Today, and also yesterday, the first ever Montgolfiade* was held in Clausthal. That is a Hot Air Balloon Festival. And it was a busy one.
When the brothers Montgolfiere invented the Hot Air Ballon a few hundred years ago, they would have never thought that multiple festivals would be named in their honour. But that is how it is.
‘Normal’ adult visitors had to pay an entrance fee of 5 Euros. But since I am still a University Student, and I had my Student ID with me, I did not have to pay anything at all. Except for food and attractions.
I would have taken a Hot Air Ballon Ride as well, but that would have been right out of my price class. They charged 180 Euros per person. There was also to little wind for any Balloons to start. But luckily for me, they also hoisted people up to 52 Metres altitude in a Balloon Cage with a Crane. And I did take that. But there will be another blogpost about that tomorrow.
Usually, I am quite afraid of heights, but that was absolutely no problem today. After we got back down, I headed out to get some food. I had a fabulous Burger from a local Burger Place. And after I got a Hot Air Balloon Pin with my current workplace on it, a grocery store chain, I noticed that I had forgotten my backpack at the Crane Station. Luckily, it was still there when I got back.
The coolest thing they had today, except for the Hot Air Balloon Light-show, was a full sized Balloon Skin that you could enter! I spend some awesome 10 Minutes in there. It was really great. They used the big red Balloon with the huge whale on it for that.
In the evening, just after dusk, they had a huge Light-show. For that Light-show, the Hot Air Ballons provided the light with their gas burners in sync to music. It looked so beautiful! But I am still a little sad that there were no Balloons in the sky, except for a few in the distance. But those were to far away to take Pictures of them.
*It was only the first Montgolfiade in the Harz/ Oberharz.
Robin Ho Fotos 