We arrived in the capital, Andorra La Vella – the highest capital city in Europe at 1023 metres – late in the afternoon. It was another long day of driving (and answering the constant barrage of questions from the back seat) broken up by a quick stop for lunch (Spanish tortillas) at a cafe at the base of the Pyrenees.

Andorra sits in the eastern Pyrenees, wedged between Spain and France and therefore its influences and the languages used are varied – Catalan (the official language), Spanish, French and a smattering of English. I read an article that said that despite its proximity to France, Andorra has little Gallic influence due to the difficulty of entering Andorra from the French side  on account of the perilous mountainous terrain. I agree to a certain extent in terms of the architecture and general culture however found that lots of shop assistants and waiters would speak French and Catalan interchangeably. One guy was speaking to me in French, thinking that he was speaking English! Luckily, I understood what he was saying and was keeping up appearances until I made  a mistake and he realised that I wasn’t speaking perfect French, which then brought to his mind that he wasn’t speaking English. He apologised, saying he spoke six languages and had been speaking French recently and therefore was in French mode. A good problem to have, I think, and one he shares with Buzz Lightyear!

In the city, there were a few old buildings, or hints of them, however most of the structures were modern – and most of them were shops! Being a tax – free haven, shopping is one of the main pastimes for tourists and residents alike. I even found myself drooling over some of the merch, and I am not even an avid shopper; I think there must be something in that supposedly pure water from the mountain springs.  The other pastime, of course, is skiing. Although it wasn’t the season (or so we thought – holding that thought for the next blog), there were still plenty of easy walks and mountain treks on offer to showcase the magnificent scenery. We thought that it might be a bit much for the Rykersaurus (not to mention too dangerous) so occupied our two days in cafes, restaurants and bars, which was extremely toilsome. Oh and in the hotel (Hotel APrisma) which was also great – especially for wee Rykersaurus who had his own room with a bunk bed.