Bolashak's Bison Buddies

On Friday April 27th I set off from Vordernebelberg, where the horses stayed overnight at the Ramlhof guesthouse, to cross the border from Austria into Germany,.  I was joined by John Miskich, a journalist from the German equestrian magazine Cavallo   http://www.cavallo.de/   . As he is quite tall, he rode Zorbee, while Bolashak got his first taste of work when I saddled him up for the morning.  We were also accompanied to the border by a group from the guesthouse, led by owner Max, who just happened to be riding to the same destination of Pullman City, of which more later.

 A group photo at the Austro-German border.  John and Zorbee are on the far right, while I am the little rider to the left of him.
And here we are crossing the border into Germany........

 Udo the photographer followed us on his bicycle for part of the way through the forest - here he is up to his knees in water displaying real committment to his job taking photos of Bolashak drinking from a river! .........

 John, Zorbee and Udo strike a pose next to an unexpected but oddly relevant sight in a German village. According to a sign it is purportedly from outside Buckingham Palace and used by the queen to phone when she forgot her key, which I think can be taken with a large ladle of German salt...........

 A relaxed lakeside lunch - Mike, John and Udo....

Children in Germany are obviously of a tough breed - this slide near where we stayed that night apparently shoots them straight into a rubbish tip.....

 On through the woods on the two day ride to Pullman City..

Pullman City seemed to figure prominently in Austrian trail riders' talk of riding into Germany as an obligatory and almost mythical destination - it turned out to be an extraordinary sort of mock Western town where they drive cattle through the streets at intervals.  It is populated by characters in Wild West costume, and even the visitors dress up and swagger down the street or slouch in chairs outside the bars. The entrance fee is prohibitive, but it is free if you have a horse!  However it is also free in the evening, and Mike and I ventured in later on without our four footed friends for a very expensive beer and nachos, while the horses grazed by the bison pen.
Bolashak is not impressed by this attempt to steal his supper.....