The trip on horseback from Sicily to the tip of Norway was one of the most important events of my life.
As I revisit that time my desk is once again covered with diaries and notebooks of the journey. Images and memories of this wonderful adventure flood my mind. Many years have passed and yet it still seems like yesterday. Those with whom I made the journey are very much with me, I feel them beside me still..
The journey lasted seven months - an incredible treck into nature and great discovery, both in the surroundings and in myself and in the friendships between those who shared the adventure: the horse, the donkey and me.
As to my companions, the characters of the plot:
Lover was a fine example of the Irish Connemara pony, a stallion, always impassive to fatigue and cold, good-natured and very quick to adapt to the harshest climatic conditions. Perhaps, because of his Irish nature, he was sensitive, intelligent and sometimes moody - not at all subdued by force and always susceptible to kindness. Once we became close and knew how to trust one another he was the firmest friend and a most affectionate companion.
Gipsy, the donkey, was certainly a major character in our act - a great companion but also a capricious animal with some strange tendencies. Gipsy was not one to pass unnoticed with his huge elongated ears, shaggy coat and unique bray, not at all like other donkeys. He was constantly in trouble and thus dispelling any chance of monotony on our journey.
SICILY 14th of February, Cape Passero
At last we were leaving. The almost frantic level of anxiety that had accumulated inside me dropped away as I mounted my horse. My hands tightened firmly around the reins and I straightened up in the saddle, turning the Connemara in the direction we were to set off.
It is significant that our epic journey should begin on the very same beaches where great civilisations had been born and great great battles fought.
It seemed a bit like a dream. We were in Sicily at the southern-most tip of Europe, Capo Passero, a promontory of volcanic rock with an impressive Aragonese Fortress at its top and where the Ionian Sea joins the Mediterranean.
Ahead of us lay a wide, sandy beach, soon to turn into a long and unknown road. I wondered whether we would enjoy good luck from such a celebrated day as this, St. Valentine's, the day for lovers. During these very first hours of horse trekking from the Sicilian sun to the Norwegian ice I promised myself 'I'll be back!'
Sicily: Day of departure. Day of departure with a very long adventure ahead of us. While the journey before us was exciting it was also daunting. But soon my thoughts kept positive. I was sure - we’ll reach our goal!
Farewell to Sicily and the people who have helped me to a successful start. Not a good bye but ‘Arrivederci’, for I promised to be back!
I kept my promise! After our arrival at Cape North my horse and I returned to live in Sicily.
Loaded up.. on the ferry.. and ready to cross the Strait of Messina, the narrow channel in the Mediterranean See that separates Sicily from mainland Italy.
An usual welcome to the Italian mainland, both amusing and amazing. The camera man literally filming us from the back of a horse, being made fun of by everyone present. I been told it improved the channel’s ratings.
ITALIAN PENINSULA
It was as if a whole country had banded together to help us in our quest to ride to Cape North.
Whole communities came to our aid.
Without it I would not have overcome the language barrier nor learnt so much of their diverse history and custom.
With shopping bags on her arms the woman also balances a heavy drum on her head.
A peasant and his donkey laden with 300 kilograms of sacks of grain!
A monk slowly shuffles along with his basket for his daily shopping routine.
In Calabria, Italy’s Deep South, we are greeted by a motley scenery on the streets - part of everyday life.
Castelgrande, tiny community high up in the Apennines. Houses cling like beehives to a steep mountainside, a common style of architecture that can be seen throughout Italy’s mountainous terrain.
St.Andrea di Conza in the region of Campania – Lover with drooping head in front of this tiny hamlet, totally destroyed by the devastating 1980 earthquake as was most of this region. It was the second time for Conza to be leveled by a quake.
2nd May, Milan. Local riders group together to guide us the last 80 km to the Italian/Swiss border at Chiasso.
The vet check -
How many more borders to cross?
SWITZERLAND
May 5th, Swiss-Italian border crossing at Chiasso. One border tackled, five to challenge. But, oh, how good it felt to have crossed this one! Documents were signed, vets had departed and we were free to walk into country number two, Switzerland.
Although it took us only 10 days to trek over the Swiss Alps, they held great significance for us. For it was here in Switzerland that Gipsy, a donkey, joined our duo, that Lover was gifted a new saddle, that a journalist trekked along for three days and led us astray and that travelling with a stallion became the focus of some interesting debates.
May 5th, Swiss-Italian border crossing at Chiasso. One border tackled, five to challenge. But, oh, how good it felt to have crossed this one! Documents were signed, vets had departed and we were free to walk into country number two, Switzerland.
Donkey Serenade at Mendrisio. I left it up to Lover to choose his future companion. Which one of a dozen long ears? His choice - fell on a smallish creature, the sleepy one. How first impressions can fool…!
Climb every mountain – although this one was done by error! An arduous eight hour climb to the top of the 1498 metres high Mt. Feldis. But a spectacular view and even snow flurries greeted us.
AUSTRIA
We weren't supposed to be there. Finding ourselves in Austria happened by mistake. Somehow one of the tranquil tree-lined tracks had led us astray and into a most unfavourable position - that of 'illegal immigrants' to Austria! Lucky for us I had stopped at a clearing to have a chat with some joggers doing their rounds. To my enquiry as to how far to the border post, they kind of threw a puzzled look at us. "You are in Austria, you know, the customs guards are right around the corner there, you see?" vigorously pointing their fingers. No, I didn't want to see and silently, almost tip-toeing, turned, sneaking out the way we had come in. All the while aware of Gipsy's long ears, which I pressed down as we went.
GERMANY
In a highly populated country such as Germany, I was surprised that we were able to trek for days on end amongst tall forests, rich farming country and along rivers and canals without being crowded by traffic.
While Lover was admired and showered with attention, comments made over Gipsy were mostly : "He's cute alright! (But 'why a donkey?' was the expression on their faces).
27th May - The boarding stamp in the picture above right is from the ferry boat that carried us from Switzerland to Germany, by crossing one of the largest lakes in central Europe, the Bodensee (Lake Constanz).
My friends with the world-famous church of pilgrimage, picturesque Steinhausen, in the background.
Riding with my two mates through these pine forest in southern Germany was like entering a timeless world – mysterious legends enveloping the three of us.
Gipsy up to his ears in a swamp – our often stubborn donkey companion had once again gone his own way
Our last campsite in Germany with a group of friends before embarking on our ferry trip to Denmark the following day.
DENMARK
Denmark is a Nordic country and the southernmost of the Scandinavian nations. It is home to the fables of Hans Christian Anderson, to hundreds of baroque and renaissance castles as well as to its renowned glass blowing industry.
Travelling to and from Denmark meant two seagoing ferry crossings for us. Our few days in this lovely country were filled with visiting castles, showing off at horse studs and watch glass blowers create their world famous works of art.
Aalholm Castle - During our short ride through this country in 1982, which also marked Denmark's 'year of the castle', we could not resist visiting at least one of these 450 aristocratic homes.
July 1st.The last entry to our diary in Denmark showing postage stamps depicting horses!
An old newspaper clipping dated 25 June 1982
A paparazzi ready at the scene to capture our trio disembark the ferry at Gedser the previous day.
The headline translate into “Fresh West German girl on horseback from Sicily to Nordkap”.
Aletorp, 26 July - annual Swedish Connemara Stud Show. My stallion was invited to enter the class for foreign Connemara horses. Lover presented himself proud and flashy – and promptly won the 1st prize ribbon!
SWEDEN
Scandinavia: Sweden, Finland, Norway – “the top of Europe”. It is home to some 120,000 Sami people, or Lapps, which are the indigenous people of these northern European countries.
Sweden – land of the midnight sun, of some 100,000 lakes and a summer population of 400,000 moose, or Alg, that roam the seemingly endless forests.
Malmo, 1st of July, port of entry to Scandinavia.
The words blotted into my log book by a customs official say it all: no taxes to be paid for my 4-legged friends. It took a couple of hours of heated debate to achieve this.
Gesse, 1-21 July. 3 weeks of quarantine for Lover and Gypsy. Both grew lazy, put on pot bellies and might have not missed me much.
Lammhult, 8 August - Tack..tack... the farriers’ tools synchronized as one. Eight hoofs and eight iron shoes doubling up in one ‘go’
FINLAND
This elaborate, beautiful, 3 meters wide mural decorates the lobby of the hotel we were given hospitality for two days in Karesuvanto. It depicts the once busy nomadic life style of the Sami people, or Lapps, Scandinavia’s first inhabitants.
Swedish-Finnish border town Karesuando/Karesuvanto.in Finnish Lapland, northernmost region in Finland. It is situated on the banks of the Muonio River. Halfway along the bridge crossing you find the imaginary line of the Swedish-Finnish border.
Finland is situated in northern Europe, a quarter of this country lies north of the Arctic Circle. Its breath taking scenery boasts some 190,000 lakes with as many islands, while forests after forest covers three quarter of the country's surface, a staggering 220,000 square kilometres.
Three days of Finland, it was the shortest ride we had done (legally) in one country. We could almost have gotten away with not being noticed.
To the onlooker this bridge over the Muonio River might look like an adventurous outing. To me it was a breath-arresting exercise. This clinking, swaying chain-linked suspension bridge was intended to hold no more than 250 kg. Most likely my horse and I combined probably weighted in at 400!
It was a treat to be invited by a Lapp family who donned their traditional Sami costumes: blue felt with colorful braids on the hem and collar that also incorporate metal and silver embroidery; colorful woven belts; leather shoes with upturned tips and of course the traditional bonnet.
Each family engages its own silversmith to design their delicately crafted jewelry.
NORWAY
Hurrah! Norway at last! With every hoofbeat that echoes along our path and with every hoof print left in the sands we penetrate north, deeper into the mysterious fjord country. It also brings us closer and closer to Norway’s most famous landmark – Nordkapp, on the island of Mageroya.
With its mountains, deep coastal fjords, glaciers this most northerly of Scandinavian countries enchant visitors and ‘locals’ alike.
2 September, the Norwegian customs building. For a couple of weeks my horse and I were accompanied by a young Swedish girl and her mare. Both loved being along for the ‘great adventure’
This cairn marks the official border between Finland and Norway. How can I not be jubilant and leap up to it with my horse?About 6000 km of horse trekking completed so far. What’s another 1000?
A million dollar view into Lyngen Fjord with breakfast in its front yard.
From Karesuvanto on we followed the Road of the Four Winds. The silvery band of the Skibotnelva (Skibotn River) guiding us deep into fjord country.
One of a number of fjords we admired along our journey. I could never get enough of their sights.
This television crew had flown in from 2000 km distant Oslo, Norway’s capitol, to film our arrival.
CAPE NORTH
Nordkapp sits on the northernmost point of Mageroy Island. By many it is seen as ‘Europe’s last outpost’, it is a place of pilgrimage for thousands of visitors each year. My horse and I were the last ones to visit for the season. We were so lucky to have been allowed to ride through the ice and snow-covered landscape – 35 km from Honningsvag to the world globe at the tip of the island, our last of 7,000 km!
Right Photo: Our last 35 km – a solemn ride though the eerie but immensely beautiful winter landscape of Cape North.
“The Daily” to witness our historic arrival and shoot its official photo. And keeping up with tradition, a drink on the rock.
We have reached our goal! The certificate attests to our arrival at Cape North. Our 7,000 km long horsetrek of “Europe in the Vertical” is completed.
