PICK OF THE WEEK: Andorra (Pyrenees)
Main places:
Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, San Julia de Loria, La Massana, Ordino, Encamp, Canillo, Pas de la Casa
Every Monday and Thursday, 21h – 23h at Hunters Sports Bar and Grill, Arinsal. Ben Warner Live.
Monday, 23rd December at 21.30h at the Hotel Màgic, La Massana. (Free) Vibrand concert in Clau de Soul. Every Monday you have an appointment with the best live music. Start the week enjoying the ‘Magic Mondays’ and the best atmosphere! The band will play the songs you like most by artists such as Sting, Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Bruno Mars, among many others, and in an unusual way. Come and dance while we sing funk, soul, reggae, swing and jazz.
Thursday, 26th December at 20.30h at the Hotel Piolets Centre Soldeu, Canillo. (Free) Vibrand Concert in Clau de Soul. Every Thursday you can enjoy live music and the best atmosphere in Soldeu! The band will play the songs you like most from artists such as Sting, Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone James Brown, Aretha
Franklin and Bruno Mars in an unusual way. Come and dance while we sing funk, soul, reggae, swing and jazz!
Friday, 27th December at 21.30h at El Cabin, Arinsal. (Free) The Shuffle Express in concert. You can’t miss the musical Friday nights at El Cabin! You will enjoy the best atmosphere of Arinsal to the best
blues rhythms!
Friday, 27th December around 22.30h at the cafè-teatre La Fada Ignorant, Andorra la Vella. Concerts at La Fada: Marc Ferer.
Saturday, 28th December at 21.30h at Anyós Park, La Massana. Vibrand concert in Clau de Soul. The best proposal for Saturday! If you like live music while you enjoy the gastronomy of the country, we are waiting for you at Anyós Park! A trip that is born of soul and goes through different musical styles playing the songs that you like the most! Soul, funky, R & B, jazz, reggae, bag …, by artists such as Sting, Jamiroquai, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Bruno Mars.
Saturday, 28th December around 22.30h at the cafè-teatre La Fada Ignorant, Andorra la Vella. Concerts at La Fada: Ferran Exceso.
Sunday, 29th December at 19h in the Sport Hotel Soldeu, Canillo. Shuffle Espress in concert. After a good skiing session, load your batteries with a pure blues concert! The band will entertain you with the best versions of traditional and contemporary artists such as BB King, Eric Clapton,. Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Joe Bonamassa, Jr.Watson and Little Walter, Elmore Jame, as well as their own original songs.
THEATRE
Thursday, 26th December at 20h in the Claror Auditorium of the Lauredià Cultural and Congress Center, Sant Julià de Lòria. (10€ Ticket sales at Lauredià Cultural and Congress Center, Tel +376 744 044 or at: www.santjulia.ad/ tickets) 55th Theater Season: Els Pastorets (The young shepherds). Directed by the professionals Juanma Casero and Irina Robles with a very well rehearsed cast of amateurs from the Principality. A traditional Catalan Christmas spectacular, a sort of cross between a Nativity Play and a Pantomime. But it sounds as if this year it will have a more modern slant to it. What would have happened if EVIL, the fearsome hell ruled by Satan, had won the final battle? What would our world look like? Satan,
Beelzebub, and Lucifer all think they have won and that all the evil of humanity is their work – they rule the world without problems. But Lluquet and Farigola, the two young activists who want to change the world, will use Christmas to return to the original story and help the miracle happen again. An industrial hell that expands by means of all the possible evils and a heaven that does not want to be overcome, will again face each other in this adventure. All the characters: Gethsemane, Isabella, Jeremiah, Martha … and of course, all the shepherds, who are always indispensable characters in our story, will join with the young enthusiasts to prevent the evil from escaping with theirs. Lluquet and Thyme will try to live in a better world, without
losing the essence of everything that the ‘Pastorets’ have meant over the years: magic, story, music, illusion …
Other performances of ‘Els pastorets’: – Saturday, December 28, 2019, at 18h.
– Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 18h.
– Monday, January 6, 2020, at 18h.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES, MISSA DE GALLE and MIDNIGHT MASS
Around the parishes on 24th December, 2019
LA MASSANA at 18h at the parish church. St George’s Church is offering the traditional English Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols & Christingle oranges for the children with Robert Bailey at the organ accompanying us with many of the best loved carols. After the service, attendants are invited to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies in the church square.
PAS DE LA CASA Missa de Galle (Cockerel Mass) at 19.30h in the Church of Sant Pere.
ENCAMP at Midnight Missa de Galle (Cockerel Mass) in the Church of Santa Eulalia.
LA MASSANA at Midnight Missa de Galle (Cockerel Mass) in the Parish church with the participation of the Coral Sant Antoní.
ORDINO at Midnight Missa de Galle (Cockerel Mass) in the Parish church with hot chocolate, hot wine and coca sweet cake after the service.
SANT JULIÀ DE LÒRIA: at Midnight Missa de Galle (Cockerel Mass) in the Parish church with carols followed by hot chocolate and xurros!
The origin of the Cockerel’s Mass is attributed to a fable claiming that it was this creature who first witnessed the birth of Jesus, and who announced it to everyone. That is why, in ancient times, El Cant del Gall (The Song of the Cockerel) was sung at the beginning of the Midnight Mass.
ADVENT CALENDARS
Every evening until 24th December at 18h at the Plaça del Consell, Encamp and in the exhibition hall of the Tourist Office of Pas de la Casa. Each day one of the windows will open to give the attendees sweets, in order to remind the little ones in the house that each passing day will have one less day for Christmas to arrive, and thus they will be able to open the presents that Santa has left them. This tradition originated in the 1920’s, when 24 boxes were added to the advent calendars, one for each day, behind which chocolates were hidden.
PARE NOEL/FATHER CHRISTMAS/SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!
LA MASSANA: 17h in the Plaça de Les Fontetes. Pare Noel will receive all the children of the parish in his special tent.
ESCALDES-ENGORDANY 17h Father Christmas will parade around the parish starting in av. Charlemagne and ending in the Plaça Coprínceps where he will collect all the letters from the children.
CANILLO 18h Santa Claus will leave from the Comú parking in his sleigh drawn by dogs and will travel to the Palau de Gel ice rink. There the children from the Andorra Club de Gel will receive him on the ice rink with a skating show. Once finished, Santa will welcome everyone to the ice rink.
ENCAMP: The parade begins at 18h from the Plaça dels Arínsols and tours the town before returning to the Plaça where Pare Noel receives from the hands of the children all the letters they have written to him filled with good wishes and requests for dreamed gifts.
ORDINO: 18h Arrival of Father Christmas at the Plaça Major with hot chocolate and coca sweet cake.
v PAS DE LA CASA. At 20h the parade starts through the streets of the town and where, on arrival at the Sports Center party hall, Father Christmas receives from the hands of the children all the letters they
have written to him full of good wishes and requests for dreamed gifts.
CINEMA
Monday 23rd at 20h & Tuesday, 24th December at 18.15h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemagne, Escaldes-Engordany. Star Wars 9: Rise of Skywalker. Directed by J.J. Abrams. Starring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver. The Story: The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more in the final chapter of the Skywalker saga.
Monday 23rd at 20h and Tuesday, 24th December at 20.10h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemagne, Escaldes-Engordany. Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu. A comedy in French directed by Philippe de Chauveron. Starring: Christian Clavier, Chantal Lauby, Ary Abittan. The Story: A Catholic French couple sees their life turned upside down when their four daughters get married to men of different religion and origins.
ANDORRA LA VELLA’s ANNUAL CHRISTMAS VILLAGE AND MARKET from Friday, 29th November – Sunday, 29th December. Events are scattered around the capital with the market in the Plaça del
Poble, the ice toboggan down by Santa Maria del Fener church, other things in the Plaça de Guillermó.
El Poblet de Nadal brings magic and delight to Andorra la Vella. A set of spectacular proposals will fill the streets with animation, games, colour and an enchanting atmosphere that will help us live the Christmas holidays with more intensity.
* Christmas market
* Market tasting
* Large format shows
* Carols
* Aion of Christmas
* Post office for Father Christmas
* Christmas lights and sounds
* Traditional games from around the world
* Synthetic ice toboggan track
CHILDREN (All children’s activities are in Catalan unless otherwise stated.).
From Monday until 4th January, 2020 (see actual dates below) from 16.30h – 18h at the Escaldes-Engordany Art Center. Playmobil Universe Children’s Workshops for children. Related to the Playmobil Universe, Exhibition organized by ClickFactoryFest, which features an event around the legendary Playmobil Click, from 5 dioramas representing different themes: prehistory, crusades, a zoo, pirates and a scene from the movie San Andrés. (Dates: 23rd, 27th, 28th & 30th December, & 2nd, 3rd & 4th January.)
Monday, 23rd December 2019 to Wednesday, 8th January 8, 2020 at the Esplai d’estrelles and Punt Jove Canillo. Christmas holiday activities for boys and girls.
Tuesday, 24th December at 11h in the Plaça Major, Ordino. Caga Tió.
ANDORRA CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH SALON
Encamp and Pas de la Casa from 16h – 21h.
Friday, 27th December, 2019 – Sunday, 5th January, 2020 The Children’s and Youth Salon of Andorra in Encamp and Pas de la Casa returns this Christmas with the aim of offering children and young people aged from 2 – 18, the opportunity to enjoy various activities and leisure shows, sports and adventure and crafts, among others. (Cost: the Day Ticket will cost 5€ and the Six-day Ticket for Encamp will cost 18€ and 8€ for the Three-day pass at Pas de la Casa. Reservations: Tel. 753 635 and 753 632)
The Salon will open from 27th December to 1st January in Encamp, while from 3rd to 5th January it will be held in Pas de la Casa. The program includes various activities for different age groups, which will be divided into zones.
ENCAMP: In the Encamp Salon, which will be held in the Sports Complex, we will find a lot of activities to do with the Enchanted Games, where, from four traditional tales, children will be able to make broomsticks, construction games, Puppeteers, to make-up as their favorite character, with up to twenty large format games for all ages. In addition, there will also be simulators in this area: this year includes the Moon Exploring which will allow us to visit the international space station and take a walk on the moon, the Virtual Wingsuit 360º, which will allow us to make a virtual flight or the Basket VR, where we can hold a basketball, free-throw
competition.
In addition, on the stage of the party room, every day at 19h, we will enjoy a show. We will start on the 27th with the musical show: El pueblo canta (the village sings). The 28th will be the turn of the Christmas show: Christmas Party. The 29th will be the turn of the magic and humor of Raul Black. On the 30th we will enjoy circus skills with ‘Cataplum and we’ll end on 1st January with The suitcase of stories, a show with stories, music, puppets and team games that will help us spend an unforgettable time. However, every day in the conference room we will carry out different workshops: jewelry, crafts, cooking, gardening, makeup, dance or Just Dance of the PS4. In the gym, as usual, we will find the playground designed for children from 0 – 6- years-old, which will be full of activities such as slides, inflatables, tricycles, ball pools and a multitude of games for the little ones.
They can also enjoy, accompanied by their parents, the Salon. In addition, as a new feature of this edition, a road education circuit will be set up that will introduce the little ones to the knowledge of the horizontal and vertical signals that we find on the street. In the multipurpose room, in
addition to the traditional inflatables that the Salon is already accustomed to, this year we will find a new feature: a 50 meter American obstacle track designed for the most daring. And for those over the age of 9, on the annex football pitch. We will also be preparing daily Roller ball tournaments.
The activities of the Encamp
Show will close with the sports activities in collaboration with different entities: preparing, training and matches that will make us sweat off the excesses of the parties. We will start on the 27th and 30th with Morabanc Andorra, who will organize a training camp as well as guided matches. On the 28th and 29th it will be the turn of the Andorran Handball Federation to have fun training sessions with professional trainers. We will end with the Encamp Volleyball Club, which on 31st December and 1st January will organize brief
trainings to have a good time.
PAS DE LA CASA: Here the Children and Youth Salon, will take place on 3rd, 4th and 5th January, 2020 at the Sports Center. It will have a multipurpose room with a 25 meter American obstacle track, and more than 20 activities and large-format Enchanted Games, inflatables and VR ski simulators with three modes to
choose from: a clock slalom, freestyle jumps and cabrioles, or the spectacular Heliski . In addition, jewelry, cooking, gardening and dance workshops will also be held daily. In the Conference Room there will be Children’s Shows, which will take place at 18h and will begin on 3rd January with the Magic Show, David the Wizard and will continue on the 4th with the show Caga Tio. On 5th January, children will enjoy the arrival of Their Majesties, the Three Wise Men in the Salon. The Martial Arts Room will be the setting for the
traditional playground for children aged from 0 – 6, which will have many of the elements of the Encamp Show, and where we will also find the road education circuit .
Both Salons will also have a cloakroom, a candy store and a bar service.
EXHIBITIONS
Until Thursday, 31st December at the National Automobile Museum, Encamp. Exhibition of Miniature Ferrari Legends. Andorra is a country that loves motorcars. As a result of this love, some very important private collections have been created that put Andorra on the map of automobile heritage. Part of these collections can be seen at the National Automobile Museum in Encamp. This passion has focused not only on antique vehicles of all kinds, but also on the automotive parts and materials, such as posters, license plates or collections of small objects. This is the case with Ferrari’s thumbnail collection, which the BOMOSA Foundation* has temporarily donated to the National Automobile Museum for exhibiting. Ferrari is arguably the most iconic car brand ever. This Italian manufacturer has always been linked to sports and racing vehicles. The brand’s models stand out for their refined lines, born of the imagination of some of the most prestigious car designers of all time, such as Battista Pinin Farina or Giorgietto Giugiaro.
The collection, consisting of 80 miniatures at a 1:18 scale, looks at the most emblematic models of the Italian manufacturer, from the racing cars with the most palms – such as the Formula 1 piloted by Michael Schumacher – to the most symbolic street sports cars released from the Maranello factory – like the 250 GTO, the Dino, the Testarossa or the Enzo.
The desire to exhibit the collection created by Bonaventura Mora, founder of BOMOSA, was born of the idea of doing a collaborative project with people at risk of social exclusion, and thus fulfill one of the goals set by this philanthropic foundation: to create a more supportive Andorran society. For this reason, the young people of the Aula Taller Workshop have been asked to build custom-made showcases so that
the pieces in the collection are displayed in all the splendor that the Ferrari’s delicate lines deserve.
SPORT
Every Sunday from 9.30h – 14h starting at the Tourist Office in the Plaça de les Fontetes, La Massana. Guided snow shoe excursions. (For ages 6 and over. Minimum physical condition needed, easy technical level. Discover the fascinating world of snow and enjoy a unique environment of virgin snow and animal tracks.
There are two tours. 1) Around the black pine woods of Pal and a visit to that architecturally interesting village. 2) Near Anyós and Sispony. Discover the woods of Beixals, the Mallol Spring and the cortals of
Sispony.
Culturally yours,
Clare.
_____________
Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard
See also Andorra travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
