My heart is full of marvelous impressions from my most recent trip to Europe. As part of my prior and proper preparation for my 2026 horsey experiences, I went to meet with my hosts, get a feel for the horses, and check out a myriad of other things and places in Italy & Spain.

ITALY   🇮🇹

My days in Italy were filled with scrumptious food, lovely people, delicious wine, amazing views, stunning sunsets, early morning swims, medieval villages, and restful nights. And yes, I did climb the leaning Tower of Pisa again since the last time I did it was a mere 30+ years ago. Ha!

I should probably tell you about the super fun ride I got to go on: The views were simply breathtaking, the picnic lunch was of 5* quality, and the views – oh, wait, I already mentioned those. I got to ride a cute little Appaloosa mare that took great care of me. We rode over hills, through the forest, across meadows, along vineyards, and through an olive grove, and even saw the Mediterranean Sea with its islands! The Trails & Taste of Tuscany trip has a UUUUU rating.

Click HERE for more information about the Trails & Taste of Tuscany trip.

SPAIN 🇪🇸

From Italy, I jumped on a plane over to Spain to scout out some more details for my Andalusian Extravaganza trip coming up in May. The Andalusian Extravaganza has a UUUUU rating. Seville is such a beautiful city! I enjoyed a lovely dinner on the rooftop terrace of the hotel, listening to the ringing of the bells of the cathedral before walking the streets of the old town, turning corner after corner on the medieval cobblestone streets, stumbling upon ancient Roman pillars, not literally but like “oh, look at that, they’ve been there forever!”.

Once I arrived at the Hacienda Buena Suerte, I took several riding lessons, which were all great! Their instructor, Terre, is amazing! I really liked her teaching style, and I enjoyed being back in a learning situation. I got to ride an Arab/Andalusian stallion who was very sensitive and an amazing teacher. I also found a 6th-generation winery where we will do a wine tasting. The owner recommended I go check out his friend’s vintage olive oil mill, which, of course, I did. It is one of the very few left that are not the big commercial kind; he still uses those big stones to crush the olives! Needless to say that this will be another stop during the Andalusian Extravaganza trip – among other sightseeing highlights such as the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez de la Frontera, the medieval village of Ronda, and the Feria de Caballo festival!

Click HERE for more information about the Andalusian Extravaganza