Guns & Butter: Andorra Travel Guide (Country Count Edition)
TPOL’s Guns & Butter Travel Guide is the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible. Here’s how it works: A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy. The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa. The guide includes inefficient activities i.e., tourist traps that should be avoided and aspirational activities that are worth doing but may be impossible to see given the constraints of time and resources.
Getting There: A bus costs 60 euros to and from Andorra but make sure you don’t miss it (see I Missed My Ride: Not So ‘Direct Bus’ Andorra & Andbus to Andorra: ‘And’ It Showed Up).
Why do people come to Andorra? Most come to the home of the Pyrenesse to ski. TPOL doesn’t ski. Some come to hike. This was a day trip and TPOL had no interest in physical exertion. Others come for the Country Count novelty. This applied to me (see Where I’ve Been). Tax-Free Shopping One interesting fact about Andorra is that it is a tax-free zone. While that is true, I did not find the prices to be especially competitive for my interests (see TPOL Knows Cologne, Just Don’t Buy It on a Plane ) TPOL’s Tip: There is a 9-hole golf course in Andorra. The prices were great for alcohol. Nobility of Time The point of interest that fascinated me was Dali’s Noblesse du temps or nobility of time. As a sophomore at the University of Michigan, I had the Persistence of Memory poster hung on my wall. Old Town Although I did not go hiking, I spent hours walking through the city. It certainly has the old town charm (see Astray in Old Town: Great Places to Get Lost). Satisfied with my cultural experience, I stopped at Barri Antic for a beer. From there, it was on to the old parliament. When I learned of the cover charge, I declined to enter. The next objective was to take photos of the curious gold men sitting down. Since returning I have researched said men. They are called the 7 Poets and were created by Jaume Plensa. Regarding the moments, Plensa said, “Poets are a key part of society. They are doomed to failure because they know they won’t sell even three books, but they are a source of fertility, like a very fine rain that penetrates the earth.” He might as well be talking about TPOL. TPOL’s Tip: Buy Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine. Before making my way to the bus station promptly, I went for another beer and a bowl of gazpacho, a must on a terribly hot day. Overall Am I the cultural attaché to Andorra? Hardly. Is it worth going? Of course.
Odd: Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower Hotel Review
My first stop on this crazy trip was Barcelona. Typically, I land at a destination and the craziness starts. This time, I took a different approach. This time I decided to ease my way into the trip. The Hyatt BCN is the perfect place to implement this strategy. Why? 1. It is very close to the airport. Had I not messed with Uber and Bolt, I could have been in my comfy Hyatt bed in minutes. 2. It is in the middle of nowhere. I don’t appreciate that this place is called the Hyatt Regency Barcelona. While technically it is in Barcelona, there’s nothing that resembles Barcelona for kilometers. If I had hurriedly booked this hotel with the expectation that I would be somewhere in the vicinity, I would have been quite disappointed. Fortunately, I have learned the lesson that Hotel Name + City Name does not equal prime real estate (see Four Points Ljubljana: Not Near the Centre). This time the less-than-ideal location was to my advantage. The goal was not to do anything. Temptation was far from my door making this mission easy to accomplish. 3. Points Cheap What will we do when Hyatt has a serious devaluation like Hilton? This would end my ability to pad stays at properties without worrying about points (see Bus-Ted: Gold Medal Trip Report Points & Cash Summary). For 9k a night, I received a great room and a hot shower. 4. Close to Andorra As stated above, the Hyatt is close to the airport. The airport is where I attempted to catch the bus to Andorra. This is convenient if logistics go as planned (see I Missed My Ride: Not So ‘Direct Bus’ Andorra). 5. It’s a Funky Hotel Overall If you’re looking to ease your way into your Euro trip, stay at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona. Olives I would pay for.
Simply The Best: August 2024
Repeat Business: Iberia San Juan to Madrid
Should I keep this one short? I think so. Why? Because my commute from San Juan to Madrid has been documented many times (see Iberia Flight Reviews). Amenities Kit I liked the socks. I tossed the rest. Appetizer Roast beef was an interesting choice but it worked out. Vino The best part of flying Iberia is the Rioja/Ribera Del Duero stand-off. I also had one glass of Cava as no alcohol was served before take-off. Dinner I’ll have the chicken! Not very fancy but good enough. Cheese The wine is starting to hurt my head. Sleep The lie-flat was serviceable. It beats sitting upright. IFE Bad Boys worked but the TV shows were outdated. The Office Season 1? Breakfast No bueno. Overall It’s 50k points to fly business direct from Puerto Rico to Madrid (see Bus-Ted: Gold Medal Trip Report Points & Cash Summary). I’ll be doing this again.
Bus-Ted: Gold Medal Trip Report Points & Cash Summary
Here is the money and points spent: Here is the Great Circle Mapper: This trip brings me to 119 UN countries and 154 countries and territories. See where I’ve been here. Overall TPOL does it again.