Finding Fall in Andorra

I knew it was coming.  September 1st.  When the emails, pictures, and facebook posts would start rolling in, something along the lines of:

"Off to the apple orchard in my jeans and sweater to drink pumpkin coffee and eat cider donuts whilst sitting on a hay bale."

I'd be reading this, while the little a/c unit that could hummed alongside me, wondering how it is possible that it is October and I'm still wearing tank tops and sweating like a banshee.   

I know everyone loves fall.  But I really love fall. 

I'm a corn stalk buyin', pumpkin hoardin', apple pickin' freak.  Never mind that 3/4 of our little family here have birthdays in the fall, I just love the change...that feeling of hunkering down together inside, watching the cold wind whip the leaves around.  It's cozy, it's comfortable.  It's home.

Yes, I know missing fall is a small price to pay for living in a temperate climate abroad year round...and while we here in Barcelona will be having 65 degree sunny picnics in the park in March, everyone back home will be have changed their facebook posts to something along the lines of:

"Dear Winter:  If you could please pack your sh*t and leave, that would be great.  Thanks"

So I know this woe-is-me feeling will pass, but still...I had to do something.

I decided that if fall doesn't exist here in Barcelona, then I will make a fall.  The first order of business was paraphernalia.  The hand-print-leaf wreath the kids and I made wasn't quite cutting it.  Oddly enough...pumpkins are hard to find here.  Only just now, mid-October, am I seeing them, and they are not for decoration.  There are pumpkins sitting in the produce shop windows with huge chunks hacked out of them.  People actually go to a store, and order a certain gram amount of pumpkin, then the store owner chops it off, and gives it to them to cook.  Um, that's no fun.  I don't want some ugly, hacked into pumpkin, thanks.  I don't want to cook the damn thing, I just want to stare at it on my deck until it rots.  Why can't you people understand this?!

You will find our interpretation of an autumn leaf wreath on top

So you can imagine my delight when, last weekend, I found a street vendor on the main drag in Poblenou selling full on gourds and mini-pumpkins!  I think I freaked the poor woman out, wondering why anyone would be this freaking excited to buy oblong, wart covered gourds.  Regardless, I got a bowl full, and -- voila -- fall ambiance has been achieved.  This, coupled with my Yankee candle and some contraband US canned pumpkin, and we are practically a little Vermont orchard up in here. 

I also knew, in addition to making a fall, we also needed to find it.  Somewhere.  Taking the advice of a well traveled friend here in Barcelona, we had decided to book a trip to Andorra for mid-October for this exact reason.  I knew, back when we booked it, that I would be home-sick and fall-sick this time of year, and in need of some cold weather and a good hard "this-is-why-we-live here" slap in the face.

Boy did we get it.

Andorra was AMAZING.  This tiny little country is just a 3 hour drive from Barcelona, but feels like a different continent.  Set amid the Pyrenees mountains, this country is essentially a mountain range, with little towns dotted along the narrow valleys between them.  And while it is still technically within the region of Catalonia, it just looked and felt so incredibly different.  I watched with delight as the temperature kept dropping as we drove further and further from the coast, and into the mountains towards Andorra.  When we arrived, I have to say, even I was shocked by the change.  When we left Barcelona, it was 25 C (77 F)...in Andorra, it was 7 C (44 F).  Craziness.
   

We opted to stay on the French side of Andorra, taking advantage of the off-season prices of an insanely beautiful ski-resort.  The massive lobby was filled with over sized cushioned armchairs circling heavy wooden tables...and there were grandly decorated wings filled with mahogany bars and twinkling chandeliers.  It was spectacular, yet had a little of that creepy Shining-esque feeling to it, since it was kind of deserted up there.  Summer and winter are the big tourist seasons in Andorra, so we essentially had the place to ourselves.  All the more space for toddlers to run.  It was perfect. 

 

We introduced the kids to the concept of cocktail hour that first night -- relaxing in the lounge arm chairs with two glasses of wine for Chris and I, and two fancy little bottles of OJ with straws for the kids (Mia was especially taken with this practice, and announced she wanted to "have drinks" every night for the rest of the trip).  Yes, there was a fair bit of chasing the kids around the hotel, apologizing to the other patrons trying to enjoy their solitude as my children chased each other shrieking, but overall I think the kids charmed the pants off our fellow hotel guests and staff.  They can turn on the charm when they want to. 

It was just a great weekend.

Full of outdoor walks in the woods. 

And a trip up to a wonderful little outdoorsy themed amusement part called Naturlandia.  This place is set on a mountain peak with breathtaking views and great attractions for kids like pony rides, bouncy houses, tiny little battery run jeeps, and trampolines. 

There were more activities for bigger kids, like archery and in-line skating, plus -- the coolest ride I've been on in my life.  Tobotronic.  The longest Alpine coaster on earth.

You board this little sleigh-like contraption, and proceed to be pulled up to the top of the mountain -- it takes over 15 minutes to get to the top, and the ride down is 5km of track, flying down around 20mph.  Click here to see a sweet you tube video someone took on the ride down.  Some friends of ours from Barcelona had joined us for a couple of the days in Andorra, and had very nicely offered to watch the kids while Chris and I experienced Tobotronic together.  In that time, I think Mia fell in love with our friend Dario, and Evan got unlimited jeep and pony rides.

We drank mulled wine, ate fondue, had hot chocolate, and even got a few hours at the amazing hotel spa. 

The weekend was capped off with a snow dusted morning on Monday, giving us that grand-fall finale we needed to feel fully rejuvenated and ready to head back to the tropics...I mean, Barcelona.

Yet, it is actually starting to feel like fall here in Barcelona too...you just have to know where to look.  Like noticing the covers have been taken off the Chiringuitos (beach bars) allowing the weakening sun to access all the tables all day long.  And the restaurant signs along the beaches are all back in Catalan instead of English signaling the end of tourist season.  Hey, it's not pumpkin coffee, but it is a sign that the seasons are a-changin'.  I'll take it.