Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 1

From Bristol station I cycled to Firtborn's workplace to collect his doorkey, cycled to his place to dump my bag then cycled to the Clifton Suspension Bridge to watch the first take-off of the International Balloon Fiesta. That seven or so miles should have taken me a bit over an hour but frequently getting lost, the Bristol hills (I am so slow going uphill) and my chain coming off meant it took me more than 90 minutes. Still, I thought I'd see the balloons overhead while I cycled up the route that Googlemaps laughably describes as 'mostly flat'. But nothing. At the top, I learnt that the wind meant that the 6pm take-off had been cancelled. And that the quick way down to where the balloons were for the 9pm 'Glow' was via the Suspension Bridge which was closed until midnight.

So... another opportunity to learn my way round Bristol.

I'd naively imagined that the balloon glow would be like the pictures I'd seen - lots of gentle illuminated balloons. It hadn't occurred to me that I'd have to walk through a brash funfair then endure a tiresome compere pitting two cohorts of hyped-up audience against each other to make the loudest noise, wave their phone lights to the music, singalong, yell out 'Barbie' or 'Oppenheimer' depending on which 'we' preferred... Not my thing. 

Finally the compere was switched off and the floppy bits of fabric on the ground in front of us started to swell. Seeing them slowly come to life was almost the best bit, though I did think the illuminated balloons were striking. I'm glad I've seen them but the 'Glow' won't be in my diary for next year.

Loads of extras including a road sign it was rather alarming to cycle beneath.