Apr 30, 2013 - Bianca's blog CHRISTMAS 2012

CHRISTMAS 2012 At 8:00 on Friday 21st of december the Crichtons left our house and crammed ourselves into our stuffed car. We were heading to the start of our holiday. The car trip took 10 hours, so we amused ourselves with audio books and movies. By the time we arrived in Barcelona it was 6 o'clock. We stayed for 2 nights with dad's friend Eduard, his wife Angels and his daughters Carla, Berta and Mirella. The next day we walked around Barcelona with Eduard and his girls. We saw a christmas market, walked up the Ramblas and ate lunch at a...

Sep 13, 2012 - Barcelona to Andorra

While in Spain I couldn't resits a tour that took me to France and Andorra. I had heard about Andorra being a small hidden country in the Pyrenees of Spain and also a tax sheltered banking haven. The tour boasted three countries in one day. The day of the tour I discovered it was the first of this kind of tour. There was only one couple and me going in a van with our guide. The tour was poorly planned but the drive over the Pyrenees was spectacular. Ask either of my sons and they will tell you I'm a goosey passenger and so some of the time...

Aug 12, 2012 - Up, Down, and Across

Dear Family and Friends, For a couple who normally sleep 7 hours if they are lucky, we should have been alarmed when we slept for 12 hours straight on our first night of our Pyrenees hike. We intended to hike the 500 mile length from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea - which averages at least 3000 feet of ascent and the same amount of descent per day - but the general exhaustion, a time/distance schedule to meet, weight of the packs, pain in the feet, and steepness of the trails before we were even in the mountains proper, gave a...

May 16, 2012 - Barcelona to Andorra

Packed up, set the GPS and headed out of Barcelona. Haven't driven for a few days and it has been good, but it is also good to have the freedom to go where we want, when we want. Getting use to Spanish traffic - me stopped at lights in left lane with police car behind me, need to be across two lanes to turn right in about 10 meters, indicator on and push across - no problem! Found our way out of the city and headed north. Stopped at a cafe for breakfast. When we started the car, the GPS wasn't working, thought it could be where we were...

Feb 5, 2012 - Bel 7: A Crichton Christmas

We were met at Lleida train station by Jem’s brother Mark who we haven’t seen for 4 years. He has now re-married and is the proud father of an 8 month old beautiful baby girl. It was a relief seeing him at the train station and he helped considerably loading up our luggage into his van. Our plan from here on in was to spend the rest of the month of December in Andorra living in the apartment at the bottom of Mark & Nicola’s house where we were joined by Caroline Jem’s Mum. This time in Andorra represented a time of relaxed family time,...

Jul 16, 2011 - A mountain stage

Toby arrives to pick us up at 6am. We remake the beds and then load up the car and drive to the mountain. The kids have a site just 50 metres from the summit. The girls return to the car for some more sleep and Toby stretches out on the grass outside. Their night had been one of interruptions. They found it hard to get used to the cowbells constantly ringing in the paddock above them and then there were the hoons driving up and down the mountain blasting their horns. David and I go for a walk and a little bit of a climb. The scenery is just...

Mar 15, 2011 - Skleeting in Andorra

skiing in the rain, soaked to the skin, seeing nothing we did not enjoy it rental skiis walked off, had to pay 150 Euros nothing else to do if not skiing (day 2) stone construction on steep slopes, all built in past 40 years (guess), town of Arinsal just one big ski resort

Mar 6, 2011 - The Pyrenees

We headed off from Aranjuez sad in the knowledge that we only had one more night left in Spain, a country we had both enjoyed so much, and in which we had spent 20% of our year off. It was a day for a long drive, skirting the edge of Madrid, then heading up to Zaragoza and finally into the Pyrenees. We were blessed with good weather, but a largely boring drive until we got past Huesca and close to the mountains. We headed for a very small and prettily named place called La Puebla de Castro, close to Graus, not too high up but still with...

Dec 19, 2007 - Andorra

I'm not happy! I found a shop in Barcelona last night with 2GB SD cards for e12.99 and was going to buy a couple but thought I'd wait to see if they were cheaper in Andorra today, they weren't. So I've come back to the same shop tonight and they have doubled the price, bugger. San Marino is a pretty shopping centre, Andorra is just a shopping centre, a very cheap one but other than shopping has nothing else to offer, if you have a skiing trip planned there soon start praying as they have no snow yet. Still another European country knocked...

Oct 9, 2006 - A filthy four letter word I must share with you....

.... cold!! My night in Blanes was quite sweet as Jon and I managed another night together! He missed a night of salsa to catch a cab down to stay with me and I dropped him back in time for classes the next morning - aaaaah! It is mushroom time here in Spain. There seems to be quite an interest in going out collecting your own up in the hills and mountains to the north of Catalonia. But having seen a fair bit of Salvador Dali's art, and also had a lok at a park designed by Gaudi, I am beginning to wonder if it is magic mushrooms that grow...

Jul 25, 2006 - Andorra

Hey wonderful readers... or crazy ones. I mean really, who tracks other peoples lives? especially crazy ones with bad haircuts and smelly feet (an understatment if ever I knew one, hehe). Well incase you are a stalker, We three are having a fantastic time resting our feet for a day in Andorra. I have moved on to my second pair of boots in two weeks since I got such blisters on my toes I had to buy new (cheeper) boots or stay put untill they healed. So re-equiped once more and feeling alot lighter, in my bank account, I'm ready and excited...

Jun 22, 2006 - days 6-9

Day 9- I didn't get much sleep last night. The wind began howling shortly after I had gone to sleep and by midnight it was blowing steady near 30 MPH with gusts. I only have three tent stakes, so the other guy lines were anchored with rocks. The wind untied them over and over until I finally gave up and fell asleep with the tarp lying on top of me. I awake to the pitter patter of a light rain. I rush to get packed and just as I finish the rain starts heavy and steady. Pic Destats looms above the oblong lake. The rain has given a sheen to...