September 6, 2024
The next morning we had an early start and we woke up to a beautiful sunrise. We were on our way to Andorra! If you aren’t familiar with Andorra, it is a micro country in Europe. It is nestled in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. It has beautiful stunning mountain landscapes and during the winter is known for skiing. Tourists flock here for outdoor adventures (both summer and winter!), but also for its duty-free shopping.
We drove about 2.5 hours one-way, through a lot of fog and then it started to rain. We hadn’t planned on spending too much time in Andorra, but the weather didn’t make our trip any easier. (Not to mention, I don’t think any of us even thought about packing an umbrella!)
We decided it was time to stop for an early lunch, but unfortunately for us – the restaurants were either still closed or serving breakfast. The rain made it more difficult to find something that would nourish us. We loaded back up in the car and made our way back to a mall that we saw on our way in.
We aren’t big skiers – and this was definitely the off-season. So we had no choice but to spend our time shopping! I love a good deal – so the fact that Europe generally speaking has cheaper prices on some of the same skincare I buy at home – AND it was duty-free. I ended up walking out with two bags full of skincare for a fraction of the price!
We were all feeling a bit peckish – and we knew we had another 2+ hour drive before getting to the first winery. We were all craving a warm meal that was more filling than breakfast foods. This particular mall, really only had a McDonald’s. So we decided to try it!
I opted to try their crispy chicken sandwich – it was pretty similar to the one in the United States. However, you got two sides. So I went with the tried and true French fries, but also opted in for potato wedges. Andy ordered the sour cream and onion flavored French fries to try something new.
We also decided to do an impulse McFlurry – which was fun. They don’t mix in the toppings the same way they do in the USA – we got the Biscoff cookie flavored one. Yum!
As we drove back towards Spain, the rain subsided. We got to see some beautiful blue sky, fluffy clouds, and lots of green grass. Reminded me a bit of Minnesota!
Our next stop was Llopart – another sparkling wine house. Llopart was established in 1887, however, they are able to trace back through their history that they began making wine in the late 1300s!
Jon had scheduled us for a tour, which we were excited for, but we quickly realized it wasn’t accessible for Jon. Roger assured us we would only be gone for 10 minutes, but the second this man opened his mouth I quickly realized that he was a talker. I think we were gone for over 30 minutes, which was a bummer that it wasn’t more inclusive.
It was a pretty cool tour, we briefly got to go out to the vineyard and he was able to point out different ways the vines can grow and be maintained. Once we went back inside, they showed a brief video before the tasting began.
From there, we made our way back to our hotel. We briefly had a dip at the beach, before getting cleaned up for dinner. We had reservations at Villa Marina Sitges, which was right on the water.
I might just be one of the pickiest eaters you’ll ever meet, but I was feeling optimistic about this place – after all – they had a rooster as their logo. Unfortunately for me, there was no chicken on the menu. We triple checked that the shrimp didn’t have legs (or eyes) before ordering the shrimp pasta.
The other three all ordered steaks – and these were some of the biggest steaks I’ve ever seen. I watched the women at the table next to us widen their eyes as they saw the influx of meat. 🥩 It was a great dinner and an even better view!
Our hotel had a rooftop, and the night before we had tried to pop up there for a quick photo, but you needed a reservation. It seemed bizarre to me, since all I wanted was a picture. So I had made a reservation, but at this point we were all full and didn’t want to pay for anymore drinks.
So we went… and sat for a few minutes, took our pictures, and then left. It also doubled as a night-club, and old-man Ramert can’t be bothered with loud music. It was a beautiful view!
Up Next:
– Montserrat
– Wine tasting
Scribbles and Snapshots 