planBE

My Q is back. The steady eddy, point and shoot, Q. We got in two solo rides this week with the fresh powder and got in our first canter on trail, and then went out today with fellow barn bestie and trotted front and back to our utter delight. I then pointed Q to a snowbank and he dutifully plowed right through it. The weather was colder (-6 to -10) but the sky was blue and the sun was shining. We were protected from the wind in the forest and kept warm with trotting bursts. It was lovely. Im looking forward to some faster solo rides this weekend and happy to see my lovely Q so relaxed and confident again.

The joys of shorts, sandals, blue skies and bright yellow sun for 18+ hours a day are over. We returned last week after a 24 hour monstrous return, without our baggage because thats the lingering issue of the day in the airline industry, and with a tickle in my throat. 3 days of suffering later, our bags showed up and I finally made it to the barn. Q’s reaction was priceless. As soon as he heard my voice, he flipped around, head in the air and seemed to say: « waiiiit … WHAT??? … where YOU been? » and proceeded to grope me with his nose. He was hot to trot and our first ride out was a bit edgy. We secured some babysitters from the barn to take us out on trail in what was some of the most beautiful winter wonderland. We kept it at a walk those first two days cuz Q was ready to bolt with excitement. Then I played hookie and ran out to the barn early in the morning to see what he had under the hood. Alone and without fear for any other riders or trail users, we tested Q’s energy and self

Speaking for some of my fellow nordic friends, not much is known about South America. Argentina is country far removed from Canada and we share few mutual connections in trade or migration. Many might know of the romance of gauchos, and grass fed beef, and might know of Mount Aconcagua, highest summit in the Americas. And of course in the horse world, Argentina has a great reputation for polo. But how many know that Iguazu Falls shares a border with Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay? How many know that it is one of the seven wonders of the world?  As we flew from Buenos Aires, the landscape was quite green and tropical. Fauna and flora are abundant here, as is the heat and humidity. My DH splurged on a lovely hotel with a rooftop pool for our final weekend. In between jungle trails to the waterfalls across Brazil and Argentina, I sipped mate and went for refreshing dips as we gazed over the tropical national parks. The highlight was the helicopter tour over the falls! Highly recommend! At

Back from 4 days in the global capital of Malbec wines in Mendoza, Argentina. The weather was hot (40C 🥵) in the city, but cooled down to a breezy 30C once we hit the countryside and the lovely vineyards. The Uco Valley is like the Napa Valley of South America, with hundreds of wineries of all sizes and styles. They have many traditional wines like cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc … but the Malbec, which grows so well in this arid mountain valley, is truly spectacular. And at a cost of 3-5$ a bottle, you can enjoy sampling many. We stumbled on a great old vines malbec on our first day in Mendoza, at a nearby italian restaurant that shielded us from the heat with a lovely light lunch of carpaccio and mixto fritto (vegetables and seafood in a light and crispy tempura batter). We finally found another bottle at a nearby store and packed it home with us. The following day we had a private driver take us to the Uco valley for several visits, wine tastings and a delicious

The world capital of tango, it is lovely to see it in natural spaces like the Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo. They call it the birthplace of tango. A slow dance punctuated by exciting movements, it is lovely to watch. This week we are taking it slow and staying in Buenos Aires, just enjoying the energy and vibe of the city. It is a lovely city and definitely undeserving of some of its international reputation for crime and safety. Of course we are always careful, but Ive felt quite safe here. The food scene is great in its own right, but its best to stick with Argentinian food. And enjoy the abundance of produce!