July 2011
Perfect hospitality, wonderful scenery, friendly and lively horses, adventure and luxury, mild weather and great rides, loving advice for further expeditions, fabulous food, cosyness and intimacy.
Days, that go by too quickly, impressions and sights, that touch the heart ....
.... all that and more we experienced this week in Gröf!!!
Viktoria Lindenthaler, Austria
July 2011
From the elevated farm the eyes gaze in the shining sun over sprawling green fields to a sandy beach and a turquoise to deep blue ocean. In the fields around 30 horses of all colours graze. For our rides they were lured by Víðir, a „horsewhisperer“ into a small fence. Eager and patients the animals allow themselves to be saddled.
From the beginning we felt good and safe with and around the horses, which in a herd had been able to square of for rank for the whole year in the fields. It is impossible to describe the difficult terrain the horses navigate, sure-footed and direct. One has to experience how the find their way across fields of lava, along cliffs, through ravines and over rivers, across bogs and through high vegetation.
In between are the lengthy beach passages. In beautiful tölt – that the horses mostly know better than the riders – where the steady beat of hoofs provide a rythm to the sounds of the ocean for miles and miles along the beach.
In the evenings we relax our muscles in the jacuzzi. Our energy is replenished with an ever-changing selection of the catch of the day of cod, monkfish, crab or trout. Ragnhildur completes the day with expeditions in the vicinity. Malarrif with the lighthouse and the troll Bárður who plays a major role in the history of the settlement of Snæfellsnes. It was great!
Elvira Holder, Germany
July 2011
This week at the farm Gröf was a dream for me! The whole family is very friendly and we got a great reception. Ragnhildur took us for walks and showed us wonderful places, an great addition to the wonderful horseback rides.
The horses were all fantastic and it was so much fun to tölt or galop along these wonderful beaches!
Iceland is one of the greatest trips I have ever made!
Nicole Hertig, Switzerland
July 2011
This vacation was a major experience for me, a week that will forever be etched into my memory. The whole team was so engaged, joyful and friendly to us, something one by no means takes for granted. In culinary matters we were spoilt with the finest! Many thanks to the good chef.
It was a dream for me to be able to let my horse do the tölt for miles on end along the beach. All the horses were so great and had their own character. In the evenings we could relax our muscles in the hot tub with an ocean view. And we were not cheated by expeditions to beautiful places.
To sum up: A wonderful vacation, splendid hosts, an excellent culinary experience and colourful scenery one has to have visited.
Barbara Eugster, Switzerland
June 2011
Hi!
Being back in Denmark is really weird! I have already said five-hundred times that I miss Iceland; the mountains, the horses, the fresh air, and of course all the greatest people! I cannot wait to get back, and in fact I have just signed in for course in Icelandic!
It was the best holiday I have ever had, indescribably good!
Be in touch!
Love,
Line Vinther, Denmark
June 2011 – Fantastic ride on Icelandic horses
We rode on lava, across rivers, on old trails by the roots of the mountains – but above all on the golden beach of Snæfellsnes. It was so unbelievably beautiful and I would do the tour again anytime. The horses went at a brisk pace so we would always move at a decent speed. In addition, all the horses were exceptionally good at tölt which gave us great joy on the long stretches of the broad beaches.
Our physical well-being was always amply provided for and the food was simply delicious. We had Icelandic specialties, such as soup of lamb, salted cod, smoked lamb and freshly caught trout. In between we feasted on thai food – e.g. spring rolls and chicken curry – and that for breakfast in order to get us through the day without starving.
Sore muscles were hardly a problem, a jacuzzi with constantly hot water and jet stream bubbles massaged the tired muscles. We also went on short expeditions to nearby sights, the lighthouse at Malarrif, a cliff with birds, and a cozy café by the sea. We also met Icelandic originals who brought us closer to life in the country. Our hosts always had stories to tell and succeeded in moulding us into a fun group that was not to tired in the evening to chat or look photos and videos from a day in the saddle.
All in all a successful adventure.
Best wishes,
Diemut from Germany
I Juni 2011 - 1 uge på islandsk hest
Vi kan stærkt anbefale at tage 1 uge på rideferie hos Horseback Riding Iceland, som foregår med udgangspunkt i farmen Gröf. Hestene er alle fantastiske og stabile tøltere, og det foregår i et flot tempo. Vi red ved lavvande på den brede strand, krydsede små floder, hvor benene måtte løftes for ikke at blive våde, og med udsigt til både havet, bjerge, kæmpemæssige havørne, vulkaner, og den lokale gletcher, som er et enestående syn. Og vi red naturligvis også over marker, gennem områder med lava, på grusveje og stier, hvor vi passerede andre farme med mange islandske heste.
Vi var 6 på holdet, og i løbet af ugen red vi på 5-6 forskellige heste - og alle var glade hver eneste dag for de oplevelser, vi havde på hesteryg. Farmen Gröf er et ideelt udgangspunkt for de varierede ture, værelserne er af høj standard, jacuzzi'en er afslappende efter dagens ridning og med den mest imponerende udsigt man kan tænke sig, og maden er veltilberedt, rigelig og både islandsk og meget velsmagende på samme tid. Vores værter, Ragnhildur og Vidir, er så gæstfrie, så man næsten ikke tror det, og når der var en ledig stund blev vi kørt rundt i omegnen, f.eks. op til gletcheren, ud på et fuglefjeld og et par andre superoplevelser, som ikke lader sig beskrive med ord.
Og for at fuldende det hele endte vi som en stor familie i alderen fra 19 til 56 år, 2 tyskere, 3 danskere, 1 islænding og vores lokale værter. Der var både plads til at være sig selv med en bog i en af sofaerne i stuen eller at sidde og tale om dagens oplevelser i det Island, hvor det på det tidspunkt aldrig bliver mørkt. Og vil du vide mere om islandske heste så deler værterne gerne ud af sin viden og erfaring om alt indenfor emnet. En helt enestående oplevelse for livet!!!!
Med venlig hilsen
Inge Bleshøy og Henrik Buchwald, Svendborg
June 2011 - One week on Icelandic horses
We strongly recommend the one week riding tour with Horseback Riding Iceland which is based in the farm Gröf. The horses are all fantastic, stable and speedy tölters . We rode at low tide on the wide beaches, crossed small rivers where we had to lift our legs in order not to get wet, and had wonderful views of the sea, mountains, giant sea-eagles, volcanoes, and the local [Snæfellsjökull] glacier, truly remarkable scenery. And we rode, as a matter of course, across fields, through areas of lava, on gravel roads and paths where we would pass other farms with lots of Icelandic horses.
There were 6 of us in the team, and during the week, each of us rode 5-6 different horses - All were exhilarated each day with the experiences we had on horseback. The farm Gröf is an ideal starting point for the various tours, the rooms are of high standard, and the jacuzzi is relaxing after a day of riding and has the most impressive nature view you can imagine. The food was excellent. Our hosts Ragnhildur and Víðir are so hospitable you can hardly believe it, and when there was a free moment, we were driven around the neighbourhood, for example, up to the glacier, to a nearby bird cliff and some other great experiences that words cannot describe.
And to finish it all we ended up as one big family, aged 19 to 56 years, 2 Germans, 3 Danes, 1 Icelander and our local hosts. There was ample space for either to enjoy a book by yourself in one of the sofas in the living room, or to sit and talk about the day's experiences in Iceland, where it never gets dark during this time of year. And you will increase your knowledge about Icelandic horses as our hosts love sharing their expertise and experience in everything on the subject. This has been quite a unique experience of a lifetime!!!!
Best regards,
Inge Bleshøy and Henrik Buchwald, Svendborg, Denmark
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