Adventure with Iltschi: Anne Gänsicke on her trip to the south of France

Adventure with Iltschi: Anne Gänsicke on her trip to the south of France

There was recently a special evening in Templin that made the hearts of horse lovers beat faster. Jürgen Plößer spontaneously attended a reading by Anne Gänsicke, which took place at the invitation of Susanne Korbel, an employee of the city library. Gänsicke presented her book “With the Horse to the South of France – From Mecklenburg to Moussac” to around 60 enthusiastic listeners. There she talked about her adventurous journey, for which the courage she needed was in the background - it was more the urge to escape from everyday life as a freelance film writer that drove her.

As Gänsicke explains, she had no knowledge of French and approached the venture with a naive eye in the truest sense. The hike with her horse “Iltschi” could be compared to a pilgrimage that not only led through different landscapes, but also through her own fears and insecurities. Her experiences were so varied that she even described a few stops, for example with a former trucker in Thuringia.

An adventure full of uncertainty

The author has already roamed the country for four years and collected many anecdotes along the way. Her experiences were not only characterized by the physical challenge, but also by encounters with different people - impressions that ultimately led her to write a book. Originally she wanted to choose the title “People are not as bad as their reputation,” but in the end it became “On a Horse to the South of France.” The work was published by Hinstorff Verlag Rostock and comprises 256 pages.

The journey itself lasted nine weeks and took her across the German border into France. In Strasbourg, Gänsicke experienced both light and dark sides and always found time for herself and her horse along the way. She found that the urge to travel and the pursuit of freedom are often far more important than the feeling of courage.

Inspiring travel with horses

But it's not just Gänsicke's story that attracts readers. The authors Tanja and Bettina are also drawing attention to themselves with their book “Merci Liberté – Spontaneously out and about with horses”. Over a period of 1.5 months, they took a trip through northern France and experienced life first hand with their three horses in their luggage. The two report the uncertainty of where they would stay overnight, as they didn't know every morning where they would sleep in the evening. Her book is an invitation to everyone who would like to discover her entrepreneurial spirit and love of horses. It not only describes adventures and encounters, but also highlights the training of the wild horses during the journey.

If you feel a little wanderlust yourself or are looking for new perspectives for your own excursions, these stories can definitely offer you inspiration. So the question remains open: What adventures await us if we only dare to go one step further? Gänsicke herself is thinking about another trip - but whether she actually goes ahead depends on an inner call.

For those interested, Gänsicke's book is available in bookstores, and the stories from Templin and France promise to captivate readers.