls |
The two square towers were built before the 11th Century. They served as a political and civil prison for four centuries until 1862.
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| You can see that the older tower once had another structure attached to it |
When the prison was transferred to the outskirts of the city, Foix Castle became a historic monument. When the castle was restored, the prison buildings that had been built around the castle were removed.
Foix castle is open to the public for a relatively modest fee (about $10). It has a nice Visitors Center and (of course) a store).
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| Looking down from the castle to the VC |
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| Stairs up the round tower |
I liked that most areas can be visited without having to be on any kind of tour. This includes being able to climb up several of the towers.
Many of the staircases had been recently restored, so walking was not nearly as treacherous as it was at some of the Welsh castles I visited in June.
However, some of the towers were very dark, even on a sunny day, so parts of the trip up and down was by touch rather than sight. Some staircases still have old, uneven steps.
Several of the rooms are furnished, which gives an added charm to the castle.
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| A pretty desk and chair |
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| A couple of panos of a furnished chamber |
Foix has a number of interpretive docents dressed in medieval clothing who explain court behavior, military weapons, archery and blacksmithing among other topics.
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| Armory; docents; Photos: Scott Stevens |
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| Scott visiting the blacksmith |
The tiled-roof town below can be seen from the ramparts. This was when I first noticed a change in typical housing style. Everything we had seen before had slate roofs. Now, we were seeing terra cotta tile.
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| Foix has about 10,000 inhabitants |
It has narrow lanes and a few houses actually built into the castle walls.
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| A charming town |
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| Scott resting before driving back |
On the route back, we noticed a couple of signs for caves and cave paintings. I knew that France had prehistric cave paintings, but didn't realize how many.
I looked into it that night, but no tours early enough the next day were available and most of the paintings were replicas.
I wish I had planned a cave tour, however. They looked interesting.
When we returned to Andorra – this time entering from the north – we took a wrong roundabout exit at the confusing border and accidentally found ourselves in El Pas de la Casa, a massive duty-free area.
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| We zigged when we should have zagged |
We hate shopping. We hate crowds. We don’t really get duty-free (although Scott did buy some wine later in Canillo). We honestly thought we’d never find our way back to Andorra. We had to go back to France, turn around and try again. But, we did it.
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| NO!!!!! |
When we got back that evening, I realized we could see the Mirador for our room in Meritxell. I thought I took a photo, but it must have been too dark.
Trip Dates: September 4-26, 2024
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