Of Mares and Vodka

Day one at Michalow is under our belts. After a 3 hour drive from Warsaw to Michalow with the wonderful/inimitable/thoroughly awesome Scott Benjamin at the wheel, we spent an hour scouting the farm and looking at all the incredible mares hanging out in the barns with their new babies. It had rained heavily the night before so they were kept in today. The foals sleeping in the warm straw while their mothers stood by dozing and grooming on another is such an idyllic sight. Everywhere I turn I am grateful and humbled to be here... Said a special hello to El Dorada who is now more flea-bitten than I remember her in the U.S. Needless to say she looks beautiful... After a wonderful lunch (in the MOST AMAZING TROPHY ROOM EVER!!!) with Scott and the Director and his wife, we got our gear together, strapped on our boots and got down to business, which for today was filming the sale mares at liberty at the far end of one of the barns in a grassy paddock. ringed by Linden and chestnut trees in full bloom. Truly each mare was more impressive than the last and of course I would give my right arm for any one of them, but for me the standouts of the day were the exquisite Mongramm daughter Fallada, Estaka(beautiful headed mare by Gazal al Shaqab who showed tons of sexy attitude) and Zlota Orchidea (Incredible throat latch and neck on this Emigrant daughter!!) And of course they all are such movers. Sigh.

Another delicious dinner (again in the incredible trophy room which spills out into the hallway. It is such a wonderful thing to look at all of the accomplishments by so many greats-- we even invoked the great Elkana this evening, a mare I adored as a child!)-- this time the meal included a generous heloing of Sobieski vidka, which we are told is named after the Polish king who saved Poland from the Turks. So its fitting that he have a really good namesake vodka. (I think it was really good, not entirely sure as I am such a lightweight in these matters, a fact that did not go unniticed by the Director who tried his best to cure me of this obvious failing...) Na Zdrowia!

Hell is an 11 hour Swissair Flight

Dateline Poland: Horsefly Girls (Jen & Soph) have just arrived safe and sound in Warsaw after surviving an 11 hour flight from LAX to Zurich and another 2 hour flight from Zurich to Warsaw. Note to self: When they bring you on the plane through the ultra-sleek sleep pod chambers complete with champagne in First class only to herd you into the (seriously no exxageration) smallest seats EVER devised by aviation-kind, it is pure torture. So... got zero Zzzs but listened to Oren Lavie's "Her Morning Elegance" like 124 times in my ipod to try and get through it. Gave me the idea that I shall try and supply readers with a suggested soundtrack for our entire trip here. Hey, guess once a Music Supervisor, always a Music Supervisor... The Swiss Flight Attendants were on the whole incredibly sweet and patient with the whole sardine thing going on, but I did happen to catch some really strident complaining about Gypsies by a few flight attendats working in the galley (I had gone on an excursion to get out of my seat and found myself there). Seriously? Complaining about Gypsies? Give me a break... Okay, also when you are riding the tram between terminals in Zurich, there's a really cool Disneyland moment when a virtual Swiss Miss (replete with bust and braids) leans into the tramcar from the outer walls and yodels, welcoming you to Switzerland. Can't remember seeing her before on any trips-- pretty cool actually. Or maybe it's the lack of sleep...

So tomorrow we're off to Michalow bright and early. We have just learned we will be staying at the stud (HOORAY!!!!). So, off to get some much-needed rest but we're back on the case tomorrow.

p.s.-- The Swiss ply you with chocolate every 20 minutes. Seriously.