Dulles International
Airport
April 08, 2018
No direct flights connected the United States with Albania, so Sandy and Dan flew via Frankfurt, Germany. Though the Admiral offered his own plane, they decided to maintain a low profile to blend in with the 300 new friends electing to make the trip that evening. Sandy was able to finagle an aisle seat forward and Dan found himself wedged between two Germans determined to drink their way over the Atlantic. The layover in Frankfurt provided ample time to stretch. He persuaded the Lufthansa gate agent to give him an exit row seat on the next leg of the flight so his legs wouldn't cramp. Despite the fact that it was only 05:30 a.m. local time, the travelers enjoyed a cold beer. Compared with the transatlantic crossing, the flight to Tirana surprised both of them. The plane departed on time, the flight attendants were polite and responsive, the sandwiches they served were edible and the landing hard but otherwise uneventful.