Andorra Letter: Last weekend was tense in the tiny principality of Andorra, nestled in the Pyrenees between France and Spain.
Heavy snowfall here since mid-January led experts to speculate last week about the possibility of an avalanche, reaching level four on a scale of one to five.
Before you could say "oh la la" the French authorities had closed all roads into Andorra, cutting off Toulouse airport, where every Sunday morning during ski season an estimated 7,500 Irish and English Andorra-bound tourists land.
When the borders between the two countries were sealed on January 24th, Andorrans were initially understanding about their neighbour's "temporary precautionary measure".
But when the road blocks were still in place by last Friday night relations became as frosty as the mountains that divide them.
Rumours of entreaties by Andorran authorities were hot gossip in the capital, Andorra la Vella, and by Saturday, Minister of Tourism Mr Enric Pujal had confirmed the establishment of a "crisis cabinet" to sort out the impasse.
"The Ministries for Tourism and the Exterior along with the authorities in Perpignan and Arieja, have formed a crisis cabinet. Between us we hope to see how best to organise the transportation of the tourists from Toulouse to Andorra if the bad weather persists," he said.
This bad weather blew in with the Siberian "ola de fred" or cold wave that has also swept through Spain during the past fortnight, its icy fingers stretching down as far as north Africa.
According to an editorial in last Saturday's Bon Dia newspaper, the precipitation and low temperatures (minus 15 in some areas) caused "chaos" in Andorra.
The closure of the pistes was an enormous disappointment for tourists who had arrived at their resorts the previous Sunday, the day before the French borders were closed. As a result hotel foyers were full of listless sulking ski lovers.
"I felt sorry for them," said the Portuguese waitress in our hotel. "They were here for seven days and they only got to ski on three of those days. They were very frustrated."
It's easy to imagine why. Apart from the slopes, there appear to be few distractions in Andorra.Although the tobacco museum and the perfume museum provide a range of olfactory tastes, the museum of microminiatures relies on those with a special interest in tiny objects, for example. There's always the VAT-free shopping, but one energetic afternoon would see every shop in town explored.
Even as late as last Saturday, the photograph on the front page of Diari d'Andorra showed red-faced skiers abandoning the slopes, their ski suits glowing brightly in the blurry grey of the falling snow. But as the newspapers hit the stands, the dark clouds had lifted and the sun shone over Andorra again. Temperatures were still low (between 2 and minus 9) but hopes were raised for a re-opening of the borders with France.
French authorities were not to be hastened. The experts had not ruled out the avalanche risk, despite an end to the snowfall. One can imagine Mr Pujal passed an edgy day on Saturday as routes from France remained closed, mere hours before tourists were scheduled to land.
Tourism forms 80 per cent of Andorra's GDP and 10 million visitors arrive here every year, most of whom are returning. "Tourism is, and will continue to be, the principal economic activity and source of wealth for Andorra. It is the country's modus vivendi," Mr Pujal has said in the past. Newspaper reports said hotel owners saw up to 70 per cent of their weekend reservations cancelled, making the arrival of those buses all the more significant.
On Sunday morning in the popular Andorran resort of Soldeu, tourists hit the slopes with gusto. The snow was "sticky and slow" according to the aficionados. Well before lunchtime the coaches began pulling up on the main street, continuing in a steady stream until evening.
The new arrivals pulled their suitcases through the slush and hunched against the cold. "Jays, it's freezin'!" shouted one to the agreement of his friends. Yes, after six days, the French had finally opened access to Andorra - just in time for the lucky Irish.