clare-allcardSNOW! YES! IT’S COME!

And just in the nick of time! You see, up here in little old Andorra we rely heavily on tourism for our comfortable lifestyle. Much of that tourism comes from skiers. Foreign skiers. Some 2.2 million of them each year. We are, after all, talking about the largest ski area in the Pyrenees. And the sunniest in Europe. Just checked it out. We have around 2,000 hours of sunshine a year. This year we’ve had not only an amazing summer but also an amazing autumn. But now we need snow – for all those skiers you understand. Mind you, there’s also a solid coverage of snow-making machines as a backup.

In a normal year I expect to see a new fall of snow on the peaks by the end of September and a big dump in October. Not this year. Maybe it’s global warming? But not to worry. The snow has finally arrived and everyone is rejoicing, especially as it is still on the mountain tops and not on the pavements downtown. This morning the rising sun, reflected in my bedroom window, bathed those thickly clad white peaks in a glorious, sunrise-crimson glow. All is well!

Last Sunday we, in the International community, saw the start of the Christmas season with the 27th annual Fira Benèfica de Nadal (Christmas Charity Fair). We raised around 14,000€ for local charities and, by the way, ‘International’ is no exaggeration. On my stall alone we had helpers from England, Holland, Malta, Russia, the Ukraine and Wales.

And so to the PICK OF THE WEEK’S CULTURAL EVENTS

ANDORRA LA VELLA: CHRISTMAS VILLAGE AND CAPITAL OF DREAMS!

This is a totally new initiative so you can be in at the start! As from Thursday 1st December right up until Three Kings on 6th January, Andorra la Vella, the capital is being transformed into a Poblet de Nadal or Christmas Village, offering a whole new winter experience. There’ll be a big Christmas Market and a Christmas exhibition of works by resident artists, all of whom will be offering free workshops.

The official inauguration of the Village takes place on Thursday, 1st December at 6pm in the Plaça de la Rotonda, Andorra la Vella. This year the Village is peopled by kindly elves, or menairons, and they will be out in force, taking part in a spectacular opening ceremony that includes a most unusual ‘aerial’ concert, so do try to be there. Then, at 8.30pm, there’ll be a firework display at the Plaça del Poble, centre of much of the ‘village’ activity.

Finally, at 9.30pm, there is a concert in the charming little church of Santa Coloma. Pre-Romanesque in origin, it is one of Andorra’s oldest churches dating from the early 10th century or perhaps even before. The beautiful, four-storied Lombardian bell tower, was added in the 12th century. It’s circular shape is unique in the Principality and one of the few circular towers to be found in the Pyrenees as a whole.

MUSIC

On Friday, 2nd December at 19.45 in the Teatre de les Fontetes, La Massana. Carol Singing by the excellent children’s choir Petits Cantors del Principat d’Andorra. Founded 25 years ago, the Petits Cantors have sung in many places in Europe and America including the UN and the Vatican.

On Saturday, 3rd December at 5pm in Ordino Parish Church and on Sunday, 4th December at 6pm in Canillo Church, there will be a Christmas Carol Concert by El Cor Internacional d’Andorra. In Ordino it will be followed by refreshments outside the church, including mince pies and mulled wine, all provided by the International Club of Andorra. El Cor Internacional has prepared a programme of multilingual Christmas Carols with which to tour the country and where the audience is invited to join in several popular numbers so do come along and enjoy the music. Directed by Toni Gibert and accompanied by Robert Bailey, this year’s concerts will also feature a flute solo by the talented young Andorran, Parancha Domingo.

THEATRE AND DANCE

On Friday, 2nd December and Saturday, 3rd December at 9.30pm in the Teatre Comunal, Andorra la Vella. (14€ tickets from La Llacuna and the Tourist office, Andorra la Vella and Centre Cultural Sant Julià) Tu & Jo (You & Me) is a spectacular where dance, music and theater are the protagonists playing with emotions and relationships and with the passing of time. The show links dance and theater with music and Catalan text. The drummer guides, leading and accompanying the actors and dancers. Directed by Joan Hernández Choreography by Cia. Liquid Dance and music, drums and percussion by Arnau Obiols with a cast of eleven.

ENGLISH CINEMA:

Monday, 28th November to Thursday, 1st December at 8pm at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. Allied. Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) Starring: Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. The story: In 1942 North Africa intelligence officer Max Vatan encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war. (Action, Drama, Romance. 124 minutes.)

EXHIBITION

Until 29th January, 2017 at the Museu del Tabac, Sant Julià de Lòria. El Món a la fi del Món. ‘The world at the end of the world’ is a selection of photographs by the journalist Sebastián Álvaro, creator and director of the legendary Spanish TV program: Al Filo de lo impossible. Huge, wild, beautiful and desolate: this is the world at the end of the world, and so is the world Sebastián Álvaro presents in his photographic exhibition. The exhibition by the writer and adventurer includes 38 photographs taken throughout his 35-year professional career, during which he organized and led more than 200 expeditions to explore the most inhospitable places on six continents: from Patagonia to the Himalayas, to the North Pole, Antarctica, including mountains, volcanoes, deserts of sand and ice, canyons, waterfalls, oceans … His photo archive contains more than 300,000 images; those selected for El Món a la fi del Món are some of the most impressive. (Opening: Winter hours -September to June – Tuesday to Friday from 9 -19h (last tour at 18h), Saturdays, 10 – 20h (last tour at 18.30). Sundays from 10 – 14:30h (last tour at 13h). Closed Mondays.

MUSEUMS

Andorra is full of excellent small museums outlining its unique history. Amongst the best, The Tobacco Museum itself is one of my favourites. Set in an old Tobacco factory, each floor tells a different part of the story of tobacco and its cultivation – and smuggling – in Andorra all so intricately interwoven with the story of the country itself. As soon as the Spanish Crown in the 17th century, imposed a monopoly, and a heavy tax, on the growing and selling of tobacco the ingenious Andorrans started to cultivate the plants all along their fertile river banks. Once dried, they then smuggled the noxious weed across the mountains into Spain. The museum has a whole floor devoted only to smuggling, with others displaying the machines used in the process of making cigarettes and cigars and videos demonstrating how everything was done. The tour can be heard in English. (For opening hours see above.)

For a more in-depth and entertaining description of this and many other aspects of Andorra do consult the recent publication, Andorra Revealed, available on Amazon and also in shops and hotels in Andorra.

I’ll be with you again next week.

Culturally yours,

Clare.

If you want to learn more in depth about Andorra try reading “Andorra Revealed”.

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Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard

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