Annecy, France

While France is full of charming places, my favorite has to be the mountain town of Annecy. From lake cruising to farmer’s markets — here are the best things to do in Annecy, France!

Annecy is a beautiful lake town in the Haute-Savoie region of France surrounded by mountains on the edge of the Swiss border. The lake, Lac d’Annecy, boasts some of the freshest water in Europe, replenished each year from the snow melt.

The town isn’t too big — or too small either. With a very walk-able and bike friendly atmosphere, you can spend many lazy afternoons exploring local shops, snacking at fresh food markets, or take a picnic in one of the many parks.

We spent 2-months living in Annecy as digital nomads with our two kids and cat, and absolutely loved it! So here are some of our best tips for activities and great things to do in Annecy, France.

My Annecy itinerary is completely free! I’ve worked hard putting it together for you. If you find it useful, please use my affiliate links when you book hotels, rental cars or activities. I’ll get paid a small commission, at no extra cost to you! Thanks.

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Annecy France Travel Guide

1: Explore Annecy’s Old Town

One of the reasons Annecy is so picturesque is the network of canals that make their way through the old town. It’s sometimes called the “Venice of France”. Annecy’s canals are shallow, and not really used for boating, but it still gives the town a charming feel.

Combined with the colorful old buildings, cobblestone streets, and flower boxes, a walk through the Old Town neighborhood of Annecy is always a treat.

You’ll catch glimpses of the mountains and lake in the distance, while enjoying the town’s many street-side restaurants, cafes, and ice cream shops.

2: Boating On Lake Annecy

Arguably Annecy’s top highlight is Lac d’Annecy, a stunning large blue lake located right on the edge of town. Lake Annecy is France’s 3rd largest lake and regularly receives accolades for being the freshest lake in Europe (due to snow melt from the Alps).

The lake is surrounded by mountains, and while cold, is a perfect place to cool off in the summer heat. There are biking paths around it, plenty of beaches, and many opportunities to go boating!

• Rent A Pedal Boat – You’ll find all kinds of pedal boats available to rent along the lake’s edge at Jacquet Promenade. The boats cost about €15 EURO for 30 minutes, depending on size. Some even have slides or diving boards attached!
• Rent A Motor Boat – Small 4-5 person motor boats can be rented, and you don’t need a boat license either. Some have sunshades, and rentals cost about €65 EURO for an hour.
• Join A Lake Tour – There are some large tour boats that will take you around the lake while describing key points of interest. You can even book a table for dinner on the boat!
• Go Waterskiing – Waterskiing is a popular pastime on Lake Annecy, and it’s possible to book a trip with one of the local water-skiing companies.
• Take A Sailing Lesson – You can rent a small sail boat to cruise around the lake, or take a beginner sailing lesson too!

3: Walk Across Lover’s Bridge

Pont des Amours is an extra pretty and famous bridge on the edge of Lac d’Annecy that spans the Vassé canal and connects the Jardins de l’Europe with the Jacquet Promenade.

Local legend says that lovers who kiss on the bridge will stay together for life.

The bridge has two great views. One looking at the lake itself with mountains in the background, and if you turn around, you’ll enjoy a tree-lined canal with wooden boats moored on each side.

4: Picnic At Jardins de l’Europe

When the weather is nice, walking or biking down to Jardins de l’Europe is a wonderful family friendly activity. This massive park sits on the edge of the lake, with large green fields, boardwalks, and playgrounds.

There’s even an old wooden Carousel, originally built in 1871, for kids to ride.

The park is popular for late afternoon picnics — just bring down some wine, cheese, and bread from the markets and a blanket to enjoy the mountain views. A French experience you just can’t miss!

5: Explore Annecy Castle

Château d’Annecy is a castle in the heart of Annecy, located on a hill above the town. Originally built as a residence for the Counts of Geneva and the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours from the 13th to 16th centuries.

These days the Chateau houses a museum (Musée-Château d’Annecy), featuring local sculpture, art, and a nature exhibit of animals and fish that are found around the lake. The castle also has some good views of the lake and town from the edge of its walls.

Entry tickets cost about €5 EURO for adults, and are free for kids under 12.

6: Walk The Promenade du Thiou

The Promenade du Thiou is a nice easy walk through the old town of Annecy along the crystal blue Thiou River, that progressively gets more wooded and secluded as you move out of town. There are paths on both sides of the river.

The trail is bike and stroller friendly too. It’s a wonderful way to spend an hour or two, enjoying nature (and getting away from the busy tourist-filled city center). There are some playgrounds, sitting areas, and bridges spread out along the tree-shaded trail.

Promenade du Thiou starts around the Quai des Cordeliers (just past the famous Le Palais de I’Île), in the center of Old Annecy and you simply walk up river from there.

7: Visit Annecy le Vieux

Annecy le Vieux is a different part of town, a residential area raised up on a hill overlooking the rest of the lake. It features a nice park, old buildings and churches, some restaurants & bars, and is generally a more relaxed place compared to the busy old city down below.

Some highlights here include the Clocher Roman Church, Parc Gabriel Fauré, and Les Quatre Gourmets Restaurant.

8: Shop At The Farmer’s Markets

One of my favorite parts of living in Annecy was the many fresh food markets that line the streets of the old town. You’ll find a variety of produce, cheese, sausage, wine, olives, bread, flowers, crafts, and more.

The Annecy street markets happen every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday from 7am–1pm. Make sure to try some of the local reblochon cheese, used in many local dishes.

9: Chateau de Menthon-Saint Bernard

Chateau de Menthon is an impressive medieval castle just outside of Annecy. Home to the same family for over 100 years, it’s open to visitors from April to October on weekends.

The castle towers over Lake Annecy, the Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve, and Menthon-Saint-Bernard, with wonderful views of each.

Guided tours of the castle (in French only) are in the afternoons, and last about an hour. There’s also a small garden along with sheep, pigs, and peacocks.

10: Bike Around The Lake

Annecy is very bicycle friendly, with many dedicated bike paths and trails that will take you all around the town. There is wonderful bike path that encircles the lake too, and it’s a great way to kill a few hours while enjoying the mountain scenery.

This 35 km paved greenway follows the old route of a railroad that connected Annecy with Albertville, and stops in smaller villages along the way like Sévrier, Saint-Jorioz, Duingt, Lathuile and Doussard.

You can rent a bike from many shops in Annecy, and even get a trailer for kids (like we did).

11: Palais de l’Île

Palais de l’Isle is probably the most postcard-famous spot in Annecy. A unique castle-like building that sits in the middle of the Thiou River, surrounded by restaurants and shops in Annecy’s old town.

Often described as a “house in the shape of a ship” — the building has been a prison, a courthouse and an administrative center. The original structure was constructed in the 12th century.

These days it is a museum (about €4 to enter), featuring an old courtroom, dungeon, prison cells and chapel that you can visit. The most famous photos are taken from the bridge out in front.

12: Go For A Hike

Annecy is located at the base of the French Alps, and a great place to base yourself for visiting the mountains. There are many local hikes nearby, as well as day trips to excellent skiing and trekking opportunities.

From easy walks, to extreme mountaineering, there’s something for everyone. Hikes around Annecy can include waterfalls, mountain lakes, and wildlife sightings of ibex mountain goats.

Here are some popular hiking trails around Annecy:

• La Tournette – The highest peak near the lake, La Tournette is a very difficult hike. But the views are amazing. About 6-hours round-trip. Experienced hikers only.
• Mont Baron & Veyrier – A moderate 2-hour loop hike that visits two mountain peaks, with wonderful views.
• Gorges du Fier – An easy walk for the whole family, this hike takes you across suspension bridges in the middle of a gorge.
• Cascade d’Angon – Beautiful shaded waterfall hike that’s not too difficult, and gives you nice views of the lake. About 2-hours round trip.

Best Time To Visit Annecy

March – May

We visited Annecy in the Spring, primarily in April and May. The weather in this part of France can be unpredictable, and it snowed on us a couple times. In between sunny days filled with wildflowers. The mountains will still have snow on them, but the weather isn’t too hot yet in town.

June – August

This is Annecy’s high season, and while beautiful, it can get very crowded. Many tourists visit Annecy as a day trip while traveling through Switzerland, because it’s so close to the border. It’s difficult to find accommodation in the summer, unless you book months in advance.

September – November

This is probably the best time to visit Annecy. Most of the high-season tourists are gone, the weather is cool, but the snow hasn’t come yet. There’s also a great festival in October called the Return Of The Alpine Pastures Festival.

Where Is Annecy (Getting There)

Annecy, France is located 44 km West of Geneva (Switzerland) about a 40-minute drive away. Most people get to Annecy after flying into Geneva International Airport, and then driving over the border.

However it’s also possible to fly into Paris and take a train. Search for the cheapest flights to Geneva on Skyscanner.com.

Where To Stay In Annecy

Accommodation in Annecy can range from backpacker friendly to luxurious. As we were staying there long-term, we rented a wonderful holiday apartment from My Sweet Home Annecy that was close to everything.

The best areas to stay in Annecy are near the old town for easy access to the markets and the lake.

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BEST ACCOMMODATION IN ANNECY

Luxury

Imperial Palace

Midrange

Le Pelican

Budget

Allobroges Park Hotel

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

In case you have some Christmas money to spend, I’ve found some great sales going on right now from J Crew Factory and Chico’s. Both have some great deals right now on winter separates. Lots of cute things! I love these shades of blues and pinks and that faux fur vest from Chico’s is too cute. 

The post Fashion over 50: J Crew Factory & Chico’s appeared first on Southern Hospitality.

Rome, Italy

The Colosseum one of the most popular sights in Rome, and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the entire world. Here are some useful tips for visiting the Colosseum!

No matter if you’re a serious history buff or a Gladiator fan – you can’t miss a visit to the Colosseum on a trip to Rome. I was super excited to see the Colosseum when we were in Rome for the first time, but visiting this historic landmark can be a bit overwhelming.

To ensure that you get the most out of your visit to the Colosseum and to avoid any disappointment, it pays off to plan your visit well in advance.

In this article I’ll be sharing my best tips for how to visit the Colosseum, how to buy tickets, and other things that you should know based on my experience traveling in Italy.

Italy Travel Restrictions 2022

Italy is open to most travelers again, including American tourists. However you do need proof of your COVID-19 vaccination(s) or a negative test result before being allowed entry.

Many hotels, attractions, and private tours are open with new health & safety protocols in place, and you still have to follow certain guidelines.

You can find the latest updates on traveling to Italy here.

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Rome Colosseum Travel Guide

The Colosseum is a famous Roman amphitheater that was built between 72 and 80 AD. The three-tired theater is the largest amphitheater ever built, and the largest (still standing) amphitheater in the entire world.

It is the largest ancient structure to have survived: It stands 157 feet (48 meters) tall and measures 620 by 513 feet (189 by 156 meters). The Colosseum was built to hold more than 50,000 spectators.

Roman theaters were generally built in the same way: circular or oval open-air structures with raised seating. They were used for popular events such as gladiator fights, chariot races, animal slayings and executions.

There are around 230 amphitheaters that were built during the Roman Empire, however, none compare to the Colosseum, which is unique in its style and grandeur. Because it was built by the Flavian Emperor Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian, it is also known as the “Flavian Amphitheater”.

The Roman theater has three stacked arcades: the lowest one built in Doric style, the middle arcade built in Ionic style, and the highest one in Corinthian style. It was built in this way to reflect the civilization that created it.

Even though the Colosseum has been severely damaged by earthquakes, visitors can still experience most of the structure that ancient Romans saw when they entered the Colosseum to watch a gladiator fight or spectacle.

How To Get To The Colosseum

The Colosseum is located right in the center of Rome, and the entrance is near the Arch of Constantine.

The nearest metro station is “Colosseo” on the B Line – it is right across the street from the Colosseum, about a 3-minute walk to the entrance.

If you are taking the metro from Termini, take the metro that is going to Laurentina. It’s a 3-minute train ride, or two short stops.

If you have a Rome Hop On Hop Off Bus Ticket, they also stop at the Colosseum. (Hop On Hop Off bus tickets are included in both the Rome and the Vatican Pass).

How To Visit The Colosseum

There are a different ways to see the Colosseum. You can simply see it from the outside (which is free), or you can book a ticket to go inside.

If you want to go inside, you have the option to book tickets for different areas of the Colosseum.

Furthermore, you can choose to visit the Colosseum independently, or join a guided tour.

How Much Does Visiting The Colosseum Cost?

The general admission ticket to the Colosseum is €18 (€16 + €2 online booking fee) and also includes the Roman Forum and the Palatine. With this ticket, you’ll be able to visit the first and second levels of the Colosseum, including three overlooks, however, NOT the arena level or the hypogeum, the underground area of the Colosseum. (You need to book a guided tour to visit these restricted areas – see below for more details.)

Discounted Tickets: European Union citizens between the age of 18 and 25 only pay €4 (€4 + €2 online booking fee) to visit the Colosseum. However, you must show an ID at the entrance verifying the right to a reduced ticket.

Children / People With Disabilities: Children under 18 and disabled people (plus one family member / helper) don’t have to pay to visit the Colosseum.

Full Experience Tickets: Include entrance to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine as well as the S.U.P.E.R. sites (the Palatine Museum, Neronian Cryptoporticus, House of Augustus, House of Livia and Temple of Romulus) AND a tour in English are €32 (discounted: €12) plus the €2 booking fee per ticket. This ticket option includes access to the arena level and an accompanied visit to the underground, but it does NOT include Level 3 of the Colosseum. “Full Experience Tickets” are valid for 48 hours from the first use.

If you are buying a ticket that includes a guide through the official Colosseum website, be careful when selecting the ticket option: the English version of the website is unfortunately not very well translated and can be a bit confusing. You don’t want to accidentally book an Italian tour.

Skip-The-Line Tickets

If you are pressed for time or simply don’t want to waste time waiting in line, I recommend spending a few more dollars on the Skip-The-Line Ticket (around €22). Just be aware that you must book this ticket with an allocated starting time, and tickets usually sell out, so book your ticket well in advance. Skip-the-line tickets are not sold through the official Colosseum website, but are available through GetYourGuide.

What’s Included In Your Colosseum Ticket

The General Admission Ticket includes the Colosseum (without access to the arena), the Roman Forum archeological area, the Imperial Forums and the Palatine. It also includes admission to temporary exhibitions at these sights.

The ticket is valid for 24 hours, so you don’t have to visit all three sites in the same day. You can decide in which order you visit the sites included in the ticket. The 24 hours start when you access the first monument.

Note: If you buy the ticket online, it is not necessary to print it out, you can simply show it on your smartphone upon arrival at the Colosseum.

What’s Not Included in the Colosseum Ticket

The general admission ticket to the Colosseum doesn’t include access to the arena, the underground area and Level 3 of the Colosseum. To visit these areas, you need to book a special ticket or a guided tour (see below for more details).

How Long Does It Take To Visit?

You need to plan in at least one hour to visit the Colosseum, and if you want to visit the other sights included in the Colosseum ticket, plan in at least one hour for those, too. If you want to take in each monument in more detail, you’ll need about 2 hours for each site. Both the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum are larger, more spread-out areas.

As for distances between the sights: The Palatine is a five-minute walk from the Colosseum, the Roman Forum is also less than five minutes away and the Imperial Fora is about 10 minutes from the Colosseum. If you’re pressed for time, it is possible to visit all three sites in half a day, but ideally, you’ll want to plan in 6 hours for all three sites.

Guided Tours Of The Colosseum

If you have more time and really want to understand the Colosseum, I highly recommend taking a guided tour. There is little signage throughout all the monuments included in the Colosseum ticket, which means that you will have little understanding of what you are looking at unless you are listening to a podcast about the sights, or you are using a guidebook.

1-Hour Express Tour

The 1-hour Express Tour is perfect for people who don’t have a lot of time, and the ticket also allows you to skip the line. Get 1-Hour Express Tickets Here

Standard Colosseum Tour

Colosseum Tour with Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (from US$39)

Visit The Hypogeum (Under The Colosseum)

A tour is required to see the arena floor and hypogeum, the fascinating underground area of the Colosseum. The hypogeum was where gladiators and animals were waiting before their battles, and visiting it with a guide means you’ll learn a lot more about the spectacles that visitors came to see at the amphitheater, the life of the gladiators, and the battles that were fought.

Colosseum Tour with Underground Hypogeum & Arena Floor

Colosseum Kid-Friendly Tour

This is a great tour for anyone visiting Rome with kids, since it aims to entertain children and tell stories about ancient Rome in a way that they’re enjoyable for youngsters and adults alike.

Colosseum and Ancient Rome Family Tour for Kids

How To Buy Colosseum Tickets

There are several ways to buy tickets to the Colosseum. The official ticket website is of course the obvious choice but be aware that you can often only get general admission tickets through the official Colosseum website.

You can buy special access tickets that include a guide through the official Colosseum website, too, but the English-speaking tours are limited and thus often sold out. No worries though: If there are no tours in English available for any of the dates you’re planning to be in Rome, you’re usually still able to find guided Colosseum tours in English through third-party websites.

If you want to book a guided tour or access to special areas, you will have to book through a third-party tour operator who is licensed to offer these tickets.

There is also a ticket office right at the Colosseum but you’ll most likely have to wait in line to purchase a ticket. Since tickets are timed and visitor numbers are capped at 3,000 a day, I strongly recommend buying your Colosseum tickets online.

After clicking on the “Buy Tickets” button, a calendar will pop up, and you can select the date you’re planning to visit the Colosseum on. After choosing a date, you will see all the available time-slots on the date you selected. If there aren’t any tickets available anymore for the time you’d like to visit, try a different date.

It is worth noting that you can only book a timeslot up to one month in advance, so if your trip to Rome is still in the distant future, you may want to put a reminder in your calendar to book a Colosseum ticket a month before your visit.

Roma Pass / Rome and Vatican Pass

If you have a Roma Pass (which gives you free admission to a couple of landmarks / historic sites and reduced ticket prices to all other museums and archeological sites as well as free use of public transportation), you still have to reserve a time-slot online and pay the €2 reservation fee.

This means you should check availability for the Colosseum as soon as you purchase the Roma Pass, to make sure there are still time-slots available during the days your pass is valid (they are usually valid for 48 or 72 hours). You’ll find the option to reserve a time-slot for Roma Pass holders on the official ticket website.

Visit The Colosseum For Free?

On the first Sunday of every month, the Colosseum can be visited for free. This includes all sites that are usually included in the Colosseum tickets: The Colosseum, Roman Forum and the Palatine.

Be Warned: The sites included in the free ticket tend to get very crowded when they can be visited for free. If you are on a tight budget and would like to take advantage of the Free First Sunday, I recommend arriving as early as possible.

Colosseum Opening Hours

The Colosseum is open seven days a week, and it opens 9am year-round.
Closing times differ, depending on the time of year:

• 2 January – 28 February: 9 – 4.30pm
• 1 – 26 March: 9am – 5.30pm
• 27 March – 31 August: 9am – 7.15pm
• 1 – 30 September: 9am – 7pm
• 1 – 30 October: 9am – 6.30pm
• 31 October – 31 December: 9am – 4.30pm

Note: Final admission is one hour before closing time.
Colosseum Closed: The Colosseum open year-round, with the exception of two days: Christmas Day (25th December) and New Year’s Day (1st January).

More Tips For Visiting The Colosseum

• Large backpacks or suitcases are not allowed. Security is tight, and all bags are screened by a metal detector at the entrance. A medium-sized daypack is ok. Glass bottles and alcohol are not permitted.
• Water fountains can be found in several places inside the Colosseum, which is very useful during the hotter months. Bring your reusable water bottle!
• If you’re only visiting the outside, look for the water fountain near the Colosseo metro station.
• If you visit during the summer months, you’ll need to pack a sunhat / visor or an umbrella. You’ll find yourself exposed to the sun a lot. Apply sunscreen before your visit.
• I recommend wearing sturdy, comfortable shoes for your visit to the Colosseum. The surfaces are uneven, and if you visit the other sights included in your ticket: you’ll walk on ancient Roman cobbles and uneven surfaces Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
• If you are fascinated by the Gladiator myth and culture, you can train to be a gladiator on your visit to Rome. The Gruppo Storico Romano and Gladiator School offers 2-hour gladiator training courses and will teach you more about the gladiator games, weapons and history.

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READ MORE ITALY TRAVEL TIPS

I hope you enjoyed my guide to visiting the Colosseum in Rome! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

• 25 Best Things To Do In Rome
• Where To Stay In Venice, Italy
• Hiking Tre Cime Di Lavaredo
• Italy’s Beautiful Lago Di Braies
• Matera The Italian City Of Caves

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

How many little black dresses do you have and how many do you need? I definitely have a few and they range from very casual to super dressy, but they all have one thing in common. Little black dresses are versatile for all seasons and can be dressed up or down, that’s the beauty of them. I love black anyway and feel that it’s a good color on me as a fair skin blue eyed blonde. So black plays a prominent role in my closet and when I saw this dress being modeled by a couple of other ladies in my age group, I ordered it sight unseen online and picked it up at my local Target.

I have to say it’s definitely a winner!

The post Fashion over 50: The Casual Little Black Dress appeared first on Southern Hospitality.

I stumbled upon this website and originally, thought the horses were real because the photo was from far away… which is exactly the point!  From far away, atop a hill in Three Forks, Montana – the  horses look real.

They look real!

Click here to go to the Artists’ website. His name is Jim Doland.

BUT THEY ARE METAL SCULPTURES!

The artist is Jim Doland.  Click here to go to his website.

Artist statement:

The Bleu Horses

Grouped on a hilltop overlooking Highway 287, Jim Dolan’s 39 horse sculptures survey the land, each seemingly aware of each other, moving and not moving, vigilant and brave against the wind, sun and snow. They are his gift to the people of Montana, a way of giving back to a place that has supported his art for so many years.

Although the horses stand eight feet tall from the shoulders, they look as natural as a herd of wild horses. Banded together in small gatherings, just the way horses naturally socialize, it takes a second glance to realize they’re not living, breathing animals. That’s because Dolan understands perspective. He understands horses. And he understands how creating Blue Horses will add to the natural beauty of the area.

This installation was a long time in coming. Dolan planned it for years before finding the right place and the right time to bring it fruition. It was a stroke of luck that Dolan stopped by Wheat Montana, where he spoke with owner Dean Folkvord about his frustration about finding the right place to put his sculpture. Right then and there, Folkvord offered Kamp Hill. Again, a significant act giving that only increases the intent of the piece.

In this tribute Dolan hopes to inspire others to give back – to their communities, their towns and their state.

Click image to go to website

The post Have you seen the BLEU HORSES OF MONTANA? appeared first on Horse and Man.

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Welcome to another Style Showcase for the week. We’ve got lots to share today, including budget kitchen ideas, saving money on bedroom curtains, patriotic inspiration and summer hydrangeas! Hope you enjoy them all.

Summer is in full swing now and we are enjoying getting outside and riding our bikes early morning. Perfect way to start the day before the heat sets in. Mark is really enjoying being retired.

The post Style Showcase 34 appeared first on Southern Hospitality.

On Friday, I shared Part 1 of the Southeastern Designer Showhouse here in Atlanta presented by Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine. I was a treat to tour the house as part of the media day and I hope you enjoyed that post with all the details about the house. I won’t repeat them here, but be sure and go to the link above for more information about the house.

Today we will tour the Upper Level of the 11,000 s.f. home.

The post Southeastern Designer Showhouse 2020 Part 2 appeared first on Southern Hospitality.

Happy Saturday to you all! We are having some beautiful weather continuing into June and we sure are enjoying that. Hope you enjoy these posts by my friends and I as we share lots of great ideas, tips and tricks for decorating your home. 

The post Home Style Saturday 194 appeared first on Southern Hospitality.

The Covid-19 lockdown has thrown us all into a world where we conduct all our work meetings – and lots of social ones too – remotely. We’ve all had to learn a new etiquette to do this effectively, but it turns out, us riders have an advantage when it comes to picking up the best way to navigate virtual meetings. Who knew?

Read on to find out four ways being around horses prepares you for virtual meetings…

1. You are accustomed to picking up and giving non-verbal cues. We all know the person who insists on saying “yes” to acknowledge they have heard or a disagreeing “no” is a menace in a virtual meeting – the mic moves across to them, cutting out the speaker, and everyone misses the next 10 seconds as the sound catches up again. But as horse riders, we are used to non-verbal communication. So we found it easy to adjust – we just smile and nod when we want to acknowledge something or look a bit anxious when it sounds worrying. It’s just the same as using nice soft body language to show your horse everything is ok or using the reins and body to slow down because there’s something that needs attention…

2. You are familiar with taking it in turns. It’s tedious, but sometimes, there’s no other way to conduct a video meeting than by each person expressing their view in turn. You know, just like you do in a group lesson when everyone has a go at the jumps in turn… we’ve got this. Remember, don’t be greedy and do extra jumps/talking and never start jumping/talking before the person before you has finished.

3. You are used to being embarrassed. Whether it’s your five-year-old popping in to tell you about her latest toilet trip, an X-rated book in the background of your picture or the fact you hadn’t quite got dressed because you didn’t realise video was essential for this session, virtual meetings offer numerous opportunities to embarrass yourself. But that’s nothing unusual for us riders. Horses are always finding ways to embarrass us, from peeing when you halt in a dressage test to throwing themselves in the mud when you don’t have time to bath them before a lesson or dumping you in front of a new partner you want to impress.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

12 things horsey people say in the office — with translations for non-horsey colleagues

There are certain things you just can’t expect your colleagues to understand — this handy list will help them to

11 ways owning a horse is similar to attending a hen party

Make-up, sashes, tears and budgets — horses and hen parties really do have far more in common than you ever

6 issues of Horse & Hound delivered to your door for £6

If you want to keep up with the latest from the equestrian world without leaving home, grab a H&H subscription

4. You are well practised at speaking slowly and clearly. We’ve found that years of saying soothingly “Waaaaalk” when lungeing has fitted us well for the steady pace required when speaking on a virtual meeting. Just try to avoid the slightly more panicked tone you adopt when you see your horse eating something he shouldn’t or destroying a fence…

We are continuing to produce Horse & Hound as a weekly magazine during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to keep our website at horseandhound.co.uk up to date with breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.

Atlanta is known for gorgeous homes and architecture and it’s always a treat to get invited to the showhouses in town, one of the perks of being a blogger. I’ve been going to the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Southeastern Designer Showhouse for all 5 years now and it’s always a highlight this time of year. The house opening was delayed this year due to Covid, but I’m glad to see it finally open.

This year’s house is an 11,000 s.f. renovated Buckhead estate with California transitional design by Benecki. Linda McArthur Architect, Cole Construction, Melanie Turner Interiors and SOURCE serves as this year’s showhouse.

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