A Balloon Ride in the French Alps
Experience
peace and serenity while drifting over the French Alps in a
deluxe Hot Air Balloon. Take flight with the birds and observe
the snow covered alps and green pine trees as your beautiful
balloon floats above. The adventure will span from launch, to
somewhere downwind, to a picturesque area for champagne &
cookies.
On
january 1st, 2002, with a little hangover and some courage we
managed to get out of bed at 7a.m in order to catch our 'flight'.
Close to where we lived we had the chance to find the 'airport'
within 10 minutes. While still working on opening our eyes we
were helping the instructors out at blowing the balloon up...
Just about one hour and a half later, the balloon was up and
the weather conditions were impeccable...it was time to jump
on in and hold on. Pretty small in there but very cozy at the
same time...
Taking off in a balloon is quite an experience...hearing the
sound of the 'burner', feeling yourself levitate and simply
seing the cars, people and houses become smaller and smaller...woaw.
After a couple of minutes we reached a certain height that allowed
us to have a panoramic view on the Alps - including Mont Blanc.It
was really beautifull and very pleasant to the soul.
Eventhough
there is not much to do up there it is a great time to chat,
share experiences or even enjoy precious seconds of silence
where you can enjoy the view of nature from high above. For
a adrenaline seeker like myself I do not recommend a balloon
ride for a thrill, nor for fun but more for a relaxation day
and visit of the area.
When
landing, the crew was awaiting us with champagne, biscuits and
jokes. Nice little time for sharing the experiences of the flight
while packing up and getting ready for a nice snowboardingday!!!!!
