Aerial photography

Aerial photography
Originally uploaded by eqdynamics.

Paul's a wine buff so a visit to the northern California wine country was always on the cards.

As it was Louise's birthday on this part of the trip, I had booked us a couple of nights in a superb spa hotel in Sonoma. On Louise's actual birthday I dragged her (and me!) out of bed at 4am for the ride in a hot air balloon I'd booked as a surprise.

I'd booked a ride over the Sonoma valley but, as luck would have it, one of the fogs the area is famous for made flying over either Sonoma or Napa valleys impossible so the early start was followed by an hour's drive to Winters - half way back to Sacramento (just a short way north of Vacaville).

The company we were flying with flew five large balloons - each taking between 16 and 20 passsengers - and the sight of so many balloons in the air at once added greatly to the experience. Flying over the farm area around Winters was possibly more interesting than the wine valleys anyway as the fields held varying crops - several of which were being harvested.

After the flight it was back to Napa for a champagne brunch before being taken back to our hotel - where Louise had appointments for a cornucopia of spa treatments.

And I fell asleep in the room!

All in all, not a bad way to start the day.