Week before last I was fortunate enough to travel to Odessa for a conference. Flew STR-VIE-ODS on OS E195s, and for a trip under three hours, that is one sweet ride. No real food, just water and chocolate since each leg was under 1.5 hours.
Landed in Odessa, and it was interesting - a mix of old and new. Terminal was fairly new, but you could see a lot of the old Soviet infrastructure still in use. Conference was fine, but the real surprise was the food - it is plentiful, varied, and inexpensive. There is a strong Mediterranean influence in Odessa, and the food is outstanding. As one conference attendee stated, Ukraine is not a country you want to live in if you are on a diet.
Departed Odessa on a TK 787 Max, and I made it through that harrowing experience.
That was my first flight on a Max, and it was utterly normal. Unlike many other airlines, TK still has a robust IFE suite in Y, and the entertainment made the tight squeeze (it was a full flight) go by quickly.
Landed in IST and thankfully, one of the TK lounges have reopened - and it was just like I remembered it before COVID. Ample delicious food and drink made the 4 hour layover fly by quickly. I eventually boarded my flight to STR, and surprisingly, our usual A321 was replaced by an A333. I had upgraded that 3 hour leg, and Im glad I did, as once again, Y was packed. Had a great meal and a pleasant flight, and before long, we landed in STR.
One more trip this year, and then it will be time to start wrapping this chapter of my life up.
At home in the PNW and loving it