Transhumance & Butteri cowboys

...From Palluds-de-Noves, i drove to Cuges-les-Pins to join the Transhumance.  

Transhumance is a project organised within Marseille-Provence 2013 project. Marseille has been voted European capital of culture for 2013. The aim of this Transhumance is to drive cattle, sheep, mares and foals across Provence to the city of Marseille. The journey i embarked on the 21^st of May was 230 kms long and is due to finish on the 9^th of June. This was the idea! By day 2, i realised it was not for me after all and said my goodbyes. Here are a few pictures of these 2 days on the Transhumance.

I wanted to ride my pony but due to injury, i rented a horse instead.

Tao from Ecurie Des Enganes at Fontvieille.
Tao is a lovely horse with the right amount of energy.

Off we went from Cuges-les-Pins to Trets and to St Antonin-sur-Bayon.

On our way to the mountain St Victoire.

 

The St Victoire has been famously painted
by Cezanne no less than 1,000 times.
He painted this frame in 1887. It is exibited in the Courtauld Gallery in London.

Gilles on his 4 y.o. cross Apaloosa

We were accompanied by Butteri cattle breeder from the Maremma area, an extensive area of  Italy bordering the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas. They came mounted on their famous Maremma horses. They also brought Maremma foals and Maremmana cattle with them.

A Buttero cowboy with his Maremma gelding.
Maremma horses stands at around 1.70 cms and are all shades of bay.

With a traditional Buterro saddle.

Buterr0 cowboy with his horse

Buterri at work garding their cattle.
On the left of the picture, there is a Buterro on his mule Maremmana.

A Buterro highly perched on a traditional Buttero saddle.

Maremmana foals guarded on foot by a Buterro cowboy 

2-3 years old foals in the Alpilles

Maremmani cow who gave birth on my last day.

Amazing sweeping horns.

Base camp in St Antonin Sur Bayon on the footstep of the Ste Victoire.

 

I left the Transhumance and headed back to the Camargue...