Up Up and Away

We have just spent a wonderful afternoon at Rocamadour watching about 30 hot air balloons take off. We arrived just after 2.30 as there was a parade of the pilots in fancy dress headed by an alsacien band scheduled to begin. As usual the parade was late - like an hour and a half late!!

Never mind, we had a beer and soaked up the sunshine and the ambiance. Along with everyone else we then made our way to the fields below the village (where the train begins for those of you familiar with Rocamadour) to watch the preparations for the flights.( I might say that today the train was not running so for the first time we had to walk/struggle to the top). We found a vantage point and sat and waited and waited and waited. Apparently it was too hot for the balloons to take off!! Eventually the spectacle got underway at about 5.30. However it was well worth waiting for. The first two balloons took off and as they rose over the canyon they released two eagles to gasps from the crowd. (The eagles live at Rocamadour at a bird of prey centre). We will post a few more pictures than normal as "a picture's worth a thousand words".

Note the Autumn tints. The leaves are turning much earlier this year. We believe it is the almost total absence of rain for the last 3 months and the low morning temperatures.