CHARITIES AND HORSES

On Monday 6th June we pay a visit to Emmaus on what has become an annual pilgrimage. Emmaus is a Catholic Church run organisation which sells donated goods to help homeless people and hospice.





The gates open at 1.30pm and it's almost like the boxing day sales at Harrods!

 

We made a bee line for a set of six dining chairs Cathy had spotted on Saturday. Seen here in the background, only 60 euros the set. The crowd seem to head for the nick nacks which, we guess, must be replenished over the weekend.

 

Out of interest the fancy Breton cabinet here is 130 Euros and there were at least ten loose leaf tables like in the previous photo for 45/50 Euros each.

 

 

Here they are around the kitchen table. The previous ones were unreliable. We nearly lost one guest who would have been a heap on the floor if we hadn't spotted a few joints in the chair were loose!



 

 

HORSE RIDING

 

 

This year, 2016, Cathy plans to ride a horse in her home town, Musselburgh, Scotland, at the Musselburgh Festival - "Riding of the Marches". This event was started in the 1600's is held every 21 years. Cathy has taken part in three of these events but hasn't been on a horse since the last one so it has been necessary to get into training. She has had a few rides in Australia and took up Pilates to strengthen leg muscles! She expects to be on a horse for 4 hours at the festival so this ride for 1 hour at a local riding school here in France is another step along the way.

 

Potential rides checking us out.





 

Gail socialises with one horse.

 

Hey, this ones been around. Check out the medals?

 

Lo and behold this is to be Cathy's partner for the day. Meet Hercule, 21 years old with a reputed gentle disposition. He must have been born the year of the last Festival and must have been competitive once to win all those medals!

 

First you've got to get on. Un, Deux, Trois, hup!

 

 

 

A few laps of the arena. Hercule had done this many times before and took short cuts wherever possible!

 

 

Then off into the forest for an hour.

 

 

 

... and back to base. Hercule kept diving down to eat fresh green grass and nearly losing rider who couldn't get off unaided and could barely walk afterwards! However it's back next week for another session so full marks for determination!