Day 6

In answer to “how will I make it up for breakfast” the answer is….. I didn’t.

I actually woke up at 10, just as breakfast finished.

I didn’t feel absolutely awful but I was right in my prediction that I would be doing a lot of sighing.

We wandered over the canal / river and I’ll be honest, neither of us were moving that well but we headed towards the cathedral as we remembered that it had stuff around it that might be open on a Sunday.

We went into a cafe and we both had toasted sandwiches.

When we’d finished we left and were still moving like zombies so we went into ANOTHER cafe and Joss had strudel whilst I had….another toasted sandwich.

At the time I thought, drinking really isn’t for me - it’s a young man’s sport.

After a pit stop at the hotel we caught a tube to the ground of Rapid Vienna.

The local “ultras” did not look friendly so we swerved the local bar and did some club shopping.

By the time that was over we were able to go into the ground as we’d bought VIP tickets to the lounge.

We walked in and they gave us free bubbly - bollocks I wasn’t meant to be drinking.

Once they’d showed us to our seats they asked if we wanted a beer - oh, ok then…

In this large room there were food stations serving a variety of hot and cold buffet meals (again all free)

I went with a mixture of pork, schnitzel and rice - bloody lovely.

Do I want another beer you ask - yes that would be lovely.

We were sat at a table of 6 and eventually the other 4 joined us and we introduced ourselves as English and although it was clear at least 2 of the 4 could speak English, they decided to talk about us rather than with us - fuck them we thought.

Another beer? Yes please.

Then a waitress asked if we wanted to order drinks for half time  - yes, beer please.

The gong then rang to indicate that it was 10 minutes to the game start so we got some more beer to take out to our seats.

We did cause a “small scene” in that someone was sitting in our seats but as soon as we showed them our tickets he was forced to move.

The seats were amazing.

Not just because the view was excellent but they were so wide and padded.

And to think we can’t even take in umbrellas.

There was an incident in the first half that I couldn’t believe wasn’t a penalty and the ref was finally called over to VAR it.

He gave the penalty.

It was 3-0 at half time and we went back to the lounge.

Joss did ask what the players’ names were up there for. I explained it was the scorers. She said that can be true because the penalty taker was player number 7. I explained the the numbers were the minutes in which they scored 🤣

As we walked through the doors there were guys thrusting beers at us but I said we’d already ordered ours.

Joss went off to the loo and I noticed that they were serving up spam rolls at half time and so I got us both one.

I actually thought Joss wouldn’t go for it as there was no butter but bloody hell she just lapped it up.

So much so that as she was following me back to the stands with our beers for the second half, she suddenly veered off and got herself another roll,

She herself called this a game changer.

The second half had a few more chances but no goals so it ended 3-0.

Both sets of fans were amazing and Joss at one point had to ask why people were clapping in the match and the guy said it was because it was the 75th minute.

What on earth does that mean?

Still we went back to the lounge for more free beer and a table full of duds and saw that the food stations were serving puddings.

There was apple pudding and banana pudding and when asked, I said I’ll have both - and then slathered them both in custard - lovely.

Joss did the same but actually went one better and had whipped cream too.

After yet another beer we decided the company on the table was too creepy so we tubed it back to our little bar for one last drink.

Whilst there Joss said she could just eat a kebab and I said there was one on the way back to the hotel which she didn’t believe.

Well there was and we did - yep I can hear my arteries and liver creaking now - what a great day.