Trekking della Madonna - Day 2

The day
started out with gorgeous December sunshine and everyone was in good spirits
after a restful night under feather comforters. After breakfast was served to
all horses and humans, our group started off towards the valley of the River
Merse. Leaving the Colline Metallifere (metal hills) requires going up and down
those hills until finally reaching the flatter region around the river that
then leads to the Abbey of San Galgano. Due to the November rains, the river
level came up to the bellies of the horses. It was quite adventurous and
everyone was taking some photos when, unfortunately, one of the horses decided
it looked like a good place for a swim and poor Luca found himself with very
wet legs and feet! Luckily our team was able to drive in and meet the group
with a change of clothes and boots so the ride could continue in comfort!

The
fog started to roll in when our group arrived at the magical location of the
sword in the stone and they cantered along the trails around the Abbey and up
towards our lunch date with Paola and Niccolò of Il Salendo Wine Bar. There we
were served a fantastic Tuscan ribollita and sliced cheeses and meats along
with a rich bottle of red wine divided among all the riders. The trailers were
ready and waiting to load the tired horses and their satisfied riders and to
start the journey back home to Albinia (Grosseto). A big thank you to the
owners and members of Centro Ippico Antica Caletra for their enthusiasm and
warm company.