The "Faces of Strangers #26" Story

Riding along Orient Beach in St. Martin FWI

It was an ordinary day.  Taking a few photos along Orient Beach in St. Martin before the crowds arrive for the day.  Checked the settings on my camera and when I turned toward the water I noticed someone on horseback riding along the water.  I used to see horses along Orient Beach in the early morning years ago when the Bayside Riding Stable was close by, but since it closed a few years ago, horseback riding had disappeared along the beach.  The woman riding along the beach pulled to a stop at water's edge to allow a young girl and her father the chance to see and touch her horse, then continued south on the beach.  I finished taking my photos and headed to a nearby pastry shop to get breakfast for Carol and myself.  

Sessina and Jenny

As I finished paying for the two croissants, I turned around and saw the woman tying her horse to a street post in front of the pastry shop.  I approached her to get a better look at the horse and we began a conversation .... sort of.  She was French and had a very difficult time understanding me and since I can't understand French, we were at a standstill.  I introduced myself and gave her my name.  She told me her name was Jenny and her horses name was Sessina.  I attempted to find out what breed of horse she had and she thought for a short while and said "Putin."  I thought and responded, "Russian?"  "Oui," she said with a smile.  The breed I found later was Troyka and what a beautiful horse it was.  I managed to understand that she lives at the old Bayside Sables where she keeps her horse.  I tried to explain that my wife would be upset she wasn't with me to admire the horse since she had a horse while growing up in the south end of Lancaster County.  I asked if I could take a photo of her and her horse and she willingly obliged.  After I paid my farewells, she tied her horse to the street post and headed into the pastry shop.  I walked across the street to visit the real estate office where we had rented our condo and on my way back to the car I noticed she was back on her horse heading toward the beach to find her way back to Bayside Stables.  Interesting visit with a beautiful French woman on horseback.  How often can that happen to someone?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.