Up, Up and Away

A beautiful start to a fabulous day: a dawn balloon ride in crystal clear blue skies over the fabulous rolling Cotswold Hills which were bathed in warm sunshine, adding an extra golden glow to the fields of wheat and barley in the throes of being harvested. 

A birthday present for #1 daughter which we were all able to enjoy together this morning - how lucky were we with the weather!! What an amazing experience to float off the ground and speed silently over the farms, trees, birds and animals below. We could see for miles at 1,500 ft  - even spotting Bristol suspension bridge in the distance. I just loved the shapes and colours of the fields, the softly undulating land, the mist hanging in the valleys, (see Extra) the patterns in the soil; all washed in the perfect light of the morning. It was spooky how the sound carried in the still of the air as we floated over the ground. For someone who has got quite scared of heights it really wasn’t a problem for me which was quite a surprise. 

We had a pretty good landing in a field of stubble watched by an inquisitive hare, a glass of fizz for all those lucky enough not to be on a raft of tablets from the dentist - boo!


A good decision was made to go for  breakfast at the launch site at Ellenborough Park to round off a lovely morning. The only upset being we couldn’t get back into the car and had to call out the AA. Swings and roundabouts! :)