ExpEqus - May Update

Bonjour!

Week 1 in France, and apart from the occassional hailstorm, the weather has been lovely. Bertie and I have ambled along sleepy villages, got lost on Grande Randonnees and met some fabulous people.

To put it in to figures:

No. of nights in tent: 3

No. of English people: 3

No. of cowboys: 1

No. of people dressed for carnival: 2

No: of delicious meals: All of them

No. of VERY random encounters: Too many to mention!

No. of Euros spent: 12

All in all, so far it has been a magical experience! Bertie and I have stayed in a garden by a canal, and once Bertie was settled I was whisked off to a barbeque. The following day, I was leant a bicycle and my host took me to a stud farm to see the foals. Later that same day I rode a few miles alongside a canal whilst my host cycled, and that evening spent the night at a farm which bred Shetland ponies, the foals of which are tiny! There was even a miniature Bertie!

We have also gatecrashed a barbeque hosted by a cowboy, spent the night with a carnival King and Queen, stayed in a village with 27 bars(!) and are now resting with an English family for a couple of days.

Not many people in Northern France speak English, but my French is improving daily, to the point where I can chat away to people about the ride and hold a basic conversation. Everyone is so helpful here - I asked a question about a route to someone, who led me to a farm, called up a friend and bought me a translator; a farmer drove his tractor for miles to show us the way; food has been thrown at us, beds offered and showers given; even a journalist was produced one morning to conduct an interview for the local press!

Our aim for this week was Arras, but between elongated lunches and getting lost (due to poor signage - even the French have advised us to steer clear of the Grande Randonees), we have managed to get not-very-far, but hey, we have 4 years plus...

For now, its time for a glass of wine and sitting in the garden watching Bertie enjoy the grass...who needs a 9 to 5?!!!

Kind Regards,

Becky

Expedition Equus

London to Tokyo by horse

Riding in aid of SOS Children

www.expeditionequus.com

info@expeditionequus.com

SEPTEMBER UPDATE

Dear All,

It's been quiet on the Expedition Equus front for quite a while, and apologies for the lack of news - but Bertie and I have been incredibly busy preparing for a new way of continuing our journey - with a gypsy caravan! With the help of the Achard family, who I had been staying with, I renovated a cart and Bertie and I booked in to driving school. We have now spent 2 weeks on the road, and are just getting used to this new way of travelling. We are coming close to the Swiss border now, where we shall drive through before entering Germany and beyond. The reason for this change of transportation is because Bertie and I have found ourselves mainly on roads due to poor signage of bridleways, endless circles and continuous turning back on ourselves due to dead ends. Until we get a bit further East, the terrain will continue to be primarily paved, hence the decision to continue with a wheeled vehicle for the time being, but I plan to resume riding again once roads give way to open land.

Having the caravan has bought with it a new set of challenges. Luckilly, for the past couple of weeks I have had a friend, Katie, help me out - learning to drive, harness, etc has been made that little bit easier with someone else - especially the other day, as Bertie stepped on a twig, spooked at the noise it made and then headed off towards a gorge! I managed to pull him up and Katie ran to his head to calm him down - but it gave us all a fright! Apart from that, it is a very pleasant way to travel. People wave at us as we go by, or come out to see us, and often stop to give Bertie a pat. We also accidentally became pert of a parade in a village, during a festival where 3 villages of the same name from all over France get together every 2 years. Every 6 years, this particular village holds a fete - and we hit it! Every one was wearing silly hats and there were dinners and dancing every night. It was highly entertaining!

The landscape we have been travelling through has been fantastic. We spent the last few days in a gorge, following a river with pine forests all around. The sun has been peeping through the trees, though it has become noticeably colder recently - no more heat waves now!

The website has got a new page with reviews of the kit Bertie and I have been using over the past 4 months, which can be found on the new ‘equipment’ page – see here. You can also find photos of the caravan on the France 2 page, which can also be reached by clicking on the French flag on the home page and following the link.

I'll write again soon with more news - and hopefully from Switzerland!

Becky and Bertie

Riding in aid of SOS Children

www.expeditionequus.com

info@expeditionequus.com