Hot Air Balloon Ride

John got me a hot air balloon ride for my birthday.  We went yesterday evening.   John's sister Ilse and their mom, Bep, joined us.  The balloon took off from the large park near our apartment, Stadspark.  Here's a selection of some of the better pictures.  All the pictures I took can be found on my photobucket page:  http://s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/epaske/Hot%20Air%20Balloon/

Pictures by Ilse and her partner Marcel can be found on their website:  http://ballonvaart.peelo.eu

Getting ready for the ride:

Test firing the burner and Laying out the balloon. I was surprised how big everything was.

 

 

Filling up the balloon:

 
 
The basket was tipped on the side while the balloon was filling up with cold air.  Then Bep and Ilse got in one of the bottom compartments and i got in the top compartment.  We had to lay on our stomachs until the air was hot enough to tip the balloon and basket upright.  Then John and the other people hopped in. 

 
And we're all in and ready to take off (Ilse, John, and Bep):

And we're airborne:  The take off was really smooth.  We just floated up ever so gently.

L:  View of horse racing track and city R:  Crowd waving goodbye. 
 

More race track and city:
 

Me and John in Balloon:

View of the gas building (blue and beige tall building) and our apt building (about dead center, white)

Overview of Picardhoff gardens and lake:

L:  Another balloon over the lake. R:  overview of Haren
 

L: A look up at the balloon. R:  The pilot used a map.
 

L: Sunset over the lake. R: Canal
 

R: Ilse and Bep L:  Cool star shaped thing on ground
 

L: Windmill R: On the way down
 

And finally touchdown!  we skimmed over the farm fields for a while until we got to a grass field. The field was surrounded by barbed wire, so we had to "jump" the fence and land on an adjacent dirt road.  We made it to another grass field where we landed for good.  The pilot opened up the top and the balloon deflated.  We all worked together to roll it up and put it in a giant stuff sack.  We were a told a story about hot air ballooning (in dutch, so I got the condensed english version).  We also were crowned barons and baroness'. Apparently when hot air ballooning began, if you survived you were made a noble. After a celebratory post we were driven back to Groningen in a big van.  It was a great evening.  I highly recommend you take a ride if you can.