Not So Serious Yoga and Wine Retreat - Horseback Riding
After yoga I did a quick tour around a section of the property to see the new accommodations that are being built. Three units just opened and from what I could see, the views are really spectacular. I’m looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.
Brunch was yet again a delicious masterpiece...healthy apple and cherry pancakes with homemade granola that was drizzled with honey from the bee hives on the property. Need I say more.
But wait there was more...home made lemonade. Lemon trees are everywhere here and they produce the most gigantic lemons I have ever seen…so when you have lemons, why not make lemonade. Yummy!
Today Cam took us to meet some local artisans in the surrounding areas and what a treat it was. First stop was Alentejo Weaving - Casa de Tecelagem, where we met Carlos the weaver and his wife who used to be a fairly well respectively fashion photographer in her time.
The colours of the wool were so vibrant...all hand dyed from the wool they have sheered from their sheep. We learned a bit about the process for making these beautiful textiles, as well as a bit of history about some of the designs while we were there shopping around.
We also took the opportunity look around the property at some of the quirky art installations and gardens...plus we came across the cutest couple of kittens who were curious about who all these people were on their property. After some purchases were made by some, we were on our way.
Next stop was back to town to meet Mateo...an elderly ceramist who no longer does much of his own pottery, but brings in local pottery from the the surrounding area. His shop was packed with items…his were the more natural ceramic style, while the rest were full of colour and hand painted.
I was on the search from some local pottery, so ended up buying a plate and bowl that Mateo very carefully wrapped for me after ringing up my total bill.
It was a beautiful day, so I decided to take a stroll back with Caroline from our group instead of getting a drive. The walk should be about 10 minutes from town, but between the two of us, we managed to get lost…definitely a consistent theme on this trip!
At least we had a few good laughs along the way and took the opportunity to wander around town through the tiny streets and back alleys...we even happened to run into the wife of the weaver who me met earlier. What are the chances we would know someone while here?!?!
We eventually found our way back to our retreat and I spent the next couple ours hanging around the pool area soaking in the sun and reading a bit while I waited for my ride to go horseback riding. Originally I was going to take surf lessons, but the conditions were not the best, so I opted to go with the horse group instead...and it was a great choice.
We drove about 10 minutes to Galope No Campo where we met Fernando who was our guide for the next 1.5 hours. He paired all six of us up with a horse to match our skill level…I was given Shakira…and then he helped us each up on the saddle. You could tell how much he loved these horses by the way he spoke about them and the smile they brought to his face.
All in single file, we spent the journey travelling through the wheat fields...we were told to make sure the horses worked and did not eat, but that was easier said than done…and Shakira really could have a mind of her own.
We also travelled through an area that was full of newly planted and very old cork trees.
Cork is a major product here and the trees can produce cork…carefully taken from the bark…every 7-9 years. The trees along the trail were huge and had such a presence in the sky...especially the ones that were 100 years old.
Along with us for the journey was a 6 week old foal...this was her first walk with her mother who was the lead house.
She was a beauty and stayed pretty close to her mom the entire time. Half way through our trip, we stopped for a break and she was also able to have a drink of milk…how precious.
After enjoying our time on the trail and experiencing the beauty of the area, we made our way back to the stables...legs like jelly and hands pretty sore from holding the reins of these strong and majestic animals.
We made it back just in time to grab a quick shower and make it to dinner. This time instead of olive, cheese and bread appetizers, we had carrot and leek soup for our first course and it was to die for.
Next we had a green salad that was served with lemon risotto, and our wine was blush - Vale das eguas. To complete the meal, we then had artisanal ice cream made by a Polish woman in a near by community...I’ve never had chocolate spice ice cream before, but I will certainly be looking to have more in the future.
Dinner was full of stories from the day, lots of laughs, wine and great company. It also ended with us researching yoga retreats for next year and it seems like we have a few good contenders. This might mean we could have a Not So Serious Retreat 2.0 on the horizon...trying to convince Cam and Vera to join us since they are looking to do a retreat in the future. Stay tuned because there could very easily be a round two next year!
Tomorrow is my last full day of at my retreat and we will be visiting a local winery. I’m looking forward to seeing what the day will bring.
Until then...share in the experience.
Lisa