Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 26, 27, 28 and 29 May 2024
The
drive for the first leg to Moisacc was easy, on main roads. The BnB chosen by
Lady P was a pilgrim enclave, with Camino pilgrims everywhere. It is actually a
beautiful part of France, worthy of more detailed exploration at another time. And our room very comfortable.
On
arrival, we headed off for a walk. This of course means Lady P looking for five
or six kms to march off and Flashy looking for a bar. She went one way and he
the other. She found solace in the walk, he in a beer in the square, listening
to all the pilgrims. You can tell by the shell, they say but I reckon you can
tell by the smell.
Afterwards,
we found a lovely restaurant that was actually open. It was a Monday and almost
nothing was open. But our little discovery was really good. A Chef’s special
burger and frites for her and confit du canard for him, with a half bottle of
Graves red. Wonderful.
Next
morning, Tuesday, we were treated to a continental (not quite) breakfast by the
lovely host Veronique, with natural yoghurt, local strawberries and home made
marmalade and jam, coffee and tea and Flashy’s least favourite – apple juice.
Then
he at the wheel, she in the RH seat. What could possibly go wrong? As it turned
out, nothing. A delightful drive on the motorways by Falshy and all the
mountain roads and tunnels by Lady P and we arrived at 3 pm at Andorra la Valla
in the Principality of Andorra.
The
Acta Arthotel is spacious and clean and modern, as is the whole of Andorra la
Valla. Lots of money in this tax haven.
After check in and parking the car underneath, we found the hotel terrace, right by the river, for a couple of cocktails. Kitchen shut again! Chips and nuts were a poor substitute. After that we strolled along the streets looking for this little tapas bar Lady P had found on Google.
On the way we stopped at Jacks Bar
for a couple of sangrias (about 7/10), then to Izai Gastro Bar for tapas. A
great choice by Lady P and not easy to find in the old town. Calamars, Prbrots
del Padros and Jamon Croquetas with numerous vino tinto and another sangria for Lady P.
Flashy is a bit worried by this time, as she has had well over her “two pot”
limit. How in the hell are we going to get home? Luckily Google and good luck
gets us back to the hotel.
We
booked the hotel with a spa special. Two hours in a wet, hot environment etc
was not appealing to Flashy, so he says no, I’m not getting wet. Lady P heads
off to cook herself.
Wednesday
29 May 2024
Up
to the fifth floor restaurant for the hotel’s buffet breakfast. Close your eyes and you
could be anywhere in the hotel world. Some are better than others. Some are
terrible. Our hotel’s buffet was in the middle. Quite acceptable but not
brilliant.
We
have a 12 noon check out, so can do some wandering around the duty and tax free
shops before packing the car, checking out and heading south to the Med.
Four x 1 litre bottles of Tanqueray gin, three bottles of Rioja wine and a bottle of
Grand Marnier for €93. All we could carry!
Then
off on the road trip. Back up over the mountains, through the border check
point at lunch time, so all stations closed and the barriers up, so back into
France without a blink.
Our
digs here in Collioure, right on the Med, are really great and our walk around
the forts and foreshore is full of French people, we think mostly tourists with
brown tans and wrinkly skin. Shops and stalls; restaurants and bars everywhere.
Well, it takes the stress of driving away, as does an Aperol Spritz and a grande
bier pression.
This
port is also the home of the training base for the French Commandos. Lady P
tried to take a photo of the fort, just to the right of where the sign says you’d
be locked up or shot for photography. “photographie de la base de défense
française interdite. Vous pourriez être abattu! Well, sort of. Luckily Flashy
can read military French, eh?
A
visit to a little store for a single, organic, heirloom tomato and some cheese and we walk home to a much
needed hot shower and the afternoon gins, followed by a little platter for dinner.
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