As we zoomed along the motorway towards Austria Jack got very excited at the prospect of entering the Eurozone. No longer would we have to divide prices by roughly 28 to convert to pounds, no longer would everything be written in an indecipherable language and we meet even come across some English speakers!!
Our arrival into Vienna was tinged with disappointment however as we had to get off the bus before the screening of Harry Potter had finished but we rallied ourselves and stole a march to the hostel hutteldorf on the very last stop of the Vienna tube line.
Once we arrived at the hostel, we discovered that all the 20 bed dorms we has booked into were full and were getting upgraded to a double for free which was music to our collective ears following two nights of camping! However, it did stunt our opportunity to meet people. So far on our trip our roommate have been a Spanish couple who were either unable or unwilling to speak English and an American mum and teen daughter combo whose combined weight was probably similar to their combined age.
That evening we relaxed and, as is normal for Jack and I, the conversation turned towards Econometrics. As we discussed the merits of the Probit model and our favourite Instrumental Variables we grew nostalgic for university - how we missed those multiple choice tests.
Over the remaining few days we saw everything Vienna has to offer. Everything. From beautifully ornate churches to doing the garden maze at the stunning Schonnbrun Palace to watching an outdoor showing of the Vienna Philharmonic beside the Rathaus - a personal highlight for me but it seemed to fly over the head of our resident Culture Vulture Jack!
At the end of our stay in Vienna, we hopped on the train to Salzburg for some more camping and more sleepless nights for Jack on his yoga mat.
As the sporting season begins to enter full force again, Jack and I have been partaking in our own sporting endeavours and, as things stand, I lead the Chess Championship by three games to two (with four draws) but, with 21 days to go, it is certainly all to play for.