The Italian Job

I am just coming to the end of a tour that was predominantly in Italy.  After starting in Farnborough, we did a very short positioning flight to Biggin Hill (I seem to be getting a lot of sub 30 minute flights these days) before putting the aircraft to bed.  The next day we left the cool shores of the UK for Italy, firstly flying into Venice (always a great approach) before continuing to Sardinia.  After the usual Italian faff, we continued to Sicily and then onto Rome.  My flight into Sardinia was a little eventful; low level turbulence and mis-identifying the field left me high and fast!  However, judicious use of the airbrake and early gear and flap extension recovered the situation.  It did mean that I had to buy the beers that night for my colleague though!  Italy was very hot and humid and it was almost a pleasure to leave it behind the next day and go to Paris and then Farnborough, before flying to a country I have never been to before - Lithuania.  I would have enjoyed the approach over the lush, green countryside had we not been picking our way around the thunderstorms that were covering our approach!  It got very dark very quickly and the lightening was a little scary, but thankfully the heavy rain cleaned the bugs from the windshield!  After landing we let our heart rates slow before spending a couple of nights in Vilnius.  Then it wa time for me to go and I had to leave the crew and airline home.  All in all, an interesting tour!