Swarovski family show grounds.
I have to say that Austria is one of my favourite places in Europe so far. I felt so at home with the big mountains peering down at me. I have this feeling of closeness with them around me and the fresh air. I was just in heaven as we weaved our way up the mountain roads to the show grounds, gasping at the sights… and as we arrived at the show grounds my jaw dropped. It looks like something out of a post card.
The show is held at the Swarovski family’s facility – Swarovski as in the crystal, the jewellery that we all know and love. They’re very kind welcoming people and go above and beyond to make this show special. Even straw and shavings are free. They have top of the line catering during the day, so everyone eats well. All I can say is I can’t wait to go compete there next year. But not only was the show grounds great, just two more minutes up the road is an amazing hotel where we stayed with a Michelin star restaurant. So you can imagine the food was divine. Fantastic rooms, very comfy beds, which is always a bonus! The views were also out of this world.
I also did some sightseeing. Everyone said you have to go to the Swarovski factory tour, so Joanne and I did, but it was really not what I expected. It was a very odd museum that took you through many different rooms, interesting but I didn’t really get it. At the end, it opened up into this huge shop, which was like a mad house – people running everyone buying what they could.
On another note, all the horseies are doing well. Vitall is recovering swiftly. He is feeling good. Edward is on a small holiday. The guy that usually rides him for me has hurt his knee, so in the meantime Edward is just enjoying himself in the field being a “young guy” and I lunge him once a week because he loves to work.
Gorgeous view from the hotel.
I read an interesting caption today so I thought I would share:
SPORTS DOES NOT BUILD CHARACTER… IT REVEALS IT
