Menús & Museus in La Massana
Parish-a-Day Day 4: La Massana
Saint Joan de Sispony, La Massana, Andorra
Fogons
February is the winter culinary month in the mountainous parish of La Massana!
On Friday, we went to try some of the traditional Andorran dishes at Borda Raubert. I had trinxat with botifarro, duck, and crema andorrana.
Museu Casa Ruell
Museu Casa Ruell in Sispony is an excellent way to learn about how Andorrans lived for centuries and to see how it has almost completely changed in the last 70 years. I think it was definitely worth the 25 minute sidewalk-less hike up the hill to the village of Sispony.
Casa Ruell was a multigenerational household occupied for centuries. For most of its history, Andorra relied on subsistence farming as well as raising animals, especially horses to sell to France and Spain. When cars became widely available and replaced the great need for horses, many Andorrans, such as those of the family Ruell had to emigrate to nearby Spain and rent out their family homes.
In the last century, Andorra has become the fascinating place it is because of its unique situation as a border country and a European country that isn’t part of the European Union. Andorra typically draws millions of tourists for its non-existent sales tax, tobacco production and sale, and of course skiing and winter activities.
