2024 in Andorra

(while waiting for the Celebrity Equinox ship to set sail)

a "bus" ride to Andorra on August 26:

after stops in Bagà, Spain and Ax-les-Thermes, France:

• started in Andorra on its "eastern town" next to France: El Pas de la Casa
• went on to the capital, Andorra la Vella

Andorra's "quirks"

• the only "sovereign country in the world" to have Catalan as its "official language" (a blend between French and Castilian Spanish)
• the only land in the world to be run by two "foreigners":
  • the "President of France"
  • the "Bishop of Urgell, Spain"
• does not belong to the "European Union" but abides by the "Schengen Area of free movement" and uses the "euro" as "currency"
• the name "Andorra" seems like it has no straightforward roots
  • however, most think it comes from Basque word for "water"
  • others, think it comes from Arabic (الدَّارَة ad-darra) for a "thickly wooded" spot

Andorra's "pull"

what I liked about Andorra:

• the Pyrenees looked wonderful with the great weather
  • the hilly landscape made me awe nearly every time, having lived in a hill-less landscape for most of my life
• the cooler weather, unlike in Barcelona, felt welcoming for my "Iceland-going" ways
• the cleanliness of the towns
• the stillness of life