Charlie's

So as I said I met Charlie. He had an early breakfast in the city so he picked me up in one of their cars - which was huge by the way but not the hugest as I later found out, and it was that size because they need it to be able to go around rough terrain as well, and to be able to toe a trailer full of racehorses. Charlie is 21, studying at Sydney Uni, has been a little bit around Europe, and most importantly is a horseman deep to his bones. His family on all sides has a long line of horseman. His parents have some racing stables in the city and a ranch up in outer Sydney.

Just a picture I've found while looking through them all... Maybe just I'm crazy, but why would anyone want to walk around on the plane's wings? :) I know that they need maintenance, but please use a letter and don't walk around on them...

At first we went to their townhouse and met his stepfather Paul - a good old Irish bloke, who proved to be a great race horse coach (at least based on the finish photos that they had on the walls) - and Charlie’s little brother Tally. We loaded up a few horses on one of the trailers and headed out to the ranch which became my home for the two days.

We talked a lot through the way, just about the usual stuff, countries, past journeys, Sydney, etc. Charlie is a really good guy, and he really told me a lot about Australia as well. Oh, I almost forgot: Charlie offered me breakfast, and since I was after all that traveling not so hungry, I just had toast and water. The point of the story is, that Charlie introduced me to Vegemite, an Australian specialty. Well I did not hate it, but it’s not gonna be my new favorite either: it is the saltiest thing I have ever tried, including salt itself, which is quite a paradox. Vegies is supposedly yeast extract in quite a pure form - well I could tell…

As we got there I met Charlie’s mother Martha, and her friend Sally - if I’m not mistaken. After a while of talking and getting to know each other, Charlie said that he has to ride out, and he invited me with him, so I took the great opportunity, and hap in the settle.

Tally on his pony - it's quite normal around here to have at least one horse, and for children: a pony of course, for example, Tally has two since he rides too much for one :))

So you would know what to try if you see it :)

The horse I rode was called Milan, a beauty bay horse - who was supposed to be the easiest ride. After the first round of anxiousness and scares on the horses part, and clumsiness on mine, we were fine with trotting and for the second and third ride it was a dream come true. As it turned out eventually he was a little bit frustrated and anxious because he had not been ridden for a week and he was a little bit lazy - at least I think - because Charlie’s mother - who usually rides Milan - weighs quite a few pounds less than me.

All in all it was a great experience, out in the endless fields. I have seen wild kangaroos, dams, horses and cattle. Did chat with Charlie and with a few more friends as well through the rides - hence a rider team of the Brister farm has arrived by my third run. I met two ladies, and my terrible name recall won’t allow me to tell who they were… :( But one of them is a currently out of job Process Reengineering professional, who decided to leave work for a few month to live to her newly found love: horse riding. And the other one - a reporter for sky news in employment of Australia’s media mogul Rupert Murdoch - who usually does reports on and with celebrities, and is a proud mother of two, whom I also met during the two days.

 Me trying to look like someone who knows what he does.

 Just a picture of the surroundings.

 Another one with the dam this time.

 Charlie - looks a bit better on the horse, but I'm sure it's just the lifetime of training :)

 Me having fun herding cattle

 Same as before.

With the horse riding done, I was invited to a lovely dinner, something similar of our Hungarian vegetable soup, and some well seasoned meat sticks, and steamed vegetables and chips, and as some company through this, I’ve got a cold beer from Charlie - and boy. it was a good one. As an after dinner special I watched an old Irish tale in an old Disney implementation which was on for Charlie’s little brother Tally. Paul explained to me part of the Irish folklore, and as it was over, I’ve decided to invite them all - except for Tally of course - for my grandfather’s good old Hungarian pálinka, which is usually known as a schnapps, but after the first shot it also got known as the Hungarian moonshine - but much better than the Irish one made of potatoes up in the hidden huts of the mountains, because that only burns, while the Hungarian burns first, but you can feel the taste of the fruits - plums in this case - afterwards - as they said very much correctly.

After that I had a good night sleep, and wake up at 8 in the next morning. Helped around a little bit, went up with Charlie’s Mum to help Charlie with the jumps, where I had to witness his horse forgetting to think and bashing through half of an oxer. Thankfully he did not have any permanent injuries, but he is not racing for the next few months, and this makes Charlie’s life much harder, since he has to use a spare horse on his next few competitions.

After that Charlie took me to her grandmothers, to Bathurst. The way was amazing, you can see a few pictures below. Charlie took me through the bit longer but much more beautiful way, and I had the chance to make a few good photos, and also we stopped to have a great view over the Blue Mountain range and the Great Dividing Valley.

At Charlie’s grandmother we got a good meal and after that we had done the horses hoofs - at least Charlie did, while I and Neal helped him. Neal is an Australian guy who is currently renting the lower part of her grandmother’s house. He was the first guy whom I had trouble understanding, since he had a real good aussie accent. After that Charlie took me around the mansion because I must call it that :) As it turns out her grandmother runs a bed & breakfast in the summer. The house is quite old, with a lot of memories for Charlie, and I’m sure for a lot of other people as well. I have seen an original in the library from 1867, so they have quite a collection.

A dinner when we got back, some shows that are also well known at home, and finally some work for me that lasted more than I expected it, but at least my tender was closed and reported back about, more or less finally.

 Charlie jumping

 The Road to Bathurst.

 And once more :)

And the Blue Mountain Ridge - interesting fact: I know from Charlie, that the bluish color of the mountain is a consequence of the oil made by the many Eucalypti trees 

The next day was just the same old same old, but one thing that was really fun for me: driving the gator :D this was the point where my feelings stacking up for quite a few days burst and I’ve decided - not for the first time in my life - that even if I’m not gonna be an farms men till the bone, I must have a farm, with everything that comes with it. After lunch I had my goodbyes with the family and Charlie dropped me off in Sydney.

After that didn’t happen much more on that day… Had a little walk, found that McDonalds is the only place that has free internet… And that’s more or less it. I had great tours around Sydney the next days, but that’s another post once again.

You see that little green buggy on the picture? That's the gator :)

Byyeee, have a beautiful day. :)