St. Etienne Euro 2016
Beautiful blue sky first thing in the morning as I ran up the hill at Fourviere, 5 km and 250 steps later, I returned to find the other two still asleep.
We visited Musée Des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, before catching the train to St. Etienne.
In the afternoon we found the majority of shops and restaurants shut. Clearly the locals were put off, by what they had seen and heard earlier in the tournament and had decided to lie low. We had to settle for a pizza. There was nothing else.
Despite talk of alcohol bans, people were drinking in the streets, where Slovak fans mingled with the English. There was no hint of any trouble, but police were in the background in case.
Supporters marauded through the streets to the ground, several clearly suffering from the lack of any alcohol ban, to the stadium, a fifteen minute walk from the centre of town.
The four stands inside the ground are next to the pitch and provide a better atmosphere than the newer stadiums with their sterile seating plans.
I couldn't quite make out the words to songs, as they seemed to be sung in a foreign language, but inspired by their performance on the pitch I think they were singing "England's going home". Then there was some other song "30 years of hurt", I must have misheard that one as I am sure it's 50.
I am pleased to report that I witnessed no problems in the city throughout the day, other than a few individuals who had drunk too much.
Ross Clegg
footballtravelswithross.wordpress.com
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