Escaldes-Esgordany from Engolasters. © Ferran Porta
My first book was “Diari de Berlín” (Berlin Journal), which I wrote in Catalan (soon to appear in Spanish). Now I am working in a second book, “Andorra – Ein Land inmitten der Pyrenäen“, which I am writing in German for it is crafted for German readers.
Although I have no family links to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, I feel a strong connection with the German language and culture – especially since I settled in Berlin back in 2007, as a freelance journalist and expert in Tourism.
Andorra – which is adjacent to my home region Catalonia both geographically and culturally– constitutes a second home to me. My grandparents on my father’s side lived there, so trips to Andorra belong to my everyday’s life since I was a kid.
Everything one should know about Andorra
The book offers a tour through this microstate, a gem located halfway between Barcelona and Toulouse, between the Mediterranean and the Aran Valley. It deals with history, culture and tourism. This way it anticipates all the possible questions that travelers could ask themselves before arriving.
These three axes are connected to each other in the book, and describe the Andorra of our days. The starting point are the times of Charlemagne, more than 1,000 years ago. The Pater Europae (“Father of Europe”) is regarded as the founder of Andorra – according to legend at least. The Andorran hymn is devoted to him.
Whatever the role was, that this historical ruler played in the history of the country, the simple subsistence of Andorra as an independent state is remarkable. Despite being located between two overpowering neighbors, it has been able to survive unscathed through the centuries. Andorra is an extraordinarily attractive destination thanks to its cultural and natural heritage of the first magnitude – with its unique romanesque architecture, its exquisite gastronomy and not least its landscape and people. To explore Andorra is a pleasure!
Acknowledgment
At this point I would like to thank Faber Andorra for the precious support during the documentation process. This scholarship program, which is operated by the Ministry of Culture of the Andorran government and Institut Ramon Llull offers artists and scientists from all over the world lodging at no charge for research stays. This way, one can focus entirely on their project – in my case: Interviews and on-site research. Moltes gràcies — Thank you very much!
“Andorra – Ein Land inmitten der Pyrenäen” is expected to come out in 2023.
