Day 11 - Rocamadour

September 29^th, 2002

up, up and away

When we woke up, we decided we would take advantage of the morning light and go take pictures of Rocamadour from the look-out point. To our sheer delight, we arrived just as several hot air balloons took off from the valley below. With the early morning sun illuminating the spectacular town and the beautifully colored balloons dotting the crisp blue sky, the scene was out of this world. It was a wonderful surprise. We had happened to arrive in Rocamadour for the once a year Hot Air Balloon festival, without even knowing it. That’s LUCK! We showed great restraint and only took about a million pictures. After this unexpected distraction, we concentrated on the real reason we were in France, to EAT as much chocolate and cheese as humanly possible. I dare say we do quite well.

The Hot Air Balloon festivities were not over. At around three o’clock the crowds started flocking in from every direction. There was great energy in the air. We were about to be treated to a parade and another launch. As the music started, the hot air balloon pilots rode into town dressed up in various costumes. Their enthusiasm was contagious; every one had a great time. We followed the procession and snapped another million photos. This time we watched the launch from the valley below for a different perspective. The hot air balloons gracefully lifted off the ground and disappeared into the evening sky. It was magical!