The guy I coordinated the balloon through picked Thursday morning as the best weather for a ride. Our pick up time was scheduled for 6:30am, so we set out bright and early.
It was chilly,
but there was a beautiful sunrise.
The balloon man had told me to look out for a green Land Rover with a basket. I thought maybe something was lost in translation, but no, he really meant a basket.
The balloon is all folded up inside the red bag.
We got in the car with three other couples, and the balloon man and his assistant drove us to a big field for setting up the balloon. He recruited Jeff and one other passenger to help hold the balloon while it filled with air. Vivian was fascinated by the whole process.
Eventually it was time for the flames, and Jeff shifted back into observer mode.
The balloon grew pretty quickly.
Then it was time for all of us to climb inside the basket and take off.
The balloon shifted up as it caught updrafts. It was smooth and beautiful. Our balloon guide had some fun taking us down low to visit the cows. He said they knew him well and didn't mind. They seemed relatively unconcerned, and Vivian had fun taking pictures of them.
Then we went up in earnest, and we could see the back of the Beynac castle.
You can see another balloon off to the left. There were three other balloons, and they all seemed to go up really high into the clouds. Our guide said he preferred to stay low, so that we could see the chateaux. He said if you wanted to see clouds, you could ride in an airplane. We came up closer to the Beynac castle, and the view was truly spectacular.
Jeff and Vivian both loved it.
Vivian experimented with different view points.
No matter which direction you looked though, it was fantastic.
As we were floating through the sky, the balloon assistant was following us in the Land Rover.
He met us when we landed in a hay field. Jeff got recruited to help with bringing the balloon down, and Vivian went to help. They're on the far right at the end of the rope.
Once the balloon was under control, they had time for a selfie.
Then everyone chipped in to flatten and twist up the balloon.
The reward for our hard work? Croissants and coffee, or in Vivian's case, croissants and grape juice.
And, of course, a beautiful view.
But that was just the start of our day. After we had rested a bit, the whole crew went to lunch at a nearby hotel and restaurant.
Then we headed to the Jardins de Marqueyssac. We were not the only ones who thought it would be a good place to spend the afternoon. Parking was a challenge again, but eventually we found spots and headed up the hill. By the time we got to the top, it felt like we were almost as high as we had been in the balloon.
The garden is full of paths. The ones at the beginning were lined with well trimmed shrubberies.
As we went farther in though, the path started to get wilder and more interesting.
The girls had fun exploring.
They found a tree house,
a playground,
and some interesting fairy pictures.
Judy found a vending machine, disguised to blend in.
We needed some water, so it was a good find, but the girls were even happier when we found a place to buy ice cream.
They definitely earned it with all the walking we did around the gardens. It was a lot of fun.
The next day was Jeff's birthday, and the only thing we had planned was a special lunch for him and me. We decided to go the restaurant in Beynac that we had gone to on our first day, since that was one of the best meals we'd had, and it was close. We had a delicious meal including the best steak I'd had in France, and a super yummy, coffee flavored crème brûlée.
Jeff enjoyed his birthday lunch.
After lunch, we did a quick run to the store. I got this picture on the way back.
After slogging up the hill with a backpack full of groceries, the birthday boy was ready for a swim with the girls.
The rest of the day was dedicated to relaxation and family time. Elena joined Jeff for some reading on the balcony.
It was a nice way to end our time in Beynac.
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