Umbra on Horseback!
Yesterday Umbra students Hannah Fenlon, Elise Moyer and Kate Flynn opted to see the Umbrian countryside just as their medieval counterparts would have: on the backs of horses! And why not? Afterall, cars eat gas (not grass) and tend to rush you along a highway, affording little opportunity to take in the surrounding beauty.
The cowgirls saddled up with the help of AltraUmbria, an organization dedicated to the philosophy of “Slow Tourism”, which emphasizes a truly unique and authentic type of exploration, whether it take you to secluded hamlets or quaint trails tucked away among rolling hills. As Hannah Fenlon tellingly notes, “The trip wasn’t what we expected… it wasn’t touristy at all. The ‘business’ was really run out of a gorgeous old house, and the family was so nice, even though we showed up really late as it took us a while to find it. There wasn’t anyone else around, and the lady who took us out ended up letting us ride for more time… We had lunch near a ruined castle, it was beautiful…”
Apparently, the only difficult thing about the whole excursion concerned the horses’ linguistic skills. Unfortunately, they only spoke Italian!