Europe and the 5 stans

My first mini adventure was almost ruined by 100 tractors!

I was on a group tour in beautiful Barcelona. As I've been here before, I decided I'd try to get to neighbouring Andorra instead of going to sites I'd already been. Andorra is a small, landlocked country between Spain and France. From Barcelona, a regular bus takes a minimum of 3 hours to get there. So it's a minimum of 6 hours return. There is no airport and no train station.

For convenience, I'd booked into a  separate day tour. The day before, my day trip was  cancelled as the borders between France, Spain, and Andorra were closed. Blocked by 100 tractors. 🤣 Catalan farmers protesting. Arrrghh, talk about bad timing (for me)! They've never done this before, and they do it on the only day I can go! This is travel! 🤣

I tried to find a solution but went to bed deflated.

The next morning, I woke as a woman unwilling to let 100 tractors derail my plans! I'd been googling for news on the border closure (and translating the information from Spanish). Maybe this protest is only 24 hours and I can take a regular bus? Bugger, the buses are cancelled this morning. But maybe this afternoon? How can I find out?

I'll loiter at the bus station!

Long story short, I loitered and ended up on the 1pm bus to Andorra!

It was an anxious ride. I didn't know if I'd get in or if I'd get stuck. Was the border open? Would it close again? Would I make it back to Barcelona by 7 am the next day when my tour leaves? What new tour friends do I trust to pack and bring my bags? How much does it cost to stay in Andorra if I'm stuck? How would I get to France to meet my tour group if I didn't get back?

This is why I like to travel independently. Most of these things wouldn't have mattered if I was travelling solo - you can just stay where you end up. It's a bit harder when your actions can impact the group.

So, I made it to Andorra. And back. I got to my hotel at 11:45pm. I had over 7 hours to spare!! 🤣

Re Andorra. It's a mountainous country, and the scenery on the bus ride was stunning! It was worth it just for that.

The capital, Andorra la vella (Andorra the town) has only 22,000 residents. It's known for its skiing and winter activities. And, it's shopping! It's tax-free!! You'd think you were in a major city when you see all the shops!

Unfortunately, I couldn't really shop as I don't want to carry things for months.
So, I only bought one dress. And I'm still $60 better off with the bus and a new dress than I'd have been if I'd done my original day tour. Sometimes, things happen for a reason. 😉🤣

Random unrelated note - plastic bottle lids are attached to the bottle in Europe. (Last photo). You can't lose or litter the lid. And it's more likely to get recycled. It's slightly annoying to drink out of, though!Read more