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Home Street Art Cities Travel GuidesUK Street Art and TravelBristol A hot air balloon flight over Bristol
Bristol

A hot air balloon flight over Bristol

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balloon flight bristol

As the sky turns from viscous black to vivid pink, the sun slowly dissolves the thick fog floating on the frosty grass of the Ashton Court Estate.

With my shoes soaking up the damp morning dew, I wander around the park looking for the exact meeting point, stumbling upon deer and early morning runners.

The mighty colours of the sky are mesmerising, but I know that the best is yet to come.

balloon flight bristol

We split into three groups to help the crew setting things up. Like on the opening night of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, I’m surprised by the actual size of a balloon and by the way it looks when it is deflated. My thoughts are filled with anticipation, permeated with that nervous kind of energy that makes me savouring every little operation leading to the ascent.

balloon flight bristol

As soon as I climb into the basket, the hot air pushes us gently upward. I expected the balloon to be at the mercy of the wind, but it moves smoothly and steadily instead, as if it were a panoramic elevator.

balloon flight bristol

It glides on the air, over tangled rows of beautiful Bristol’s houses. I turn my face to the sun, eyes set to the horizon. I breathe in the fresh air, feeling it on my face. The weeklong rain had washed the sky, which now looks like an uninterrupted background of blue. The weather is gorgeous and the morning is clear, which allows us to see as far as the sea, enjoying a view usually bequeathed only to the birds.

balloon flight bristol balloon flight bristol

As we glide on, the pilot announces that we are flying over the Suspension Bridge, the sight of which I’ve (proudly) managed to avoid for the whole summer, as I wanted my first time to be special and going there on my last day in town kind of sounded like a good story. With my back towards the bridge, I stare at the sun for a few more seconds, pondering whether is this the right time to meet the iconic bridge -and quickly realising that no, there would have been no worthier moment than this one.

balloon flight bristol 4

balloon flight bristol

Down there, there is a bridge majestically stretching over the Avon River, which carries on through the city, skimming the post-industrial docks and harbour and then flowing towards the bright green countryside.

balloon flight bristol balloon flight bristol balloon flight bristol

From up here, I can’t help but notice how green the town is. I already knew that environmental awareness and local food production are realities in Bristol, and I’m also a big fan of the many beautiful parks scattered all around the town, but from a bird’s eye view I realize that the city is even greener than I thought.

balloon flight bristol

You can get a better understanding of things when you see them from another perspective. From up here, I can see cars moving around, but I can’t hear the noise of the traffic. In the same way, the heavy traffic of my thoughts passing through the mind is muted: I can still spot the loneliness as well as the achievements of my Bristolian summer, the laughs and the disappointments, but they all are just drifting under me, together with these colourful, iconic houses.

balloon flight bristol balloon flight bristol

Sometimes all I need is contemplating life from high above.

 

Plan your trip to Bristol with my Bristol Google Map!

 

Enjoy the video of the flight!

 

I was a guest of Red Letter Days UK, a company that offers experience gifts for all tastes, including –of course- a hot air balloon ride.

You can hover over these (or any image) to quickly pin it!

Balloon flight over Bristol

Ashton CourtHot Air Balloonmap
Giulia BLocal street art travel
Giulia Blocal

I'm a writer who is specialised in street art and graffiti. Since 2011 I have run this independent street art blog, which has been the media partner of important street art festivals around Europe. I create content for creative enterprises and museums, and my writing was published in street art catalogues and art publications.

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About Me

About Me

Hello, my name is Giulia. I'm a writer who is specialised in street art and graffiti. Since 2011 I have run this independent street art blog, which has been the media partner of important street art festivals around Europe. I create content for creative enterprises and museums, and my writing was published in street art catalogues and art publications.

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BLOCAL blog
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