Thankfully, our travel day went off with barely a glitch. We had a bit of trouble parking outside the Atlanta airport, but any of you who have interacted with Atlanta, or the airport know that a bit of trouble there is something to expect.
This part of the world had deemed a little challenging to get to, so we flew from Atlanta to Istanbul, several hundred miles east of here. I must admit that Turkish airlines was an absolute treat. There was a bit more leg room than I am accustomed to, the food, by airplane standards was delicious, and the large personal screen was filled with a variety of entertainment options. The flight was around eleven hours long, but thankfully, since we left at night, most of us were able to at least sleep our way through part of the flight.
As we understand it, the airport where we had a short layover in Istanbul is a brand new airport. We were a bit anxious as we had heard how large it was and that making your flight could be a nightmare type situation. While the airport was large, it was absolutely incredible. Signs were easy to follow, and we had ample amount of time to catch our short flight to Dubrovnik, but we were all in constant awe of the shops, restaurants, stylish waiting areas, wide walkways, and intricate high ceilings.
The flight to Dubrovnik was less than two hours, and as such, we were often at a low enough altitude to take in the surrounding scenery, which did not disappoint. Leaving Istanbul, I was most impressed with the rural country side, dotted with small communities, all of which, no matter their size, had a stunning white mosque with a large dome and tall tower. We are accustomed to seeing church steeples in communities we drive through, but these incredible structures were a marvel to see, especially in some towns that appeared very small.
The landscape changed drastically as we flew over, from what looked like almost rolling deserts to snow covered mountain peaks, and then to rocky mountains with just speckles of trees on them before seeing the Adriatic Sea. We flew over the town of Kotor, Montenegro which we will visit in a few days. It was easily distinguishable thanks to its location on an inlet of water. The pilot, who possibly is instructed to do this for the tourists, flew past the city of Dubrovnik, then circled around so that both sides of the plane could see the walled city, before landing about twenty miles south of the city in a small, friendly airport at sunset that was such a welcome site for we weary travelers.
The weather was crisp, and invited us for a short stroll down the steps of the city along the main drag which was still crowded with people dining or enjoying glasses of wine. The main pull for us choosing this particular Air B&B was the balcony, and well, despite the climb, it is worth it! I sit here now typing this while watching sparrows dart about, listening to bells chime the hour and half hour and looking over a stunning variety of rooftops that somehow piece together.
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