Being a new family had meant many firsts. First laugh, first words, first steps, first visits, first holidays.
Some of these things had happened far earlier than for most others. We had decided to continue with as much travel as was reasonable with the baby, and it had all generally been great. There had been some parts which were tougher and there was certainly a change from what we had been previously used to. But it had all still be rewarding both for ourselves and also for the baby.
With all of these positive experiences, we decided that we would try for another first. It wouldn't be baby's first long haul travel, but it would be his first trip to Italy.
We arrived at the airport late in the evening. To try and maximise baby's chances of sleeping, we had booked a flight for the early hours of the morning. We did our best to use up his energy, letting him wander and explore the airport before boarding. The hours ticked by and eventually it was our time to board. One of the great benefits of traveling with the baby has been the lack of any lining up. Be it for the flight, immigration or security, the moment they see the stroller we either get waved through or sent to a dedicated fast line. It's been one of the great joys of traveling with baby and I'm going to miss it when he gets older.
Our efforts with the baby were not in vain, and shortly after takeoff he was fast asleep. He took up most of my seat, but that was fine by me. For him to be well rested was all that mattered and it would hopefully mean a more relaxed and calm journey for everyone. As the lights in the cabin dimmed, I took the opportunity to slip one of the complimentary eye masks over his head to keep any stray lights from waking him up.
We were flying with Qatar Airways again, so instead of a direct flight to Italy, we had a stop over in Doha. It was a pleasant break for us that gave us an chance to recoup before the final short leg to Rome. Our arrival early in the morning was something new for us. We normally arrived in Doha when it was pitch black, so it was lovely to see the sun rising over the sparse and beautiful desert.
During our stay in Hamad International Airport, we cleaned up the baby, had some food and took advantage of all the facilities for children.
Our final leg was once again fairly calm and stress free. There was far more walking around and far less sleeping this time, but that was fine. So long as there wasn't any screaming or crying, it was all quite manageable. Baby took the time to pace up and down the aisles, waving and saying a bright "hi!" to anyone who would look at him. I was worried he would be disturbing other passengers, but everyone seemed to enjoy his presence and the distraction from the flight he provided. Some passengers were overtly friendly, trying to talk and engage with him. It was all lovely and he seemed to have a great time.
After only a little more than 5 hours, we were in Rome. But this wasn't the end of the travel.
We had decided to go to Puglia for this holiday. Instead of breaking up the travel. I made the decision to white knuckle it and do it all in one hit. So at Rome airport, we collected our luggage and moved over to the next terminal. There, we waited our last short flight to Bari.
Everything had gone well so far.
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