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AUSTRIA DIARY - DAY 4

Posted on: Wed 28 Jul 2010

Anyone for Cricket?

By Paul Chialton in Bad Bleiberg

Do not be fooled Ladies and Gentlemen I talk not of the sound of leather on willow but of high drama that unfolded prior to day four having any chance of getting underway.

Yours truly was visited by an unwelcome guest late Monday night after making the schoolboy error of leaving the lights on and the doors open!

After emerging from the WC the startling image of a six-legged, winged beast making itself feel right at home.

Our petrified writer fled not but beckoned the nearby cameraman who, with the flick of size 9 and the flush of the toilet left the beast to perish.

A nervy night followed with dawn break a relieving sight!

Cricket

How could one be so scared of this?

However, murder-mysteries aside the lads managed to get a good training session under their belt, whilst ball-boy duties beckoned and the discovery of a wasps'-nest kept others busy and alert.

And for their efforts Roberto Martinez treated the squad to an afternoon's stroll around the nearby Lake Worthersee, a cosmopolitan yet quaint part of the area that raised a few eyebrows when our coach driver decided to pull-up outside a 'swingerclub'.

However the 20.00 opening time put to rest any ideas of sightseeing of a different nature!

Matter it did not as the team casually stretched their legs around the bay, stopping for a coffee or indulging in an ice-cream cone. Our media team though had other priorities!

Upon locating a local pharmacy our fearsome duo entered, but it was the cameraman who made for a hasty retreat when his compatriot enquired about the availability of Vaseline! The chapped-lips are healing nicely after the purchase!

A relaxing coffee and the securing of souvenirs for the nearest and dearest and it was time for our departure.

The long and winding roads brought us back to base-camp, taking in the truly breath-taking sights of this delightful part of the world.

Welcoming us home, having waited days for it to be on the menu, was a nice juicy medium-rare steak, making its way onto the dish and into the belly in quick succession.

Compliments go to the cooking staff, who have served up five-star grub day and night throughout the stay.

And so another day draws to a close with the media team typing away into the late hours, and topping-up on the…well making sure the chapped-lips continue to heal!