A buggy ride in the Danish countryside

I have spent the last three days with Jane Williams Seigfredson. Her company, Inside Out Nature, provides training and development around the world to people like me. Educators, governments, organizations and the like who are interested in the concept of outdoor learning in education settings. 

http://insideoutnature.com/

Again, I see it as a great privilege to have been able to learn from Jane, but the last three days have been more than that. Jane invited me into her home, concerned that I might be lonely on my own, which I was. I've been driven around the countryside to three extraordinary kindergartens, been taken care of, introduced to amazing pedagogues who have a heart and a passion for their work, and enjoyed fantastic conversations about our work with children and educators over lunch and coffee. 

This has been an extraordinary opportunity, so can you imagine my surprise when I arrived at her house for the last time, thinking I was there for a coffee and authentic Danish pastry, when I saw Keld with his buggy and a friend, ready to take me for a drive with May and Monty? 

I was taken into the utility room and provided with a ski suit and a scarf to add to my collection of warm clothing, and as I emerged well and truly rugged up, there were the ponies, all harnessed up and ready to go. 

Can you see the smile on my face? I was beaming.

It was a breathtaking journey, first into the back of the property and into a forested area where it was cold and dim. A tree stole my beanie and Poal had to get off the cart and retrieve it from a branch. We emerged into the gorgeous Danish countryside where I was able to see typical farms and various livestock. There were crops of barley and rye growing as well as wild patches of forest. The road surfaces changed from grass track to rutted dirt and gravel to sealed road until we came to an intersection of a main road. Here the horses trotted and I was amazed as cars wizzed by from the other direction. May and Monty were responsive to Kelds calls and touch through a piece of string on a pole as well as the guidance of the reins. I was on top of the world, looking down at the lush country, half in last century and half in today's crazy sped up world. The last leg of the journey was through the village, where mothers and small children smiled and waved and cars slowed as we passed. A wide tractor approached but there was plenty of room. As we came into the driveway of their home I was sorry it was over but incredibly joyous from the experience. 

The horses were released from their harness and the sense of being freed was expressed in large sighs, snorts and a thorough shaking. They were lovingly hosed down and scraped and had to put up with me nuzzling and rubbing their muzzles and scratching their necks throughout. They were finally placed in their stables where hay and water was waiting and clean straw under their hooves. They were two very happy ponies and I thanked them later with half an apple each. 

Then we had the promised Danish and a cup of tea, delicious Stone Age bread made with seeds and rye and a chunk of Bree cheese. A feast accompanied by more conversation, this time about our travel experiences. 

Jane and Keld, if you are reading this, please accept my thanks and gratitude for not only a wonderful learning opportunity beyond all my expectations but also for your hospitality, kindness and friendship. I'm not much into stuff, I'm into experiences and this experience with your ponies is one of those precious ones that will always be remembered and thought of with a smile. 

I hope you enjoy the photos