Wednesday

In the morning we cantered through the through the forest, sheltered by the tall parasol pines. Philippe went ahead and took a video





And then it was time for aperitivo. Jose Maria had set the table up  in a field of wildflowers, including one at each place. It had been a long hot morning and a beer went down well.

The sun was the hottest it’s been, without a cloud in the sky. I was quite warm, especially with my safety vest on. Our riding equipment ranges from full helmet and safety vest (me) to helmet and safety stirrups (Joe) to helmets (most people) to hats (some of the French people and Maria-Elena) to nothing (Alfonso). He did wear a hat when we rode in the rain.

Our next stop was in a broad field filled with wildflowers of all colors – two types of red, poppies and something like that looked like a small salvia; one white, one blue (cornflowers?) and a yellow flower that was both beautiful and ubiquitous. When I asked Maria Elena what it was she said it was a weed that spread so quickly it was despised by farmers and didn’t have a name. Anyway, many photos were taken in this field. 

And Philippe took another video, one of many he's taken for Maria Elena’s web site.

Lunch featured the white tablecloth and vases of wildflowers, with asparagus and shrimp for appetizer and  tuna with onions for the main course. The only question was whether to drink white all the way through or switch to red for the tuna.

The highlight of the afternoon riding: We cantered across a wide grassy field (most of our canters have been on narrower paths, so single file) and were able to get the horses spread out across the field almost in a line. No runaways, no crises. A little later, Joe’s horse almost went down and rolled in a little stream we were crossing, but he prevented that with alacrity.

Overnight was in El Rocio, a town famed for being all about horses. None of the streets is paved and the bars and restaurants have wooden hitches in front of them -- and even a bar to put your drink on!

There was a training ring in front of our hotel and some of the houses have apartments in front, stables in back. 

The horses graze on common land, we saw a whole herd of mares and foals near the marsh. 

Actually, El Rocio is famous for a pilgrimage where 1 million people come and carry the statue of the Virgin around in the streets at Pentecost, but since that’s not my story I’ll let you look it up.

  

We were also very happy to see that the horses got to spend the night in a pasture rather than in stalls. This was at a local hacienda owned by a rich Mexican who hardly ever came. Why should he? Who wants to see his beautiful house, a gorgeous adjoining stable, acres of green pastures, many high-class horses and a pond with swans?

Dinner at a local restaurant: beef soup and grilled merlu, whatever that is in English. (`A white fish,’ which is what the waiters in Paris ALWAYS say when we ask them about a fish on the menu).