Today started with a beautiful ride from Bolquere to Llivia - a bit of Spain entirely inside France. I nearly got wiped out on the approach to Llivia by an idiot white van man overtaking on a bend. So I was glad to stop at a cafe in Llivia to calm down a bit. Then there was a 2km wide bit of France to cross to get back into Spain - the town of Puigcerda - then into France again to head along the N20 up the valley leading to Andorra. I had a very nice plat du jour in a roadside cafe just before the real ascent started. A couple from Norfolk in the cafe warned of fog & cold on the tops, and they were right! There were two long ascents, the second of which was to about 2400m. Motorised vehicles can avoid these ascents by using the tunnels, but these are banned to cycles. At the juction of the N320 and N22, I met two deaf British cyclists cycling from London to Casablanca for charity (see photo). One was on a fixie! We had a chat and exchanged emails. On the ascent of the second pass in the fog, a motorcyclist stopped to take my picture. Either admiration or incredulity! Once in Andorra ( but still going up) there were lots of duty free shops & petrol stations, often in the middle of nowhere (Andorra is not a member of the EU or the Shengen area. Consequently there are full border checks.) I stopped at a petrol station for a coke, and the assistant was concerned for my safety in the fog. So was I! I put my yellow waterproof top on at this point. Eventually the top was crested, and after a while the fog cleared, but it was still freezing. Then followed an enormous continuous downhill to Andorra La Vella. I went straight to the tourist information office, which helpfully suggested that there was no shortage of accommodation, and pointed to a budget hotel nearby. The Hotel Pedrera (Av. Dr Mitjavila) turned out to be very acceptable, and after showering I walked along the main shopping street and found a reasonably priced restaurant, where the menu was in Catalan, Spanish, French and English. I had a very satisfying noodle soup, trout with vegetables, and a local version of creme brûlée. Plus 2 beers of course!