Andorra and Ordino
(5/19/2009)
I mentioned before that Andorra was a tax shelter for banks and I compared its size to Yosemite. My first impression was a “What If” question. What if corporations were allowed to build whatever they wanted in Yosemite valley?
It might look like this.
(From Wikipedia) Corporate development in the Principality of Andorra
Another view of Escalades-Engordany
Modern Andorra
We had an opportunity to travel to Ordino and see some of old city which was much nicer.
Church near old Ordino
Narrow street in old Ordino
Sundial
These old stairs were very interesting.
Church Stairs
Close up of the stonework
Church Door
A nook in the old city of Ordino
A coat of arms set into the railing
I thought old Ordino was very nice, but part of me wonders if Andorra has made a devil’s bargain with the banking industry. To be fair, it is a tiny country without many natural resources beyond tourism.
I think old Ordino is very pretty, somewhere I’d like to live maybe. At least resembles the pictures I have in my head and similar to the hamlet we lived at in England. There was a charm that the older buildings and styles had that the new just can’t compare (forgo all the engineering and science advancements in materials and such — just simply style).
I love the coat of arms. Was this a walkway rail or an entrance to a home/building?
By Patrick on May 19, 2009 8:26 pm
Hola Patrick,
The photo is a railing on the balcony of the house of the Baron of Senaller in Ordino. The house had some older classical fencing gear on the walls but they wouldn’t let me take pictures of the interior.
They also had a very impressive collection of historical books in the library. We were promised that the catalog of the texts would be available on the internet for searching and if there is something particularly interesting as far as fencing is concerned, we may have to go back.
~P.
By puck on May 19, 2009 9:17 pm