Joy - Hot Air Balloons!
My joy love affair with Hot Air Balloons started in 2007 when I moved to live in Bristol. Bristol is the home of hot air balloons in the UK. The first modern hot air balloon in Britain flew from there on 9 July 1967.
Each year there is a balloon fiesta held in an area of the city where crowds join to witness and acknowledge this awe-inspiring experience. In 2021, due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, dozens of hot air balloons have taken to the skies from five locations in Bristol in the largest multi-site launch in the city.
My memories from when I lived in Bristol were glancing out the window of my flat and gasping as I spotted the hot air balloons glide through the air like magic. Although I lived there for several years the sight still took your breath away. Especially with the abundance of balloons, some out solo or others in pockets. All colourfully designed and displayed for the pleasure of us spectators.
Hot air balloon rides are most commonly launched at dawn or dusk when there are calm conditions to enable the pilot to control the altitude of the balloon to a finer degree by simply heating or venting the air inside the balloon’s envelope. This seems to add to the charm of the experience. The calmness of that time of day, combined with watching something that would have once been impossible, takes your breath away.
Hot air balloons date back to the first flight in history was an experiment carried out by the Montgolfier brothers at Versailles, France.
From the ground the passer by or enthusiast is stopped in their track at the awe inspiring view. As if by magic gliding past on an adventure which very few will fully appreciate. At times coasting past rooftops and treetops, teasing the onlooker.
For those participating in the hot air balloon experience they are granted access to a birds eye view of the landscape they are once part of, where every day life below continues below them, now from afar looking like an ants world. They catch glimpses only available from the hot air balloon. The mystic of it all.
From the sky, anything feels possible, and you’d rather not be brought back down to Earth. If you’re looking for a little adventure, you should consider a hot air balloon ride.
How can you experience hot air balloon joy into your life?
1. Festivals
UK - why don’t you schedule in a visit to Bristol in August for the Balloon Fiesta
Europe - European Balloon Festival in early July in Spain.
2. Experiences
Two famous places to witness and experience a hot air balloon in the world are:
· Cappadocia, Turkey and
· Bagan, Myanmar.
Let your dreams take flight.