From Bustling Barcelona to Snow-white Andorra

6fartsinacart
Dec 15, 2016
3 min read

12 December 2016, Monday: Up at 7:30 am after making sure the li'l fart's alarm is set at the correct time (this time around). We depart from Artcava at 9:00am, a bit sad to leave this pretty camper-stop nestled within the vineyards. We reach Barcelona just before 11:00am and park Merzy above the funicular's top station which takes you over and across the harbour with a bird's eye view of the lower part and port of Barcelona. We leave Merzy for a well deserved rest and start working our way down to the Mirador de Colom and bottom of La Rambla. We are entertained by some street artists/human statues (blink blink). We then aim for the Catedral de Barcelona (Wow!) and Arc de Triomf, negotiating our way through the narrow streets of the old town towards the right of La Rambla. We move up a gear as we continue to the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. Far and fast... an understatement... trying to keep up with dad. There we reach our turn-around point... and back to the top of La Rambla again. As we walk down we take a detour through the most impressive market, Mercat St Josep La Boqueria, with all goods from chocolate, cheese and fruit to seafood offal and game (yeah, fully feathered guinea fowl and furry hares) beautifully displayed. We carry on down to the bottom of La Rambla and back uphill, reaching Merzy at 16:00pm, waiting patiently for her crew. We all agree it was well worth the walk. The sore feet will hopefully be forgotten, but the memories will last.

13 December 2016, Tuesday: Yesterday afternoon, we have travelled a short distance (aprox. 60Km north) out of Barcelona to stop and rest for the night at Navarcles. We wake up with everything covered in a white layer of frost. It is so cold!! So off we go in search of snow. We cross the border into Andorra and work our way through the busy town of Andorra Vella and out towards the top where we stop to play in the snow, until our fingers are numb and cheeks frozen. For some of us, it's the first time holding this wonderful white powder in our hands. Looking across, we can see the ski slopes, a hive of activity. We struggle to get the little guy back in Merzy so we can go and find our sleeping spot in the mountains at L'Hospitalet-pres-l'Andorre for the night. We get there just before dusk. It's a gorgeous level area with several little waterfalls coming down the face of the mountain right in front of us. We are thankful for a safe journey through the mountains.

14 December 2016, Wednesday: We wake up with the soft murmur of water a few metres away. It's a special day. The oldest sibling of the farts 18th birthday! After opening birthday cards and a few prezzies (and hoping for some more, hehe), we start our journey south again. We travel over some more amazing mountain passes and decide to stop for the last time to put our fingers in the snow, have snow fights and make snow men (tiny ones :p). It's such a beautiful spot with spectacular views, that we also have a quick snack for lunch right there. We follow the road down the mountain and eventually reach our destination at Viladrau, a camper-stop at a nature reserve. We walk around town in the evening looking for a restaurant, but without success, because our Spanish is pretty pathetic and they don't have big enough room to accommodate us 6 farts. Nonetheless today has been an absolutely awesome day!