"Andorra, Petite Gem of the Pyrenees" a Andorra Travel Page by dlandt

Andorra is a very small country, and, despite the sign I'm standing before, is not a member of the European Union. In fact, until very recently it had one of the world's oldest functioning constitutions, which is another way of saying it had a medieval government.

Today, Andorra resembles any of the towns found in neighboring France and Spain, just with mountains. Andorra is perched high in the Pyrenees, and there really aren't that many towns nearby. At one time, the country was a haven for smugglers. Now it is a haven for duty free shopping.

I deliberately came to Andorra on a road trip, just to see it and get to the other side of the Pyrenees. More or less, I didn't know what to expect. It struck me as a little bigger than I'd imagined, and reminded me of a laid back Liechtenstein, and just proved to be worth the day and a night we spent here.

At first arrival, I couldn't believe the traffic, and thought I must have chosen to spend the night in some kind of auto-aerie or something, but the traffic faded, and we enjoyed the visit from there.

Miyuki liked the mountains here above all else. We didn't do any hiking or enjoy the mountains in the traditional sense, and those of you who kmow me know why this had to be for this trip. We did enjoy the scenery, and one memory I failed to photograph, are the nets aove the towns protecting them from rockfalls. Andorran towns are built at the bottom of valleys, not at the top of mountains. This picture indicates the amunt of snow in the higher altitudes.

If you are in the neighborhood, or just crossing the Pyrenees, Andorra is worth a visit, not just for the duty-free shopping and to fill your gas tank, but to see the mountains and stroll the streets as well.