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
PICK OF THE WEEK
ASK at your hotel reception or at the nearest tourist office for the special brochures for the Festa Majors of Escaldes-Engordany (until Wednesday night) and Sant Julià de Lòria (from Friday onwards)
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
Every Tuesday 25th – Sunday, 30th July at 22h with warmup entertainment from 21.30 in Parking Parc Central, Andorra la Vella. SCALADA: STELAR created specially for Andorra with a new story of dreams and fantasies, this time in a parallel world between earth and sky. (Reserve your tickets: Standing: Free, Grandstand seats: 18€)
MUSIC
Quartet with oboe Wednesday, 26th July at 21.30 at the 12th Century Church of Sant Martí de la Cortinada, Ordino (Free. Advanced booking essential 878 173 or [email protected]) 20th Open Nights in Ordino: ONCA BÀSIC. This concert offers an opportunity to hear an oboe played in chamber music such as Mozart’s Quartet, interpreted by Oscar Diago, while accompanied by violin, viola and the cello. Also a selection of arias from the Magic Flute. This leads on to works of Benjamin Britten, closing the concert with the interaction of the oboe with the three stringed instruments, the essence of chamber music.
7th Festival of Ancient Music of the Pyrenees (FEMAP) Saturday, 29th July at 20h at the Museum d’Areny-Plandolit, Ordino. John Potter, tenor, and Ariel Abramovich on the lute. (12€) They will be performing works by J. Dowland, T. Campion, P. Pope, J. Danyel, T. Banks and Sting. John Potter’s musical education began at Kings College, Cambridge. He later sang with the Hilliard Ensemble, The Swingle Singers and Led Zeppelin! He is now a leading voice in Early Music. Ariel Abramovich was first inspired by Jimi Hendrix, developed a passion for jazz then classical guitar then Renaissance music. He now devotes his career to the 16th Century repertoire for lute and Spanish vihuela. In 2008, Ariel and John Potter got together as a duet. Tonight they will revisit the late 16th and early 17th century English repertoire for voice and lute. Their album Amores Pasados, contains music by Tony Banks (Genesis), Sting and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) some of it written especially for this project.
CINEMA
DUNKIRK Monday 24th – Thursday, 27th July at 20h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard: The Story: In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beach using every serviceable naval and civilian vessel that could be found. At the end of this heroic mission, 330,000 French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers were safely evacuated. New York Times review: ‘Dunkirk’ Is a Tour de Force War Movie, Both Sweeping and Intimate.
29th SHEEPDOG TRIALS
Sunday, 30th July starting at 9h at the Planells de Mereig, Canillo. This is a grand, all family, affair. But take a sunhat or parasol and plenty of sunblock as the sun can be fierce and there’s very little shade. 9h Breakfast with the shepherds. 11h the trials. 11.30 Performance by the group Transhumancia. 13.30 Prize-giving. Throughout the morning there will also be an artisanal market.
OTHER
The Encamp Funicamp cable car will be open from 22nd July to the 3rd of September from 10h – 17h for trips up into the mountains and to various excursions such as guided 4×4 trips and, if you go as far as l’Orri del Cubil you will find a shepherd ready to introduce you to the life of animal husbandry in the mountains and the Transhumance annual migration of large herds of livestock.
Culturally yours,
Clare
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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
