Some final thoughts from Bulgaria.

BULGARIA RIDE – COMING DOWN OFF THE MOUNTAIN

Two bits of wisdom are found coming down the mountain

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 14, 2026Bulgaria, BalkansComment

BULGARIA RIDE – TRAVERSING THE SPINE OF A SLUMBERING PREDATOR

We climb to 2000 meters and traverse the spine of the Bulgarian Balkans.

ROC, International Travel, Historical Sites, Horse Training, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 12, 2026Bulgaria, BalkansComment

BULGARIA RIDE – CLIMB TO THE FAIRYTALE LAND OF THE HIGH BALKANS

Under threatening clouds we climb into the High Balkans and find a fairytale land of floating skulls, benevolent inn-keepers, and wild forest horses.

BULGARIA RIDE – A SHOT OF WHISKEY MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER

A change of mount — a shot of whiskey — and the prospects for my trip in the Balkans suddenly seem a lot brighter.

BULGARIA RIDE – ANYWAY I DO THE MATH, THIS RIDE LOOKS BLEAK

Happy that the trip is real but worried that things just won’t add up well.

ROC, International TravelSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 6, 2026Bulgaria, Balkans, Weightlifters, Sofia, Mount Vitosha, Roman ruins, Thracians, OttomansComment

BULGARIA RIDE – VITOSHA AND SOFIA

Sofia charms with honest vitality while Vitosha hints at the mysterious wilderness I’ll soon see from the saddle.

ROC, International TravelSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 5, 2026Bulgaria, Balkans, Weightlifters, Sofia, Mount Vitosha, Roman ruins, Thracians, OttomansComment

BULGARIA RIDE – ENTERING A NEW REALM AND MY OWN PAST

Not the Europe I know, but still somehow familiar — Bulgaria asserts its character while I’m still in Zurich.

ROC, International TravelSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 4, 2026Bulgaria, Balkans, Weightlifters Comments

EGYPT RIDE – FINAL THOUGHTS

The hospitality, the vitality, the warmth … Egypt has my heart.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 5, 2025Egypt, Luxor, Horses and HieroglyphsComment

EGYPT RIDE – HORSES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH

I go into every trip with trepidation about the condition of the horses I will ride. Egypt wasn’t only good, it was inspirational.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 2, 2025Egypt, Luxor, Horses and Hieroglyphs Comments

EGYPT RIDE – AWED, AMAZED, CHARMED

I’m awed, amazed, and charmed by the Egypt we ride through. Would our guides feel the same in my home?

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderNovember 29, 2025Egypt, LuxorComment

EGYPT RIDE – NUGGETS FROM VARIOUS RUINS

A little knowledge is dangerous. Here are a few nuggets.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderNovember 28, 2025Egypt, Luxor, Great Egyptian Museum, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Ancient Egypt RuinsComment

EGYPT RIDE – DAYS 2&3 -- GEM and LUXOR TEMPLES OF ASSORTED RAMSES

Day 2&3 — Great Egyptian Museum and Various Temples of Assorted Ramses in Luxor

Egypt Ride -- Day 1 -- Feeling So Alive in the Land of the Dead

Riding to the Great Pyramids of Giza

Sweden Ride -- Stockholm Reflections

Stockholm has my heart. Icy diamond of a city.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderJanuary 5, 2025Sweden, StockholmComment

Sweden Ride -- Day Four -- Do the Math, or Maybe Don't

A day with a high of -13F but still pretty much all outside — worth the discomfort!

Sweden Ride -- Day Three -- Horse Free but Animal Rich

A day away from the horses still has lots of animals — huskies, reindeer, and moose.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 31, 2024Sweden, Taiga, Sami culture, Reindeer, Dog sledding, New Hope Alaskans, Horses of the TaigaComment

Sweden Ride -- Day Two -- Wind Can't Spoil a Perfect Day

Wind or not, the ride goes on and the little Icelandics deliver a perfect day.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderDecember 30, 2024Sweden, Taiga, Polar Clouds, Northern LightsComment

Sweden Ride -- Day One -- Abundant Gratitude for Scarcity

Nothing prepares you for the quality of the light in a land of darkness.

ROC, Riding ExperiencesSusan Mora-SchraderOctober 15, 2024Sweden, Taiga, Polar Clouds, Northern LightsComment

Georgia Reflections

Georgia offers sobering context on Helene floods, spiders, and needed rest.