Hallo World!!
Hallo Everyone!!
As my Mom has informed you I have not fallen off the face of the earth never to be seen again….we had some trouble at the barn getting the internet working and then after 2 and 1/2 or 3 weeks it did work but I have been so busy!!
My life in Germany is better then I ever could have hoped for!! The horses are wonderful and I have found that German horses noses are just as soft as American ones and give great kisses as well! All of them seem to be super talented and are very fun to ride. I ride about 3 to 6 horses a day with a few that I ride everyday and the others switch between riders. The horses I ride age from Greenbroke to schooling PSG/I1 and sometimes I am able to get on Johanna’s GP mare which is a really fun treat!
Johanna herself is very talented, such an amazing person and a really great rider! She couldn’t be more fun to be around or more welcoming. She has taken me to my first German movie (Twilight New Moon!) and my first Christmas Market. As well, her family is amazing and so welcoming. They invited me to come to their home near Munich and it has been really wonderful. It is so neat to be able to see another country’s traditions for holidays and what not. A little different but when it comes down to it a family is a family and they all love each-other no matter what country they are in.
I have gotten the amazing opportunity to attend both a Vechta Oldenburg auction as well as the 2009 PSI Auction and Gala. The Vechta auction was very fun and enjoyable to watch but the PSI Gala and Auction was truly unbelievable!! It was so much fun and such a treat to see all of the beautiful horses as well as the whose-who of the horse world over here!
When I came to Christmas in Munich Johanna, Gerd (the other rider) and I drove down very early Monday morning and then Johanna dropped me off with Gerhard :), Gerd continued to Austria and Johanna went to her mother’s. Gerhard and I spent the whole day in Munich just sight seeing and the city is truly breath-taking! Then we went to Bad Toelz for the night (a small town about 30 minutes from Herr Von Frick’s house). The Christmas Markets in Bad Toelz as well as Munich are so much fun and totally German!! Gerhard tried to find me a Crepe with Sauerkraut but he was informed that that is only something you can find in Austria (that fact did not sadden me at all, the thought of crepes and Sauerkraut did not sound appealing no matter how much he told me it was!). The next morning he dropped me off at the Von Frick’s house, which is located literally on a lake that is so stunning with the mountains in the background (they are the highest mountain range in Germany).
In short, I am having the time of my life and have too many stories to even write down in one post!! The family is so great, the people I work with at the barn make my day so fun and I learn a lot, it was so wonderful to see Gerhard (I will be going to Austria for 4 days in January to visit him and his family), and the horses couldn’t be more of a pleasure to work with. Oh and I love my apartment where I live!!!
I will post again soon….I Promise!! Miss everyone at home and all of the ponies!! Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!! Happy New Year!! Schoenes Neues Jahr!!!!
Finally the internet!
Well, Katie is finally connected to the English speaking world through the wonders of the internet, she hasn’t quite gotten her posts ready to put up here yet. She is working on pictures etc. She is off to Munich for Christmas! We really miss her here with Christmas coming up. So soon you shall hear from her directly and see what is up in Germany!
Katie in Germany 12-12-09
Well…Katie still has no internet! But the rest of her life has panned out to be quite a wonderful experience! She is settling into the ‘regular’ horses she is riding with the anticipation that she will start showing in Feb. I just sent off her show clothes…I have to admit that it was hard to think I can’t go.
Last night she was invited to a real treat. The PSI Gala Ball and Auction. I have yet to get the news but I am sure she is having fun.
For Christmas she has been invited to Munich to the home of the family that owns the farm. It was a very gracious invitation and I know Katie is happy to spend the holiday with a family.
So in a a nutshell that is the news. It seems the experience is turning out to be more than she could hope for. Hopefully you will soon get her first hand report and pictures.
Katie is still alive!
Hi to all who are wondering what happened to Katie and why you haven’t heard about her travels yet! Well as luck would have it the internet has been down in her apartment so not only can’t she make posts here but she is virtually cut off from the outside English speaking world! She is even out of books to read and has finished her last movie! So she will be very ready to share when it gets fixed!
She is riding there now as well as helping with all the barn chores and is very impressed with the quality of the horses. The people at the barn have made her feel very welcome. And yes….it is cold! Hopefully she will have more to add very soon. I talk to her daily and will update if there is any thing new. You can link to the farm where she is in our “Friend’s” links for Gestut Nymphenburg on the left of this page.
Elizabeth
Katie is in Germany!!
She arrived on Thanksgiving day after 27 +/- hours of travel! We are planning to set up a blog page on this site so check back soon. Her internet is down but as asoon as it is working she will be corresponding with you!