Last day of the study trip

Well then, let's get started and dive into the last day of our amazing study trip 😉👍 As I wake up, I suddenly realize that a French bloodthirsty mosquito has bitten me four times in the same spot on my forearm - damn, and it's itching....😔 oh well....the sun is shining outside and after our second-to-last breakfast, we leave the hotel towards Hures, where several herds of Mongolian wild horses live in a free-range breeding program. These herds are so pure in their bloodline that they will be reintroduced to Mongolia 🇲🇳 to bring new blood to the local population. The road winds up the gorge and we turn towards Mas St. Chely and further to Le Villaret. Here, a hiking trail is supposed to start that leads through the area where the Mongolian wild horses live in different populations. We have to search for a while, Jörg even asks a woman for the hiking trail, but she only speaks bits of English, but finally we find the path that leads through the territory of the horses. After a short time, we already discover the first traces of the four-legged animals....they look quite fresh. However, this alone does not guarantee that we will actually see them. We have also been told that they are wild animals living more or less freely in the wild...and they don't have a schedule with photo sessions for tourists. 😂 Nevertheless, we keep walking. After a while, we meet a couple with a German Shepherd and ask them if this is the right way to see the horses 🐎....and indeed....they give us the hint that a herd is standing in a forest clearing five minutes in the direction they came from. We thank them and continue excitedly....after a short distance, we see the forest clearing and in the distance, the 🐴 ....without the couple's hint, we would have walked past...thank you! We slowly approach, the wind blows towards us, which means that the horses can't smell us....and we can take fantastic shots....wild horses in their natural habitat....so beautiful!!! After a while, we decide to walk back - we slowly retreat and start the return journey. As we stroll along, I look up and excitedly hit Jörg on the shoulder...he says...I also saw it....there is a second herd! Unbelievable to be so lucky and see two herds in one day. The lead mare / stallion keeps looking over at us and you can tell that he / she is nervous....constantly shaking the head, mane flying....not taking its eyes off us....we admire the horses for a while and slowly continue walking so as not to disturb the lead animal. What a stroke of luck!!! Just for that, the journey here was already worth it - but Jörg also wants to see the vultures. We arrive at the 🚎 and have a snack...salami, bread, banana, 🍫....yum 😋 we set off towards Drigas and further to St. Pierre des Tripiere to get to Cassagnes. Here, there is supposed to be a circular hiking trail that follows the gorge and if conditions are right, the time is right and we're lucky, the vultures, which were introduced here 25 years ago, will fly past at eye level. We park the bus and start walking. I will have to study the signposting of hiking trails again, because the French seem to have their own system...but after just ONE wrong attempt, we find the right way and at a point where the vegetation opens up and gives a first glimpse into the gorge, we also see the first three vultures...but they are quite far away....sigh....oh well, we briefly split up because I want to use the monocular to see if I can spot the river....somehow, you have a better view upstream than downstream from the edge of the gorge 😳😂... Jörg keeps walking and he sees a vulture above him that he wants to film, but he is too slow 😞 I catch up with him and we sit down on the rocks and wait....and wait....and wait....while we are sitting there, occasionally one flies past in the distance but too fast....we keep waiting....and suddenly!...there is a thud and behind us, a vulture has made a kill on a cliff wall....no one saw or heard it coming...only this impact with which the wings slow down the flight....incredibly loud....we can't see what the vulture has caught and before we know it, it takes off and flies away. We wait to see if it will come back, but after another 15 minutes, we decide to leave. After all, we saw it make a kill- that's pretty cool! But just as we are about to leave, the vulture glides down from our right and lands. We stop. Jörg takes out the camera and films. I look through my monocular...and we realize that the place where the vulture landed is its nest and that it is feeding its young-WOW 😃😃😃 the nest is so well camouflaged that if the vulture hadn't landed there, we would never have seen it....well hidden. After another 15 minutes and amazed by this majestic bird of prey, we turn back. A great nature experience is behind us and now we are looking forward to a cup of tea / coffee....after our coffee stop in Les Vignes, we briefly drive to Ste. Enimie to get some money and a few things, and already the last day is coming to an end. We arrive at the hotel and pay our bill in advance so that we can leave early tomorrow and we thank our great landlady for everything! 🙏🙏🙏 We think about where to eat and then I look at my two Fourteen Holy Ones beers that I brought....and since we weren't allowed to do anything nice for Christiane yesterday, but she said she likes German beer and that we should bring some next time, we decide to eat at the pizzeria again tonight and give Christiane the beer as a thank you. We arrive and when she sees us, she already starts laughing, but she laughs even more and thanks us when we give her the beer 😉😋😃 so tonight we both eat pizza, toast again to our great study trip, and let the evening come to an end.

Perhaps this is also the right moment to say something personal....even though I missed a certain person at home every now and then ☺️, this week with Jörg was something priceless for me, because it was the most beautiful time we've ever had together, and I believe it is and will remain something that connects us forever....together we experienced the first descent of a river and simply an incredibly amount of time that will be unforgettable for me...I wish for more of these times, knowing that they will be very difficult to come by. Thank you for the great, incredible, funny, Cognac-filled, wet, adventurous days with you - I love you!!!