Travelling from A to B

There are times I think I really deserve my name Cılgın Kız, Crazy Girl. Sitting in Ataturk Airport at 3 o'clock in the morning was one of those times.

I was on my way to Bodrum for my friend Gülsüm's son's wedding. School finished at lunch time on Friday. Unusally for me, I didn't fly until Saturday evening. There had to be a good reason. There was.
Flights are not cheap, Turkish Airlines, my usual choice involves 2 flights,  Dublin-Istanbul , then Istanbul-Bodrum. This time it would have cost me €430 and an overnight stop in Istanbul on the way home.

So I had to find a cheaper way there to justify me nipping off again for a week. This meant booking with Lufthansa, Dublin to Istanbul, €199. The downside? The flight was via Frankfurt. This is why I was sitting in the airport in Istanbul waiting for my 07.00am Atlasjet  flight to Bodrum.

Advantage of this route

• Hubbie's mental health.......saving money. ( he wasn't travelling so waiting in airports not an issue)
• could rent a car with money saved on flights
• extra time in Bodrum, don't have to leave until Monday lunchtime instead of Sunday evening

Disadvantages.

• three flights
• security check in Frankfurt,  I think they don't like blondes
• spend the night in Ataturk airport, arrive there 02.20a.m next flight 07.00am
• Arrggghhhhh.........the hour goes back tonight at 04.00am in Turkey. I've got to sit for an extra hour. I normally love the hour going back in wintertime. I get an extra hour in bed. Now I've got an extra hour in Gloria Jeans drinking very expensive cappuccino.

Surprisingly, the time passed rather quickly. I bought my coffee, sneaked a Twix out of my bag, found a comfy chair, put my feet up and took out my book. We have to read "The Girls" by Lori Lansens for our next Book Club.

"The Girls" was my recommendation. I had read it before but none of the others have read it. It is novel about craniopagus conjoined twins. I decided to read it again because it had been a while. I would need to refresh my memory if I was to be able to discuss it. It was worth the second read and I didn't notice the hour going backwards. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the plane to Bodrum. Sleep finally caught up with me. I woke as the plane was approaching the airport. The sun was shining and the white sugar cube houses were dotting the hills and coastline as we came in to land.

My bag was one of the first through. I stepped out into early morning sunshine. My rental car was waiting for me. When I produced my credit card to pay for it, I was told we would have to go to his office, 4km on the Bodrum road, for him to take payment. Asking if this was a problem, I was told no, he just prefers cash. We chatted on the way. In the end, we decided that I would pay in cash for the car on my return, his suggestion! I dropped him at his office and continued on my way.

 It is hard to describe the feeling as I turned into our complex and  opened the house door. There were flowers on the table and  a present with a lovely note from my German house swoppers waiting for me. I was home!

 

Many of my friends love to go on holidays but hate the journey. To me the journey is part of the experience.

I enjoy meeting new people. This time it was two German ladies on the flight from Dublin. One lady was very excited and her companion explained this was because it  had been her first holiday abroad. They had spent a week with her brother in Drogheda. She normally travelled with her sister to visit her brother once a year. This year her sister's daughter got married and she had no money to travel. So she invited her work colleague to travel with her. They were supermarket cashiers. It was her first time abroad, hence the excitement. 

Do you enjoy the journey or would you wish to be instantly transported to your destination? What is your favourite mode of transport? Or like my neighbour would you prefer to stay in your own backyard?