ANDORRA: love this place (Ski Resorts in Andorra in general)

Name: davidso_99

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Product:	Ski Resorts in Andorra in general
Date:	23/07/02 (619 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: versatile, fun, friendly

Disadvantages: small, slow ski lifts

In the last five years or so, we, as a family, have made annual pilgrimages to ski resorts for our winter holiday. We've been to Canada, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Austria so it seems somewhat strange that I found our most recent destination, Andorra a small place somewhere near France to be by far our best holiday.

Due to varying experience and ability (my mother and sister didn't come on the first couple of trips and they are by no means accomplished skiers) we decide we would split into two groups. Myself, my brother and father would spend our days at Soldeu which is most suiting for the competent skiers while 'mi old woman' and her daughter opted for the more, shall we say slight premises at Arnisal which is more accommodating for the basic, steady skiers with its slight slopes and beginner's courses.

I had a great time solitarily skiing or otherwise with my brother and father providing they could keep up. I seldom took a break for lunch so as to keep skiing. Despite not being necessarily as steeply sloped as the other ski resorts, I found skiing in Andorra to be more exciting for there are more obstacles to overcome like large bumps, ditches, trees and what not.

My constant thrill seeking made it so that now I know every tree on the resort having met them all individually. Usually head first. Similarly, I think I know every medic on the resort by name as my encounters with the trees often meant introduction to a medic who after uttering 'you again' would prop me on the back of a cool snow-bike thingy and transport me to the medical centre to see Frank the injury specialist dude (say hi from me). Memories.

What was slightly annoying though was having to get back up the mountain having skied (or tumbled) down it. I understand it?s the laws of physics but the annoying thing was that the ski lifts were relatively tremendously slow and often stopped so you were in mid-air for some 15 minutes or so. I s
uffered one of my most embarrassing moments upon one of these lifts. I was on the way up and hovering over the queue for the lift, and me, being cocky with a done-it-all-before attitude didn't pull the protective bar down so it was like I was on my couch at home looking really cool. That is until a jerk in the wire above tilted the seat forward and I fell from the considerable height onto the unwelcoming crowd beneath, after which my attempts at apologising were met with looks that wouldn't even be given to Bin Laden as they got up from the ground.

Off the slopes, Andorra still, in my mind maintained its 'better' status over the rest, primarily because of its nightlife. The clubs and pubs tend to have a very British influence, with British or English speaking bar staff, recognisable music and even fish n chips. I know I know, I'm abroad so I should embrace their culture but when I ask for a 'pint o lager n some ready salted crisps' I like them to know what I mean. Apart from this, Andorra is very lively at night. All its stores stay open till late, there are traffic jams and everybody's out.

The scenery (I've been told by my mother because frankly I don't care) is great and the people are friendly, accommodating and generally embrace the fact that their home is predominantly populated by foreign tourists.

Overall, Andorra is small, humble and a brilliant skiing resort for both the experienced and inexperienced skiers.

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