At 9:30 p.m., a hush fell as the luminous balloon began its slow ascent. Some people broke into applause. As the balloon carrying the cauldron rose and bobbed a couple hundred feet overhead, many got busy taking photos and recording videos and selfies.
I snapped this picture, then put my phone away. No photo could match the wonder of seeing this. It put me in mind of the magic of a much smaller Parisian balloon, the one from the classic French film The Red Balloon . And I couldn't help but appreciate that in a season when skies across Europe have been marred by wildfire smoke and drones, here was a reason to look up in joy — an event of no purpose other than delight.
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