Equestrianism | Standard of Grace

It is hard to find the right words to describe this weekend. So many dreams came true, so much happened, so much was seen, eaten, experienced.
So much luck was involved.

Zanzibar is of course known for its amazing beaches. It has, however, a lot more to offer than this. Stone Town’s architecture is beyond amazing. A mix of old buildings that look like they’re about to fall apart any second, and luxurious highly intricate buildings and wood carved doors. It’s rich in history and has some exquisite food to offer as well.

But what made this trip stand out for me the most was not where we were, but what we were doing.

It is amazing how a magazine you randomly pick up, out of pure boredom, can make one of your biggest dreams come true. How something you never even thought about doing can make you so ecstatic and grateful.

When we went to swim with wild dolphins in the morning I already felt beyond happy. There’s just nothing like it. I never knew that this could be so fulfilling and exhilarating. We swam and chased them, were about to touch them and even played with them when they swam circles around us. I’m truly struggling to find the right words to describe this but there are simply none.
We swam until our arms were aching and we barely managed to climb back into our boat. Utterly exhausted but much too happy to care.

In the afternoon things got… I cannot say better, but just as great. We went to a small riding facility where I could fulfill one of my biggest dreams: go for a ride on the beach.

But not only this, it was also a sunset ride and low tide, making it possible for us to canter through the shallow waters. The salty water that was splashed up to my face, the mild breeze, the wind playing with my hair and the smile that was permanently etched into my face are all things I will never, ever forget. I feel so blessed. So incredibly lucky and my heart is so full it’s about to burst.

A while ago a friend from work mentioned that she goes horseback riding in Hungary and invited me to come along with her. I declined. After all, I do have a horse here and driving to Hungary just to gor for a ride didn’t make much sense to me.
A few months passed and another very good friend of mine started talking about wanting to go horseback riding again, as she had been as a child, but not in over 10 years. Once again the topic of going to Hungary came up and this time we agreed we’d give it a try. After weeks in which the weather was more than awful we finally packed our things and drove to Hungary yesterday.
We spent over two hours trotting through the forest or along wine gardens. We let the hungarian puszta pass us by as we let our horses run in full galopp across the fields. The sun was shining, the wind still cool though and the time way too short.
We rode along Lake Neusiedl and through reeds, through vine branches and trees. The view, my god, the view was nothing short of breathtaking!

I will shut up now and let the pictures do the talking.

[Above: An old wine cellar we discovered on our ride up the hill. | Below: The breathtaking view. Hills, vineyards and Lake Neusiedl in the background.]

[Above and Below: Lake Neusiedl is surrounded by lots and lots of reeds. So were we.]