Lipica : Dancing White Horses

Performing Lipizzaner, Lipica
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Talking of which, our next destination was the starting point for this whole trip. I’d been flicking through a holiday brochure and spotted a day trip to Lipica, a world famous stud farm, the birth place of the Lipizzaner horse. These magnificent animals had captured my imagination as a child. The stallions are used by the Spanish Riding School of Vienna and are trained to perform the most incredible feats of Dressage, including a leap when reared up on its hind legs. Added to this they are pure white; always a popular colour with pre teenage girls.

Performing Lipizzaner, Lipica
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In the end I hadn’t gone for that holiday, but had found an alternative to Lake Bled that would let me make this pilgrimage. So it was with a huge grin of joy that I stepped off the coach into the now roasting heat. How I wish it had been cooler. Still here I was on sacred ground and there in the distance was my goal – a paddock full of snow white mares and dark brown foals. This is the norm for the breed. The foals start off dark but turn slowly grey from the age of four. Eventually they turn the snowy white that makes them so special.

I’m now reverting back to a soppy horse mad 12-year-old and don’t care who knows it!

Performing Lipizzaners, Lipica
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Our tour takes place at quite a trot, visiting the stables housing the ordinary riding horses and then the truly skilled dressage experts. The look on my face as I actually stroke one is priceless. That’s one lifetime ambition realised! Although the horse breed originated in Lipica in 1580, the Austrian’s now breed their own. However Lipica has been recognised as a national treasure and is owned and run by the state, so their future would seem to be assured.

After the tour we watch an exhibition of dressage and carriage driving (mares do this whilst stallion do dressage). All the way through I keep telling myself not to expect the same level of horsemanship as displayed by the Spanish Riding School. But luckily they are more than up to the challenge. As the riders enter the ring I can sense it and boy do they deliver. I’m now reverting back to a soppy horse mad 12-year-old and don’t care who knows it! Y said afterwards she has some pictures of me with a really daft look on my face.

The Stables, Lipica Stud Farm, Lipica
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Both of today’s trips have been well worthwhile, and just about keep me going through the hellish drive home in scorching heat. At one toll stop we see the temperature is 38°C! That’s in the shade. Even the receptionist is stunned by it – this is very unusual indeed.

After a nice rest on our shady balcony, we headed off to explore a bit of Bled, taking the mysterious steps that pass by our hotel room. As usual Y ends up leading us through what looks like a private development; she later says she didn’t notice the barrier we walked through.

Lipizzaner Mare with Foal, Lipica
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I’ve just had to take a moment to brace myself before writing about our meal tonight. The thought of it is making me feel ill even now. It started off with me, unusually, not feeling all that hungry. A nice salad would be just the ticket. So as the waitress made a point of giving us an English menu, I asked for the Greek Salad. After a while Y’s excellent prawn salad arrived with a small bowl of lettuce for me. Now it has been a good few years since I’ve been to Greece, but this wasn’t what I’d had been expecting. When I tentatively ask the waitress where my Greek salad was she looks a little confused. In the end we work out that ‘Greek’ sounds a lot like the Slovenian word for ‘Green’! She then carries on serving until I manage to catch her again and say that much as I like the green salad I would really like to have my original choice.

Oh if only I had left it there and eaten my lettuce like a good girl! After what felt like an age a bowl of tomatoes, cucumber and olives appear, liberally scattered with admittedly excellent, creamy feta cheese. Unfortunately the whole lot is swimming in water. It’s more like a soup than a salad!

I wade in mixing the dryer vegetables with the lettuce but eventually every mouthful begins to make me retch. Finally I can take no more and have to slink off in defeat. If I ever see another salad it will be too soon!