Spain → Andorra → France and Back Again

While in Barcelona we rented a car for the weekend and said hello again to the freedom of going where we want and when.The first day we spent going to Parc del Laberint d’Horta (a labyrinth park), the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (which is a Roman Catholic church on the summit of Mount Tibidabo) and then stopping at the beach. I was really excited to see the two beautiful spots, but really I was just thrilled to get to the beach!

Labyrinth ParkBarcelona - adventurousfigs.com

Parc del Laberint d’Horta was only a couple euros to enter, and it was a small but cute park and labyrinth. We did actually get lost in the labyrinth for a few minutes, only because I was leading the way and I know I’m bad at directions!

Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor

If you look up pictures of this place, it looks awesome, like something you’d see on top of Minas Tirith awesome! Unfortunately I can only tell you it looked pretty decent from far away, because due to the lame traffic for the amusement park surrounding it we weren’t able to drive all the way to the top. I’m sorry Sagrat Cor, but nothing comes between me and my beach time!

Finally, Sandy Beaches!

Let me tell you something about a lot of the beaches in Croatia and other Balkan countries… the beaches are rocky. Gasp. I know. I didn’t think I would care really, but once we got to the beach in Barcelona and I felt the sand between my toes and throwing it around I realized I deeply love sandy beaches. I seriously just floated in the water for 20 minutes straight and was so satisfied with the knowledge that I could step on the ocean floor and not feel sea urchins or rocks jab my feet. I was sad to leave only after a couple hours and know that I must have been a fish in a previous life.

Montserrat

Montserrat - adventurousfigs.comOn Sunday we first drove to Montserrat, a mountain range that cradles the famous Montserrat Monastery and Basilica. The Monastery and Basilica are known for their world renown art and Virgin Sculpture that tourists wait hours to see- the line was at least 2 hours when we were there so of course we weren’t waiting. My favorite part was seeing the incredible mountain ranges and I loved how the monastery just sits inside of it. The view alone made the drive worth it.

Onto Andorra

After visiting Montserrat, we headed to Andorra to explore. We’d heard that Andorra is a great place to shop and people from Barcelona travel there for clothes like SLC people head to Evanston for fireworks. We realized quickly there wasn’t much to do in Andorra though, a lot of places were closed on a Sunday and instead we looked for places to eat and listen to the out of place Mariachi band playing in the street. We had some delicious veal burgers and thick fries with a yummy sauce.

Once we were in Andorra and talking of what to do next Pablo couldn’t help but notice how close we were to France. I told him we’re going to Paris in only a couple weeks and what would we see in a small town? He pointed out that there was a UNESCO site just an hour away from Andorra called Mont-Louis. I don’t like to pass up another UNESCO site when it’s close enough so we headed out to France.

Mont-Louis

Mont-Louis is the highest fortified town in France that has served it’s purpose in protecting the territory and is now used as a training unit. Since we arrived late in the day and on a Sunday the walking tourist area wasn’t open and the guard told us to go away. We walked around the fortification and realized there probably wasn’t a lot to see anyways.

Andorra -  adventurousfigs.comThe car ride during the whole trip was the best part of it all, which is good because it was also the longest part! I love Europe’s countryside with fields of green, hay bales, little houses, and animals like cows and sheep scattered everywhere. There’s not much to do in the towns that we went to, but they’re fun to see.

Tolls are trolls

I would make a very notable piece of advice if you’re planning to travel the same route we did; DO NOT take the route that has the tolls (it will tell you on google maps). There are two routes, which take pretty much the same time, but the one with tolls is slightly shorter. We went the route without tolls on the way to Andorra and then decided to come back the slightly shorter way that has the tolls (don’t know why). We ended up paying just under €25 just in tolls for the trip back! It was ridiculous and that would’ve paid for another day to rent the car. The toll is to pay for the small tunnels that were put in, and it wasn’t worth it, trust me.

Catalonia

We noticed while in Spain and driving through to Andorra and France that the Catalan flag hung on houses and stores. The Catalans forms a historic nationality that consists mostly of northern Spain (as well as part of Andorra and France). We learned on our trip to Spain that it’s an existing nationality and one that many families and communities still support.

Many people seemed to be speaking Catalan, but they would easily switch to Spanish when Pablo started talking to them. We heard from locals that the language Catalan isn’t taught in schools, but kids still grow up hearing it in the home and in the community. When Spain took over the area, Catalans weren’t allowed to fly their flag. Instead Catalans flew the Barcelona soccer club flag because inside of it is the Catalonia flag. It was their own way of rebellion and showing their pride for their culture.

Would you drive an extra hour or two just to dip into another country?

Dani

There are too many places and experiences out there for a person to know them all, but I figured why not give it a try? Travel has become an addiction and I'm here to share it with you. If you want to distract me, put a soccer ball at my feet, a sunset in my sights and the ocean splashing my toes. In a nutshell, this is me.

159 Responses

  1. Magge says:

    Hi Dani I am going to Barcelona in a couple of days and will be there 8 nights. I am trying to work out which would give me the best scenery in a day trip Montserrat or Andorra. What do you think? (I don;t want to go into a monastery oe shop, just enjoy the views.)

  2. Gfptoc says:

    common prescription allergy pills tablet for allergy on skin prescription medication for severe allergies

  3. Gtbjiv says:

    order accutane 10mg generic accutane 40mg cheap buy generic accutane

  4. Vqyiuy says:

    amoxicillin 500mg pill cheap amoxicillin sale amoxicillin 500mg tablet

  5. Nikolm says:

    best sleeping pills at walgreens provigil 200mg cheap

  6. Vhcrml says:

    buy generic azithromycin 500mg order zithromax 500mg generic azithromycin 250mg uk

  7. Ksosop says:

    oral azipro 250mg azipro price purchase azipro online

  8. Njrsdx says:

    buy prednisolone 40mg pill omnacortil 5mg usa prednisolone 20mg for sale

  9. Uijrav says:

    purchase amoxil without prescription buy amoxicillin 500mg pill cost amoxicillin

  10. Qrocrl says:

    augmentin 1000mg without prescription buy augmentin 625mg generic

  11. Stprqr says:

    buy synthroid 100mcg sale synthroid drug buy synthroid 75mcg pills

  12. Wcosep says:

    buy generic levitra online levitra brand

  13. Igmamm says:

    clomiphene 50mg for sale clomiphene 100mg price clomiphene 50mg usa

  14. Hecjlg says:

    purchase tizanidine for sale order tizanidine 2mg for sale buy zanaflex pills for sale

  15. Uymagi says:

    prednisone oral buy deltasone 5mg prednisone 40mg cheap

  16. Zsiwve says:

    order rybelsus 14mg sale buy semaglutide 14mg sale semaglutide 14 mg canada

  17. Nyslqs says:

    oral isotretinoin buy accutane without prescription accutane 40mg pill

  18. International trade of Copper scrap says:

    Copper scrap trading company Copper flat wire recycling Copper circuit board recycling

  19. Vodzqq says:

    buy rybelsus 14 mg online rybelsus cheap order rybelsus 14mg pills

  20. Aluminium scrap pre-treatment Aluminum recycling experts Scrap aluminum melting

  21. Copper scrap forging says:

    Copper scrap collection Copper cable recycling Copper scrap innovation

  22. Apmsfr says:

    order amoxicillin 250mg sale order amoxil 500mg for sale generic amoxicillin

  23. Zqvnwt says:

    albuterol 4mg sale buy albuterol 2mg online cheap buy ventolin 4mg generic

  24. Anonymous says:

    Dirty aluminum scrap Aluminium recycling safety standards Aluminum plate scrap

  25. Metal scrap disposal Ferrous material recycling economic analysis Iron scrap compaction services

    Ferrous material waste disposal, Iron raw material procurement, Scrap metal certifications

  26. Metal waste shearing Aluminium scrap catalyst recovery Aluminum scrap collection
    Metal reclamation, Scrap aluminum cable, Metal waste analysis

  27. Qbmgdt says:

    zithromax drug zithromax 250mg us buy zithromax cheap

  28. Rngcku says:

    buy augmentin 375mg online cheap buy augmentin online cheap buy augmentin 1000mg generic

  29. Metal recycling yard Scrapping aluminum Aluminum scrap yards
    Metal waste inventory services, Benefit of recycling aluminum cable, Metal waste market analysis

  30. Scrap aluminium sourcing strategies says:

    Metal scrap procurement Scrap aluminium innovation Aluminum scrap dealers
    Metal recovery processing, Aluminum cable scrap collection, Scrap metal reprocessing facility

  31. Metal recycling and repurposing Ferrous material recycling equipment Iron disposal and recovery

    Ferrous metal recycler, Iron scrap yard services, Metal scrap compaction

  32. Nbgznk says:

    omnacortil 10mg drug buy omnacortil without a prescription omnacortil 5mg generic

  33. Mmvmcd says:

    cheap synthroid without prescription order levothroid generic synthroid 150mcg cost

  34. Metal waste recuperation Ferrous material plant operations Iron scrap reprocessing

    Ferrous material recycling training, Iron waste reclaiming, Metal reprocessing center

  35. Scrap aluminium valuation says:

    Scrap metal business development Aluminium recyclable materials Aluminum scrap for industrial applications
    Scrap metal recovery facility, Aluminum cable scrap weight, Metal recovery and reclaiming

  36. Scrap metal reprocessing center Ferrous material collection center Iron recovery facility

    Ferrous metal auditing, Scrap iron scrapyard, Metal waste processing tools

  37. Ofowlu says:

    purchase gabapentin for sale buy neurontin 100mg generic buy neurontin no prescription

  38. Scrap metal transport Ferrous metal reforming Iron scrap reclaiming solutions

    Ferrous material shredding, Iron scrap processing yard, Scrap metal rejuvenation

  39. Buhktq says:

    order clomiphene 100mg without prescription clomid 100mg cheap cheap serophene

  40. Xtesgi says:

    buy furosemide generic diuretic buy generic lasix lasix medication

  41. Metal waste awareness programs Ferrous material facility management Iron scrap recycling solutions

    Ferrous material logistics management, Iron and steel scrap yard, Scrap metal reclamation and reutilization

  42. Ybgnbg says:

    cheap sildenafil without prescription viagra 100mg over the counter sildenafil australia

  43. Oyyirp says:

    cost monodox buy monodox pills buy doxycycline 100mg pills

  44. Bkvgii says:

    brand semaglutide 14mg order rybelsus pills order semaglutide for sale

  45. Cwaipp says:

    blackjack online betting free slots betfair casino online

  46. Wceutf says:

    purchase levitra pills buy vardenafil for sale vardenafil tablet

  47. Ikdoib says:

    lyrica 150mg sale order pregabalin 150mg generic buy pregabalin paypal

  48. Scrap metal reclamation and reclaiming Metal recycling methodologies Iron scrap reclaiming processing

    Ferrous material sterilization, Scrap iron recycling services, Metal reclaiming and reutilization center

  49. Oyhwxa says:

    plaquenil online buy hydroxychloroquine canada plaquenil 200mg ca

  50. Jvbauy says:

    buy triamcinolone cheap buy generic aristocort 10mg brand triamcinolone

  51. Buy copper scrap Scrap Copper recycling process Scrap metal recovery and recycling center
    Recycling technology for Copper cable scrap, Metal scrap reclamation and reuse, Industrial copper recycling capabilities

    Metal scrap collection, Scrap Copper transport and logistics, Copper cable recycling methods, Scrap metal reclaiming strategies

  52. Hrqcij says:

    cialis for sale buy generic cialis 10mg cialis coupon walmart

  53. Qwnutq says:

    buy desloratadine 5mg online cheap brand clarinex 5mg desloratadine 5mg drug

  54. Kxgoqm says:

    order generic cenforce 100mg generic cenforce 100mg buy cenforce 100mg sale

  55. Rkfkot says:

    order claritin generic order loratadine pills loratadine tablet

  56. Agcqly says:

    order chloroquine pills chloroquine order purchase chloroquine pills

  57. Eugrqf says:

    order priligy without prescription order cytotec 200mcg pill buy cytotec 200mcg generic

  58. Nbjsgt says:

    order generic orlistat 60mg xenical 120mg for sale diltiazem sale

  59. Vocano says:

    glycomet pill brand glucophage 500mg buy glycomet 500mg without prescription

  60. Uyjkmf says:

    acyclovir 800mg oral zyloprim 100mg without prescription buy allopurinol 300mg pills

  61. Gtlsik says:

    buy rosuvastatin generic purchase rosuvastatin buy generic zetia

  62. Hgmqvw says:

    buy zestril without prescription buy zestril 2.5mg pills zestril 5mg oral

  63. Swozyi says:

    buy domperidone tablets motilium 10mg uk sumycin online buy

  64. Yhxggc says:

    omeprazole 20mg pill buy omeprazole medication omeprazole drug

  65. Vbqqas says:

    cyclobenzaprine online buy buy baclofen 25mg without prescription ozobax order online

  66. Mxspzv says:

    buy generic metoprolol online lopressor ca lopressor for sale online

  67. Ofljoj says:

    where can i buy toradol colcrys 0.5mg pill purchase colcrys without prescription

  68. Qdoqro says:

    buy generic tenormin 100mg atenolol uk atenolol 50mg pill

  69. Rpeeay says:

    buy methylprednisolone pill buy cheap depo-medrol medrol 4mg over counter

  70. Metal recovery and reprocessing center Ferrous material yard management Iron scrap processing services

    Ferrous material waste minimization, Iron scrap reclaiming services, Metal waste management services

  71. Gmykyn says:

    propranolol for sale order inderal 10mg pills buy clopidogrel 75mg online cheap

  72. Zakphq says:

    writing paper online write papers for me writing paper online

  73. Metal recycling solutions center services Ferrous material recycling best practices Iron recycling industry

    Ferrous material recycling market analysis, Iron scrap transportation services, Scrap metal refurbishing and recycling

  74. Gxnzog says:

    order methotrexate 10mg online cheap medex generic order coumadin 5mg online

  75. Hlynke says:

    reglan canada buy maxolon generic buy hyzaar generic

  76. Wyjxta says:

    purchase mobic for sale order generic meloxicam 15mg celebrex 200mg usa

  77. Metal reclamation and recycling Ferrous metal exchange Iron waste repurposing facilities

    Ferrous material processing facility, Iron scrap recovery, Environmental impact of metal recycling

  78. Khargs says:

    nexium for sale online purchase esomeprazole generic buy topiramate without a prescription

  79. Eudcrc says:

    buy cheap tamsulosin purchase tamsulosin pill order celebrex 100mg generic

  80. Metal scrapping Ferrous metal removal Scrap iron yard

    Ferrous material reliability standards, Iron recycling and reclamation, Metal separation services

  81. Ewzxqy says:

    buy imitrex without prescription imitrex for sale levaquin order

  82. Fqqmln says:

    order zofran 8mg aldactone 100mg for sale spironolactone 100mg pill

  83. Ohvfzk says:

    buy avodart for sale cost ranitidine 300mg ranitidine price

  84. Pinkgj says:

    buy zocor 10mg sale valacyclovir 500mg generic buy valtrex for sale

  85. Hpxpih says:

    ampicillin online buy buy generic penicillin over the counter buy amoxil cheap

  86. Nxuplc says:

    purchase propecia for sale order propecia 1mg without prescription diflucan 200mg pills

  87. Ykusrf says:

    cipro online – buy augmentin clavulanate cheap

  88. Azesba says:

    baycip cost – bactrim price buy augmentin 625mg sale

  89. Metal waste resale Ferrous material processing technologies Scrap iron recycling

    Ferrous metal recycling challenges, Iron recovery center services, Metal scrap reclamation and processing

  90. Hgfywl says:

    ciprofloxacin usa – buy trimox 500mg online
    erythromycin 500mg usa

  91. Tdnafu says:

    metronidazole 200mg canada – azithromycin medication buy zithromax 250mg sale

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *