Andorra

Andorra doesn't sound all that different than California. They have skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking, mountain biking, trout fishing, horseback riding or rock climbing in the summer. The stop and go traffic we experience going to Big Bear after a snowfall might be as authentic as the more than 12,000 cars a day that enter Andorra. Do you think we aren't doing those things right now because of social distancing? Think again. The lifts may be closed, but my friend's grandson climbed the mountain above Big Bear yesterday carrying his snowboard so he could experience the ride down.

But most of us aren't willing to put that much effort in, so my best recommendation for experiencing Andorra while staying at home is the cooking. Here is a list of traditional dishes: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/andorra/articles/the-10-most-traditional-dishes-from-andorra/ Google recipes for any of them and have fun!

These are the ones I picked out:

Trinxat: https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/cabbage-and-potato-recipe/

Andorran Portabella Omelet: https://www.food.com/recipe/andorran-portabella-omelet-499403

Biscotti: http://www.spanishrecipesbynuria.com/cupcakes-cookies-muffins/carquinyolis-the-catalan-biscotti

Crema Catalana: https://spanishsabores.com/2016/01/25/homemade-spanish-crema-catalana-recipe/

Did you notice that some of these are Andorran recipes and some say they are Catalan? Catalan is the official language of Andorra and is spoken in nearby parts of Spain and France as well as on Sardinia, an island of Italy. There is a Catalan restaurant in Rancho Mirage, California that I intend to try as soon as this pandemic is over.

In the meantime, to experience something actually from that part of the world, I spent more on shipping than for the box of chocolate covered almonds I ordered from:

https://www.tienda.com/products/catanies-chocolate-covered-almonds-cudie-ct-49.html

I'll update the blog when they arrive.

The only book I've read from Andorra is 32 Yolks by Eric Ripert. It focuses on his childhood in Andorra and his training as a chef. It's available in book form as well as Audible, Kindle and Audio CD. I enjoyed reading it as well as seeing Eric Ripert in some of the episodes of Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain that I've watched on Netflix. You can also check him out at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1872374/ to find out what he has been in and see if you want to track down some of those shows.

The only other Andorran author I found who was translated into English is Albert Salvado. His most readily available books are a novel on ancient Egypt, The Master of Cheops, and a biography of Constantine - not particularly Andorran. The novelists from elsewhere who set a story in Andorra aren't particularly well reviewed on Goodreads. So I haven't read any of those yet.

If you were actually in Andorra, you might see some of these places: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-andorra/ (Photo credit to thecrazytourist.com for the picture attached to this blog.)

If you want more on Andorra, go to Google Books and search for Andorra. And, when this pandemic is over, plan a trip to Andorra using your local travel advisor. Shout out to my favorite travel advisor, Kaitlin Darnell at Laura's Travel in Redlands. May the travel industry survive and thrive - may we all survive, thrive, recognize our mutual humanity, learn to deal with our conflicts, and allow peace and health to flourish in Andorra and throughout the world.