Simple Pleasures: Flying Over Europe

Flying from Malta to Munich was never in the plans, but halfway through my flight I opened my window shade to something much more amazing than my TV show.

At first I thought I was looking at white clouds, until I realised the outlines were firmer, sharper and sketchy. Mountains! Endless miles of mountains, with snowy hats and grassy skirts. Like vanilla ice cream with that delicious, hard Ice Magic chocolate sauce.

How beautiful is it to fly over Europe? A special moment in time, which reminded me how I loved to travel.

Through a series of events I was flying from Malta to Munich, Munich to Athens while my family left later on a flight from Malta to Istanbul, Istanbul to Athens. Even though Athens is a mere 1-hour flight from Malta, it seems direct flights are only available on the weekend and, as we departed on a Wednesday, we had double the cost and double the time.

Flying without my family is a unique treat, as I snatched a window seat, which I’d normally sacrifice for my son or daughter. If ever I was to have a window seat this was the flight for it.

It’s an 871-mile journey to Munich and then back south on a 940-mile journey. Both flights were about 2 hours and 20 minutes. My first flight passed quickly. The Lufthansa flight was no Turkish Airlines flight. We have enjoyed flying with Turkish Airlines on our last flight to Malta and slightly spoiled with entertainment systems and even delicious food – gasp!

Lufthansa was a much older plane with no entertainment and rather average food. But all this was all forgiven and forgotten thanks to my window seat.

Munich airport was a fun place to stop for a few hours with loads of different things to see and taste, like nap pods and giant pretzels. 

On my second flight I sacrificed my last row aisle seat for a front row middle seat. The sacrifice paid off when sure enough the aisle passenger never arrived and I ended up with a front row aisle seat. Scored!

Sometimes when you look out the window of a plane you have a zillion thoughts filter through and you pluck one, magnify it, study it, store it and move onto the next. I have thoughts on crashing, of course, which I store rather fast then I dream about what’s happening below, who’s down there, what are they doing. I dream of my destination, I recall my origin.

Looking out the window of a plane is a form of therapy. To some looking out the plane window is scary and terrifying, to some it testifies excitement for the journey ahead, and to some it brings despair of the completion of a journey.

I felt all these things. I had disappointment that my time in Malta was over, but then I was heading to Greece, filled with anticipation. Staring out the window certainly opens a world of emotion and possibilities.

When was the last time you looked out the window?