Andorra and Barcelona in March are a perfect combination of winter in a white Andorra with an already warm spring in Barcelona. Our group spent a few days in the snowy Pyrenees and a few more in the spring of Barcelona, on the Mediterranean Sea.
Tapas and a welcome drink greeted our participants in Barcelona and in the evening we had a conference where the sales results were celebrated and the best salespeople were given awards.
On the second day, we visited the most important monuments, some of the must-see sites of Barcelona and of course the beautiful viewpoints, from where you see all the metropolis. We also tasted the Catalan cuisine during our market visit and some savoured some very appetizing tapas.
After lunch at the famous Boulevard Passeig de Gracia, we arrived at Camp Nou – the stadium of one of the best teams in the world, FC Barcelona. After an emotional football match it was time to celebrate the victory in the famous Plaza Catalunya. Among chants, screams, applause, and horn sounds, we partied with the fans of Barça who were enjoying yet another one of so many victories of the season.
But after a long day reveling in the architecture, art, gastronomy, and sport which makes Barcelona so famous, music and dance could not be missed – so we enjoyed a delightful flamenco show accompanied by delicious dinner with dishes from all over Spain. The sounds of guitars, castanets and tapping heels perfectly reflected the loud atmosphere of Mediterranean Spain. Some of us continued the night in the old town bars or trendy beach clubs.
The next day, even more attractive activities awaited our group! After a late breakfast, we set off on a catamaran cruise along the Barcelona coast. Then we tasted some good wine at a winery, locally known as a “bodega”, and we tried fresh fish in the marina of Barcelona.
In the afternoon during Gymkhana we discovered Gaudi’s Barcelona from Gocars. In the evening, among palm trees, there was a farewell to Barcelona featuring - a gala dinner with a great seafood paella.
The next morning, we left the Catalan capital towards white Andorra. After check-in in a rustic mountain hotel at the ski slopes, we had the pleasure of tasting some Andorran liqueurs while our ski instructor was explaining the exciting ski plan for the next days. Everyone received a ski pass and as a surprise, a massage voucher at the hotel’s SPA.
During the next few days everyone enjoyed the white ski slopes during beautifully crisp, but sunny days; some of us were improved our ski technique and some of us checked out the wide array of bars, terraces, and restaurants on the slopes. But everyone was preparing themselves for the last day's giant slalom, competition to determine who was the best of the group.
In the meantime, every day we enjoyed a different activity. Tax free shopping in more than 1500 shops, boutiques and perfumeries in Andorra's centre, dinner at a mountain restaurant, that is only accessible by groomers machine, a snowmobile excursion and heliskiing for the most advanced skiers.
On the eve of the Giant Slalom competition, we got a taste of the fierce competition to come by way of a karting race on ice that featured lot of adrenalin and fun.
Of course, the highlight of the trip was the Giant Slalom, where we competed in several categories. The new skiers also had a chance to showcase their recently acquired skills. Our level turned out to be much higher than we thought, the winners were given medals on the podium and gifts in the form of bottles of the local liqueur.
After those busy last days, we enjoyed some relaxation in the hot Thermal Water Center Caldea. The final event of the day was a farewell dinner in a traditional Andorran stone restaurant, called la Borda, where we tasted some delicious dishes of the Pyrenean cuisine.
There was time to show pictures and give a summary of this very successful trip. And our group decided that next winter we will come back to Barcelona and Andorra!