Sightseeing in the Pyrenees

The Sau Reservoir was our destination for the day and the road journey there was perfect for sightseeing on the bike. The reservoir provides Barcelona's drinking water and there is a hydro-electric power station there as well, all set in beautiful scenery that is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. During the construction of the dam, the church of Sant Romà was flooded leaving only the Romanesque bell tower visible today.

A few days later we headed out into the Pyrenees for an overnight stay in the mountains. Unbeknownst to us, our destination of La Seu d'Urgell, was hosting the white-water kayaking world championships and qualifying for the forthcoming Olympics. We only found out when turning the TV on to see if the Russian Grand Prix was on and finding the kayaking on there instead! By the time we got there the racing was over but we saw the final prize-giving and closing ceremony.

Hotel Andria was a historic building in the old town and had a great restaurant that we enjoyed. Biker-friendly, we were treated to free drinks on the terrace before dinner.

The next day, after a fab breakfast, we crossed the border just 12km away and arrived shortly afterwards in Andorra le Vella, Europe's highest capital city. We had little idea of what to expect of Andorra but we were certainly not expecting the plethora of shopping opportunities including numerous new car and motorcycle dealerships, lots of motorcycle clothing (we were tempted), and huge shopping malls selling everything and all this high up in the mountains! Maybe it's not so surprising given that the country enjoys a tax-free status but, even so, it was a bit of a shock after riding through the little villages and surrounding countryside just beneath the border.Read more