Hong Kong > Snow in Istanbul

Hong Kong - Snow at Istanbul airport

I wait until after the meal has been served before closing my eyes. I choose the pasta. At this hour I notice that I am no longer very hungry. I order a Turkish wine with it. The steward is pleased that I choose the Turkish variety. After dinner, the cabin lights are dimmed. I try to get some sleep, but only manage a little. When we are a bit over halfway through the flight, I start watching a movie. About two hours before we arrive in Istanbul, breakfast is served. I choose an omelet. Eventually, we land at the Turkish airport around half past five. The captain announces that it is freezing outside and that snow is falling. We are taken to the terminal by bus. It is slippery walking across the apron because of the wet snow. Inside the terminal we see that our connecting flight to Amsterdam is delayed by about an hour and a half. This means we have to wait around four hours at Istanbul Airport. Although we already experienced this on the outbound journey, I would rather go straight home. It is unclear whether the incoming flight is delayed or whether the delay is caused by the light snowfall. The departure boards show several flights delayed by one to two hours. We look for some comfortable seats and have a cappuccino. Eventually, around ten o’clock, we are allowed to board the aircraft. The plane leaves the gate with considerable delay. It turns out the aircraft first needs to be de-iced. We join a line of planes waiting for the same procedure. When it is our turn, the wings are sprayed with a special fluid. Afterwards we take off for Amsterdam. Around half past one we land back in the Netherlands. The holiday has come to an end once again.