Saturday, 9 May 2015

We are ticked off by the police.

Lady and I arrived back at the International Equestrian Centre on May 1st, staying a night at Pine Haven Quarter horses near Plantagenet courtesy of the hard working France Venier and daughters.
Still having difficulties insuring the truck or hiring a car so decided to sell the car, give up the idea of looking for a second horse and plod on with Lady.   So after a day sorting sorting out my baggage, on May 6th Lady and I set off again to tackle Ottawa.
We reached the Ottawa side of Orleans, where we stayed at a fruit farm. Here is owner Paul with Lady just before we set off for downtown Ottawa the following morning May 7th...
Paul let me sleep in the camper van in the background.

A beautiful ride along a gravel path by the mirror-like Ottawa river....
Coming into Rockcliffe Park, a photographer suddenly appeared from a parked car and started snapping away.  The paparazzi on my heels?  No, Jesse Winter, a journalist from the Ottawa Citizen who had just happened to see me.
Lady and I made it successfully into central Ottawa and at Parliament Hill I prevailed upon a cyclist who approached me to take a photo of us on the grass in front of Parliament buildings.

  He seemed a trifle hurried but it was only when I noticed a large figure looming over me that I realised why. No horses were allowed on the hallowed lawn and a member of the security police had arrived to give me a ticking off.

The cyclist turned out to be journalist Michel, and he had filed a report within hours.
http://www.gulf-times.com/Mobile/US-Latin%20America/182/details/438303/Woman-rides-through-Ottawa-in-last-leg-of-world-journey-by-horseting
  Jesse also turned up later and treated me to a cold beer and poutine at a pub restaurant down the river, resulting in the following piece with online interview.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/video-horse-rider-benefits-charity
Caught in the act - riding your bike was prohibited in this tunnel, but no-one seemed to take much notice!..

Riding along the Trans Canada Trail leading out on the other side..

I saw a figure with a camera - my hostess with the mostest Ann Matthews who guided me in the last few kilometres to the Wesley Clover Equestrian Centre where Lady had a heroine's welcome ....

In the meantime Ann whisked me off to her house to thoroughly spoil me, and chauffeured me around the next day to buy and collect forgotten .items of equipment - travel towel and fly mask being top of the list!
Ann outside the Marshes clubhouse where we went for a meal with the family - good to see the Welsh flag flying!

Many thanks to the Wesley Clover Equestrian Centre who hosted Lady for two nights and also had new shoes fitted.

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