Costa Brava globe – In a balloon over Catalonia

Posted by admin on 8/24/10 • Categorized as Costa Brava,General

Ballooning – high in the sky of Catalonia

Once upon a Sunday morning, we woke up to a funny noise. Looking out of our window, we soon found the source of the noise and were surprised to see a hot air balloon hovering just above our house. To avoid landing on our very roof, the pilot kept feeding the fire and eventually touched down on a field near the village.. Back then, we started thinking about how beautiful it would be to one day go on a journey by balloon too, and to take pictures of the amazing scenery from above. We were thus more than happy to go when www.gironaglobus.com suggested we come with for an exclusive tour. We were ready to go and looking forward to the adventure.

With the weather checked and the date of departure having been pre-arranged with the organisers, we were told to be ready for takeoff at 7 am. Alarm clocks ringing at five, we got up well in time to see the full moon still high on the sky. Slightly sleepy, we made our way to Cassà de le Selva – base of Globus Costa Brava. We are to meet our pilot, Amancio Sanchez, right there. The other guests arrived a little bit later; everybody helped with preparing the balloon while the sun was rising quietly. Thanks to a ventilation device, the limp balloon quickly fills with air and as soon the gas torch is attached, it grows into the shape of a giant mushroom.
All of this takes no more than 15 minutes. Then, the balloon is ready to start, we enter, and we take off. The landscape shrinks beneath us while the horizon grows and the sea stretches as far as the eye can see. The forests are steaming in the morning sun. 1000 metres (3280 feet) above the ground, we float in complete silence, enjoying the view and celebrating the generally elated mood with a bottle of good Cava,

Rumor has it, that hot air balloons were invented by Michel – Joseph and his brother Jacques Étienne Montgolfier.

Rumor also has it, that it was really Joseph who was inspired by his wife’s billowing silken skirts which she had left to dry above the fireplace. Motivated, he went for his wife’s sewing kit, manufactured a neat cube from taffeta and placed it just above the fireplace. Filling with hot air, the cube slowly rose to the ceiling. The brothers were now completely hooked and kept experimenting, eventually ending up with 790m² (2591 ft²) and 225kg (496 lbs) of balloon. Everything went according to plan: the balloon rose and stayed in the air for ten minutes, travelling a whopping two kilometers (1.3 miles), before touching down safely again. History of balloon travel started right then, with the brothers’ first launch having been such a great success. It was the beginning of a perpetual adventure.

Admittedly, hot air balloons are a little bit more technically sophisticated in this day and age and we feel rather safe in the big basket attached to actual balloon. Skilled Amancío is in charge of making sure we make our way through valleys and over the trees. Going by balloon is a unique experience, but unfortunately it is over far too soon. After one and a half hours, we gently land on a field that has recently been harvested. We are taken home in a Jeep, but before we leave, there is still some work to do: the balloon has to be folded up again and put onto the trailer. It is still early and we are looking forward to our well-deserved second breakfast. Amancío hands out ‘diplomas of ballooning` to today’s participants. It has been a fantastic morning and was well worth the money. The adventure costs 160 € per person – insurance, Cava, Coca (a cake) and second breakfast in a typical regional restaurant included. Children have to be older than five to be allowed on the ride, and pay 100 €. The ride certainly is good fun! www.globuscostabrava.com Tel. +34 972 350175 oder +34 629 345 282.