I knew things were going to be well-run on this riding trip when the
driver who met me at the Madrid airport recognized me by sight. "How did you know
who I was?" I asked. "Facebook," he said, and proudly showed me
my profile picture on his iPhone. Note to self: check privacy settings.
Waiting in the taxi were Joe and Nancy, from Connecticut and
Colorado respectively. Both are horse owners and very experienced riders. The
driver took us about an hour and a half from Madrid (northwest, I believe), to
a town called San Ildefonso. It boasts a lovely chateau and garden that is said
to be the Versailles of Spain. The gardens are certainly large and have a lot
of topiary.
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After walking around in them, the three of us had a two-course
lunch with water and wine -- for 10 euros. Let's hear it for the Europe debt
crisis.
After a nap and (in my case) a run in the gardens, we met up in
the lobby with Maria Elena, our guide, and Enrique, provider of the horses we
were going to ride. Also arriving was Sue, the childhood friend who had suggested the trip, as well as Ben and Judy from Canada
and Adrian from London. We all set off in a van to Enrique's stable to meet our
horses. How exactly each was selected for each of us wasn't clear, but mine was
a seemingly charming young Andalusian named Ibero. Then we went for a driving tour of Segovia, the provincial capital about 20 minutes away. It proved
to be a beautiful limestone-constructed city from the 13th century or so, with
a set of great fortress walls.
We walked about in the city center a bit, enjoying the Moorish architecture -- I
had no idea they came this far north -- and a little aperitif at a local bar.
A terrific dinner followed at a resto in San Ildefenso. We were joined by
Enrique's son, a professional show jumper also named Enrique, who will ride
with us later in the week.
Our handouts included a map of our trip, a looping figure 8 north of Segovia through national parks and forests, as well as historic sites and stays in feudal villages,
and a day-by schema of our journey through the Sistema Central mountain range. Spain, Maria Elena said, is the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland.
Our handouts included a map of our trip, a looping figure 8 north of Segovia through national parks and forests, as well as historic sites and stays in feudal villages,
and a day-by schema of our journey through the Sistema Central mountain range. Spain, Maria Elena said, is the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland.
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