As we were obsessively trying to photograph every moment of this horseback riding adventure, my friend September said it perfectly: “…. It’s like you want to capture the feeling … and it’s impossible.” Even the best and most artistic photo can never do justice to the actual experience. And that pretty much sums up the whole 6 day trek on horseback through a portion of the Pyrenees mountains in the Catalonia region of Spain.
Travelling on horseback is often quite meditative. It very much facilitates the very beneficial but often elusive acts of “slowing down and being present.” You don’t get anywhere quickly and there are many hours spent in the saddle simply being lulled by the rhythmic clip-clop of the horses hooves, the frequent chorus of cowbells and the serenity of the natural surroundings. Every now and then things get exciting by way of a torrential thunder and lightening storm, a sketchy bit of terrain, a herd of curious cows in the road or a clan of shrieking children in a village, excited by the sight of the horses. This age-old way of travelling the backcountry is also extra special because you must not only care for your own needs, but also the safety and well being of your trusty steed. And trusty they most certainly were.
The horses were simply amazing. The terrain was often challenging. There were even a few moments of…… really? We’re going there? Followed by just closing our eyes and hoping for the best. They never let us down.
We travelled about 25km each day, through the mountains, valleys, vineyards and centuries-old stone villages… always with much excitement and anticipation as to where we would end up. And it was always somewhere that we could never have imagined ourselves…where we felt transported back to a medieval time or like we were on a King Arthur movie set. The Catalonian people we encountered, and those who hosted, accommodated and fed us, were generous and kind despite our extremely limited ability to communicate with them. We had all dutifully logged some DuoLingo hours before our trip, however even our best attempts at Spanish were no match for the language of Catalonia, something we failed to anticipate!
We were treated to many samplings of the local and traditional Catalonian fare, including a botanical liqueur called Ratafia, which we all took a shine to. We were never able to get a consistent description of it’s ingredients as it was explained that every region has it’s own unique recipe.
Our final destination with the horses took us to the remote home and farm of a lovely and welcoming couple who had spent decades in the business of guiding horseback excursions in the surrounding mountains. We were entertained and fed very well, while the horses were turned out to enjoy a much deserved few days of rest and grazing in the lush pasture.
All in all, thanks to https://www.panorama-trails.com/en/ we had a most awesome adventure and I highly recommend checking out this company if this sounds like something you would be interested in. In addition, https://www.unicorntrails.com/ has an extensive catalog of guided and unguided trail rides all over the world.
