Extra, extra! Read all about it!!!

New photos! New photos!!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19116&id=1323450019&l=437ef


Check it yo!

Wow! okay, so today was amazing! I woke up at about 7 this morning, quickly got dressed, and then headed off to Plaza Catalunya (okay... I know I've spelled this place about eight different ways in this blog, but this time I've got it right. I checked... twice) to meet a group of students from ISA to go horseback riding. The morning was absolutely gorgeous! The sun was shining, birds were singing, and the Plaza was totally vacant. ...Like, I've never, ever, ever seen it that empty before. AWESOME! Anyways, we gathered in front of a cafe and then headed off to the RENFE station under the Plaza. The trip took about an hour but it was full of gorgeous views and fun conversation, making it seem quite short.
After we arrived at Santa Susana on the Costa Brava, we met taxis from the ranch and were driven directly to the park. There we met our guides and began sorting through a huge pile of helmets. Hmm... in the US it's not that difficult to find hats that fit me, but apparently my head is slightly larger than normal (shut up!)... But, thankfully, I finally found a skateboard helmet in the pile that fit... more or less. While I was digging around in the shed, I heard horses being brought out. The woman who was clearly in charge of the yard shouted out "okay, who here can ride?"... after having had talked to the program director quite a bit on the train (about... well, if you know me I shouldn't even have to fill you in) so she pointed to me, and I was the first to pop onto a pony. YAY! Actually, that horse was quite tall. I'm guessing about 16 hands... which isn't that big, but ...well, fine... I admit it... it's been a while. Then the other 15 riders and 2 guides mounted up and we left. Holy freaking cow! I am SOOO glad there are so many rules at Camp Richardson when it comes to the way the rides are structured. The horses were well-behaved but packed themselves together and ...they got cranky after a while. No one fell off, but there were moments when I definitely held my breath... needless to say, I kept to the back where there was more space. The horse I was assigned was totally chill, and responded really well to leg (and OMG the saddle fit SO well!). About halfway through the ride, we turned around and began making our way back to the ranch. As I had kept to the back of the ride, it went from tranquil to sixteen some odd horses coming at me all at once. I got incredibly claustrophobic so I held Sofí back. Glad I did too. The guide who had originally ridden in the front was now taking up the rear, and was very talkative (yep, and enunciated well). So, we chatted about Chile (where he was from) and the US and horses. After we got back to the ranch, I played "Giddy" (tourists, as they are affectionately called in Barcelona) and went snap-crazy with the camera. Which brings us back to the beginning... I posted new pictures. Finally. Enjoy!