While visiting Thailand earlier this year, a thought came to my mind. Could I go on a short Europe excursion while vacationing in Thailand? I started inquiring and soon found an answer. There were several Thai tourism companies that provided tour packages to Europe based on length of stay and visits to specific countries. I thought it would be an exciting adventure and soon found myself booking a trip to Europe via a company called World Connections that would take me to Italy, the Vatican City, and Switzerland. 

It was only a five-day tour but packed with trips to various important landmarks. Apparently, every hour was designed to be spent doing some activity or going from one place to another. Not a single moment was to be wasted. I really did not think much about it and only later on did I realize what a marathon it would be. Nevertheless, it was a fun and exciting trip and I enjoyed every moment of it.

My flight out of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport was in the evening via Qatar Airways. I arrived at the airport with several hours to spare. This gave me enough time to meet with my tour group and complete all the check-in procedures. The tour group consisted of about 20 individuals and all of us were very excited about the trip. Everyone in the group was very friendly and I immediately felt at ease being a part of this group.

After immigration and security was completed, I decided to head to an airport lounge to spend the remaining time that I had before my flight. Since I had Priority Pass membership, I decided to make use of that. I found the lounge closest to the gate that my flight was departing from. This particular lounge was the Miracle Business Class Lounge and it was located in Satellite 1 terminal of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Being able to access this lounge was such a relief since it gave me time to relax, grab a meal and also, freshen up before my flight.

The lounge was of a decent size and had different seating areas. There was a seating area close to the entrance. This part of the lounge also had the food section which consisted of various type of items and had multiple beverage options too. A second seating area was also provided further inside the lounge. This area also had a hot food station where fresh meals were prepared.

I tried several of the items including soups, sandwiches, soft buns, etc. and the quality was good. I particularly enjoyed the guava drink and had several of those. I usually limit drinking too much liquid in lounges without restroom facilities. Fortunately, this particular lounge had a restroom area but the entrance was separate from the lounge entrance area. The restroom was large and clean and was well maintained. After freshening up, I decided to head over to the gate since it was getting close to my flight time.

I was flying in economy class on Qatar Airways. The airplane model was an Airbus A380 which is currently the largest passenger aircraft in the world. As I stood in line, waiting for my group to be called, all passengers started queueing up and were anxious to board. The boarding process was not entirely smooth and there was some disarray but eventually, I made it to my seat. This was the first time I was flying on Qatar Airways and was curious about the flight experience. I had heard good things about them but mostly for business class. I was not expecting much in economy class other than a slightly above average palatable meal and a moderately comfortable seat. Fortunately, my seat turned out to be comfortable enough to survive the long flight from Bangkok to Doha.

All seats were provided with a pillow and blanket along with an amenity kit. The amenity kit had basic items like a toothbrush and toothpaste, eye shades, socks and ear plugs. The entertainment system screen on the seatback had crisp colors and there was a power outlet provided on the seat. Complementary headphones were also offered. The seatback had pockets that allowed me to conveniently stow away small items. The seat did tilt to provide some relief but nowhere near being comfortable. The space in the economy seat is very tight and the best thing to do is to make use of any facility provided and keep a positive attitude. The blanket came in a plastic wrap which allowed me store in on the footwell and place my pillow on top of it so that I could get it out of the way but still access them when needed.

After a much-awaited takeoff and our flight reaching cruising altitude, we were provided with refreshing towels, beverages and snack. I requested an orange juice which was served generously in a plastic disposable cup. I was also handed a small packet of crunchy corn to munch on. The corn was coated in spices but not the kind I enjoy. Nevertheless, it was complimentary and there were no other options and so I gracefully accepted everything that was offered.

Sometime later while I settled myself comfortably and was enjoying a movie on the entertainment system, I noticed the meal cart starting to approach toward me. It reminded me of a staggering one-legged man who had to stop with every step and catch a breath. Eventually, it made it to my seat in what seemed like an eternity. I was given a choice of two meal options based on only the protein of choice. It was either chicken or fish. It was not enough information to make a decision and I needed to know what else came in the meal set. At the same time, I also felt the urgency in the flight attendant’s voice to choose a meal and so I mumbled for the fish meal which was promptly placed on my open tray. My fellow passenger opted for the chicken meal and was generous enough to allow me to only visually inspect it. I will never know which one of the two meals was better but I do know that my fish meal was quite good. It was definitely above average as far as airplane meals go. All meals came with the same salad and a dessert item which consisted of a mango pudding. We were also handed a Biscoff biscuit at some point to enjoy with hot beverages.

Once the meal service over, most passengers started to slowly drift to sleep since there was nothing much to do besides watching movies. I tried to sleep as well but unfortunately, I am a light sleeper and trying to sleep in a sitting position did not help either. My back started hurting and after several contortionist moves, I gave up entirely on the idea of sleeping. Needless to say, it was a great relief when we finally landed in Doha.

The transit time in Hamad International Airport was for a couple of hours but it was enough to stretch out and rejuvenate my sore muscles and joints. After assembling with my tour group and getting instructions from the tour leader, we all ventured out in different directions to check out the airport. Once again, my Priority Pass membership came in handy as I was able to use it to access a lounge close to my gate. It gave me the chance to freshen up and indulge in some hot food. I felt alive again and was ready for the second half of my journey to Europe.

The flight from Doha to Rome was at nighttime. This worked well since we were supposed to be out and about as soon as the flight landed in Rome and a few solid hours of sleep before landing would do wonders. At least that is what I was hoping for. But the difficulty of sleeping in a confined spaced while in a sitting position set in quickly as I found out later. But first let me discuss about the food served on this flight. We were handed a compartmentalized snack box that consisted of a wrap sandwich in one side. The other side consisted of something that resembled a chocolate muffin but that is my best guess. Once the meal service was over, most passengers dozed off. I tried to do the same but after trying several ways to place myself comfortably on my tiny seat, I gave up on the idea and watched some boring documentary with the hope that it might induce sleep. I did doze off a few times and was glad when we landed.

Disembarkation took a little long since there were many passengers on this flight. Our tour group assembled near the gate where we got off from the airplane. Once everyone was accounted for, we all merrily headed over to the immigration counters. I was tired but elated since this was my first time in Italy. The tiredness wore off quickly as my excitement took a greater hold of me. Immigration formalities went very smoothly and soon I was officially in Italy. The first thing I noticed when I went to pick up my bag from the luggage carousel was a coffee shop. Instinctively, I headed over and got myself a nice strong cup of coffee. That worked perfectly for my first morning in Rome and I was ready for a busy day of sightseeing and exciting activities that were planned for the day.