Hot Air Ballon Surprise

Another great and priceless surprise, which filled us all with joy and... adrenaline! ;)

For some time now, our friends have been polling me about what they could offer as a birthday gift to my dear half. Finally we came up with a very different idea, a genius idea indeed!!! A balloon ride in the middle of Alentejo in Portugal! Wow

But if the idea was brilliant, the preparations for the surprise party were not left behind!

With the reservation for the birthday dinner made, preparations began for the surprise. We all wrote a word or phrase in a small paper, a clue as to what the gift might or might not be and put those clues inside balloons. Then we threw the balloons into the air and as we were bursting them, the several clues were being revealed. And this all accompanied by the traditional Portuguese music "Sobe, sobe, balão sobe" (up, up, balloon goes up) . It was a laugh, a bunch of grown-ups letting the child within them be free! Wonderful night! Nothing pays the face of happiness when the surprise was revealed!!!

The balloon flight took place in one of the most beautiful places of Portugal, in Monsaraz, Alentejo!

By it self alone, the paths that lead us to Monsaraz already fill our hearts with peace and serenity. It's impossible not to stop by the way, get out of the car and just stand there... Freeze time and take in all the beauty!

The village of Monsaraz, has already won the contest of the 7 Wonders of Portugal in the category of Monument Villages and who visits it understands perfectly why. It is enchanting this little village made of lime and shale. And because it is right on top of a hill, you have a wonderful view over the Alentejo plateaus and the Alqueva Lake (largest reservoir of water in Western Europe). This majestic lake, formed due to the Alqueva dam, is today a spectacle worthy of admiration!

The village of Monsaraz is very small, 1 or 2 hours should be enough to see it all! But we think the ideal time to stay there is at least 2 or 3 days! Only then can we truly grasp the whole essence and beauty of this unique place.

Monsaraz may even be a complement to your stay at Pousada Mosteiro Crato, which we have already written about here on the blog! Oh what a wonderful holiday it was ahahah

Take your time and soak it all in, let yourself be calm and relaxed! Enjoy every moment it this peaceful and quite paradise. Stroll through the streets, take a deep breath, gaze at the horizon and enjoy this beautiful scenery.

Honestly sometimes it is difficult to explain what you feel in a particular place, Honestly, sometimes it is very difficult to express in words the feelings that a certain place awakens in us... it is precisely the case of Monsaraz... the smells, the heat, the landscape and the people, all contribute for every moment to be especially unique and magical. You can almost feel a certain nostalgia in the air and in our hearts.

We are very close to the "recent" (2017) fluvial beach of Monsaraz, located in the nautical center. It is quite common in the summer for this area to reach very high temperatures, so jumping to the "river" beach for a swim in its refreshing waters can be an excellent idea. So do not forget to bring your bathing suit and sunscreen! ;)

By now, everybody's probably thinking ... what about the balloon ride? ahahah we'll tell you everything pretty soon... we're leaving the best for last :-)

We stayed at Casa Dona Antónia and we can only speak wonders. The kindness with which they treated us was wondeful, we couldn't have asked for better. The rooms were simple, however comfortable and very cozy.

The breakfast was traditional and definitely homemade, wonderful Alentejo bread, with a freshly baked muffin, a delight!!! Next to the breakfast area there's a special treat waiting for us... a simply fabulous terrace, great for reading a book at sunset or just relaxing while contemplating the stunning view. Wonderful!

Yes, we certainly do recommend this place.

Why not enjoy this view while sipping an Alentejo wine and delighting in a local cheese?

Our gastronomic recommendations go to:

Restaurante Casa do Forno. In this traditional restaurant our first choise goes, without any doubt, to the migas alentejanas. It was here that we also ate for the first time the famous gazpacho alentejano (a typical dish, mainly a summer specialty, made with bread, tomato, cucumber, water, ice and some fruit such as melon), delicious and refreshing. We've also tried the black pork secrets, super tender pork ribs with orange and spices, that were especially good.

Restaurante Xarez. Here you can enjoy one of the best views in the village, truly outstanding! With regard to meals, we didn't find it to be anything special, we'd say it's ok, but you should definitely come here just to have a glass of red wine while letting your imagination flow with the relaxing and mesmerizing views!

And now, the moment we've been waiting for so long: the BALLOON RIDE!!!!

We woke up very early, the sun was about to illuminate the sky with its first morning rays, so we could be at the meeting point where they would take us to the place of departure. We didn't have to walk much, 6 or 7 minutes and there we were, along with two other couples. Of course we tried to break the ice and started talking to them right away! And guess what, we came to the conclusion that we were all from the Capital of the North - Porto Ahahah life is full of little coincidences, like this one!

When we arrived at the site, the balloon was already all stretched out on the ground and preparations to begin its filling had just begun. My goodness, what an experience! We felt like kids waiting, inside we were already jumping with excitement and joy to enter that basket!

First they started by blowing air into the balloon with the help of a big fan.

When the balloon already had a fair amount of air, the heating began! This part for us was the most exciting because one begins to see the balloon gradually to gain its true form to the point of wanting to rise up in the air.

As preparations progressed, the instructors were giving us some explanations about the ride, very simple things, such as the importance of the entrance to the basket being quick and orderly.

Given the boarding sign, neither look back... here we go!!!!!!!!!

It's an unbelievable experience! The rise was actually very silent and soft! Look, the village of Monsaraz there, on the summit of that hill, the Alqueva, the plains, everything takes a different shape, an absolute beauty. The silence just interrupted sometimes by the noise of the flames that heated up the air in the balloon and made us rise a little more.... Wonderful!  

The ride took roughly an hour and a half, which literally went flying heheheheh. Too quick to be sincere, we would have liked to have been able to stop time and just stood there hovering over our beloved Alentejo.

The flocks of sheep below. Beautiful!

As we neared the end of the experience, we began to get a little curious about the landing, but it was very smooth, no fuss or overjumps, it went beautifully!

For those who want to have this experience you can do it through Serpa Lovers or directly with Publibalão. We think that the whole team was extremely professional and that the pilot who led us through the skies is a person with a lot of experience and who as given us confidence, someone who really knows what he's doing!

We are left to thank you once again, dear friends, for these unique and magical moments! Thank You!

Learn more about our Alentejo in our post Crato-Alentejo.