renowned American doctor and her husband, a Franco-Italian farmer, undertake a “low carbon” road trip crossing France on Percherons

For two months, the couple will pass through 6 departments of France (04, 07, 18, 42, 43, 61), starting from Normandy along the Loire to reach the Alps and reach their farm in Tuscany. Through this crazy and unexpected journey, the two adventurers remind us that it is still possible to travel in an eco-responsible way, by taking the time to observe the beauty of the world and its landscapes.

A year ago, Amy Lehman, a renowned American doctor, and her husband Michele Rugani, a farmer in Italy, took on a completely crazy challenge. An ode to nature and the long term, in our societies where everything must move quickly. Their bet: cross France in the company of Percherons! A project that was born from their shared passion for horses. If the bonus trip on board seems a little far-fetched, it actually hides a deep love and knowledge of animals. A passion which is partly explained by the career of Amy Lehman, who was recognized by the famous American magazine Newsweek as one of the “150 women who are shaking up the world”. A doctor, graduated from the University of Chicago, she is the founder of the floating clinic on Lake Tanganyika, the largest in the world surrounded by four countries. This international organization solves access to health care for the millions of inhabitants of the basin. The clinic works in contact with local populations to fight malaria and promote access to care in remote areas. Her husband, half French through his grandmother who was a resistance fighter during the Second World War, manages a 32-hectare farm in the Italian town of Castiglione d'Orcia, south of Siena, in Tuscany. A graduate of agricultural studies, Michele Rugani uses biodynamic and regenerative techniques. On his land, he cultivates olive oil, wine and cereals. “The concept of our farm is to recreate an agricultural unit of yesteryear where man interacted with nature and animals,” explains the farmer. “In this logic of biodiversity and circular economy, we lacked horses for agricultural work. We therefore bought four Percherons, strong and very intelligent horses, and made the decision to bring them back home to Italy by undertaking an eco-responsible trip,” continues his wife.

A journey of 1,500 km, from Normandy to Tuscany

It took Amy and Michele a year to prepare for this 1,500 km journey divided into several stages. The couple, accompanied by their four Percherons, “KitKat, Kilestbeau, Makao and Kaki”, will leave Normandy to reach Tuscany. The team is accompanied by an electric vehicle, a 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning (recognized for being the most powerful of its generation), which will ensure the logistics of the trip (living, basic necessities). The journey begins this Monday, May 13 in L'Orne, in Normandy, in the town of Bellême (61) where they will stay there until May 17 to train and deepen their relationships with their horses before undertaking this road trip. two months. From this date, they will be on the banks of the Loire, in the Cher (18), and will pass through the communes of Sury-en-Vaux and Vinon, to then travel from May 23 to 27 to Ouches (42), in the Loire department, a territory renowned for its gastronomy. From May 27 to 31, they will reside in Uzer (07) and will visit Le Chambon-sur-Lignon (43) and the Château de la Selve. They will arrive in Jausiers (04) at the foot of the Alps on May 31 and will stay there until June 4 to familiarize themselves with the altitude and climate. From there, they will leave Jausiers to climb the Col de la Madeleine through which they will enter Italy. They will then cross the Piedmontese and then Ligurian Alps to finally reach the Via Francigena which will take them to Val d'Orcia (Tuscany) for an arrival on July 8. Throughout the trip, Amy and Michele will be joined by friends such as actors, artists, great sportsmen, American, French and Italian TV presenters and many other nationalities who will come to share this suspended moment with them.

“Traveling slowly, without taking asphalt roads, is today difficult if not impossible. This road trip on horseback, which symbolizes our love for this animal, is a way of showing the world that it is still possible to travel differently to act on our planet” tells us Amy Lehman.

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