Andorra & France & more France.

"OK!" Says I. "We've no sat nav and we have a new country infront of us. Eeeezy peeezy eh!"  

Looking at the map it did seem pretty straight forward too with one main road running round and various zig zag smaller roads leading off to the numerous mountain resorts. Andorra is a small region born out of France and Spain granting autonomy to seven high and isolated mountain valleys and their villages. Skiing, walking, 4 x 4 excursions, and tax free shopping plus recently, 'tax haven' shady banking are its lifeblood. What I had not bargained for was threefold. The amount of traffic. The frenetic impatience of the traffic trying to get past the friggin motorhome. And finally, the 'bendy all the way' main road, apart from the high passes. Then of course the realization that Andorra is just one great big busy shopping centre.

I had no chance to look at the map which I need to do frequently. I am not good at retaining place names and the number of lefts and rights needed. No! My mind is definitely not Mrs Sat Nav. The result was;

"Ah sod it Tanya I'm hanging a left here and let's just hope for a spot to perch Sadie for the night".

Up up up we go. Then we go up a bit more and all via steep zig zags with a noisy rushing glacier fed torrent tirelessly digging an ever deeper and steeper mountain gorge seemingly, at times, underneath Sadie. We finally, puffing and panting, reach 'Civis' and thankfully just above this mountain hamlet, where the road starts to make even Sadie grunt, is a gray flattish shale floored area big enough for Sadie to park on. Phew!

The downside? As Tanya and I stretch our legs wondering how people manage in the incredibly steep mountainside houses we see from an information board we are inside the 'Parc Natural' where camping is forbidden.  

"Good job we live in a motorhome then ain't it! SEE!   Cos I ain't no camper I'm a Motorhome dweller. SEE!"

This tirade, directed at the innocuous information board seemed to work well.  Relieved, having cleared up this noticeboard error we headed back up the hill to Sadie feeling happy and secure. I felt even more secure when I saw the local police pass by in their 4x4 and not bother us.

The morning dawned and 7℃ registered on the clock/thermometer inside Sadie. Oh yes we were in the mountains alright. I opened the front windscreen blinds and let the strong morning sun shine through and warm us up.

"C'mon Tanya. Never mind washing or breakfast lets just go and walk up the road a bit in the sunshine".

 Yeah, yeah, yeah!! Midday it was when we got back! We were high in the Pyrennes. The sun was up, warming us and green mountain meadows full of flowers were beneath our feet. The snow line beckoned invitingly. What was not to like?

The path wound on up toward a snow covered ridge blazing white in the now high in the sky sun. I reluctantly decided however; at the first patch of snow, to head back. I was alone. I had no rucksack full of 'mountain stuff', my feet were in light trainers, my head was banging away with altitude affect and Tanya had to be carried over bits of the sharp shale path as one of her paws had become quite sore. And; I was desperate for a cup of tea!  What a beautiful walk though. What views and what a welcome cup of tea upon our return.

Time to move. Over the high 'Pas de la Casa' and the 'Col de Puymorens'  with  stunning views of the snow capped Pyrenean peaks. Pointless taking photographs. You just cannot capture such awe inspiring snow capped scenery with merely a glass lens on camera or mobile phone. No. The artist Godfellow painted such scenes for the intracys and emotions of the human eye, mind and heart.

Back into France after a brief stop at customs.

"Cigarettes monsieur?"
"No"
"Not even for friends?"
"No"
"Wine Monsieur. You ave wine for yourself and your friends?"
"No"
"What ave you spend your money in Andorra?"
"Gasoil, a pizza which is in the freezer if you want to look and some other groceries."
"I never ave theees before. You ad better go queek while I still believe you".
"Oh! And pleeeez, spend a leeetle more money in France eh!"

The postscript to this little 'Andorra' story is the Pizza was just about the worst Pizza I have ever bought. I'm afraid more than half of it got binned. I'd have done better spending the money on wine and fags!!

On the other hand the self made curry I have just eaten here at 'La Sousa' campsite was, even though I say it myself, bloody delicious. We're here at 'Pont du Gard' North East of Nimes. The campsite decision was a no brainer. €18.00 they wanted to park Sadie for a couple of hours while we visited this impressive piece of Roman stone engineering. €12.10 they wanted for us to park up overnight here on the campsite with all facilities. The campsite is ten minutes walk from the Pont so Tanya and I enjoyed a good walk/explore of the area. The Pont is the last, very impressive and visually beautiful, part of a Roman built aquaduct that delivered water to the city of Nimes 17 miles away. Our walk was especially enjoyed as for the last couple of days the weather has not been good. As we walked though Monsieur Sun came out to play. I made the most of it by having a dip in the lovely cool clear water of the river Gard about five hundred meters upstream but in view of the Pont. Gorgeous!

We travelled up to the Pont today from the little rural village of 'Nizas'. Carol and Graham now live there most of the time as opposed to Salisbury which is where I met Carol while out walking Tanya. Their Labrador, Baily, is young and boisterous, just a bit too much for Tanya to cope with in the spacious confines of their very French home. I enjoyed a lovely evening with them and Tanya soon got over being shut in a separate room.

There was an added bonus too. With access to good Wi Fi I was finally able to sort Mrs Sat Nav out. We are now once again, 'an item' and looking forward to travelling intimate backroads toward distant setting suns forever and ever ...... Amen!!  (Hmmmmm! Or at least till the next Co Pilot sat nav update knocks her off her perch again!)