Life On A B-I7

The Remainder of Our Trip

I got back onto the snow today so the trip was not a complete bust. I don’t like sounding like a ski snob, but the skiing in Andorra is not all that impressive. Lots of blue trails and very few black runs. The blacks are short pitches with thin cover and they can’t hold a candle to the likes of Alta and Snowbird. It seems like the blues are what the locals prefer so that’s what the resort caters to. Like everywhere else around the world this year, the snow cover is thin. The greens and blues are well covered because they make a ton of snow so that’s where the only real action is. Skiing in Europe for age 75 and up is free everywhere, so it might make sense to come back in three years to some place like Les Trois Valles, if they are still granting visas to Americans.

After we used up our six-day pass, we made our way back to Barcelona for two days of sight-seeing. Barcelona is beautiful. It’s a very livable city, pedestrian friendly. The food is excellent and the people don’t hate Americans yet. My only real critique as far as this trip is involved is that the travel time is disproportionate to our length of stay in-country. It would be better next time to plan a minimum two week stay.

Andorra Day 3

I’m still recovering from last night’s trauma. I slept all day today until almost 5 pm.

Andorra Day 2

Our ski trip to Andorra in the Pyrenees took an unexpected turn last night. Shortly after falling asleep I had a seizure. It was significant. I didn’t know the people around me or where I was for twenty minutes afterwards. I was taken to the hospital for treatment and observation. Fortunately I made a complete recovery and all tests were clear. I say the following somewhat tongue-in-cheek, although every word is true. Shortly after my arrival in the hospital the attending physician asked me if I know who the president of the United States was? I replied “Donald Trump and he is destroying democracy in America.” The doctor looked at my sweetheart in the room with me and said, “he’s okay.”

Happy Birthday!

Andorra Day 1

After a long day of travel; Seattle to Munich, Munich to Barcelona, a four hour bus ride to the resort, we arrived in Andorra at the Sports Hotel at 11 pm. To be precise, it’s a 28 hour day. The hotel kept their kitchen open to serve our little group a late dinner. I was a bit overwhelmed by this show of kindness. After a delicious late dinner, we were happy to get tucked into bed for about six hours of sleep before starting our first day on the snow.

We traveled with our boots but rented skis and poles. The ski shop had Black Crows, my favorite ski, but I had to take a pair that were a bit shorter than I prefer. I purchased a six day pass for 150 Eu. That’s a deal. That is more than half the going rate for a six day pass because I’m considered a Senior (over 70). In three years the pass will be free, that will make a return trip here worth considering.

It was finally time to go skiing! This was my first day on the snow this winter! That is a very late start to the season due to the limited snowfall on Mt Bachelor, our home mountain. The surface was good, the temp hovered just below freezing. Lots of cloud cover which hindered visibility but that’s good for snow conditions. I got in some good runs and felt good even though the skis were too short. A good first day. We took our time exploring runs and getting familiar with the mountain, it’s big. There is a lot to explore here.

We stopped into the rental shop after we came off the hill and they had a pair of Black Crows in my preferred length so I swapped out. The fellow that helped me was awesome. I’m looking forward to getting on the snow again tomorrow!

Our hotel is amazing. This shot of the lobby gives you a small taste of what we are enjoying here.