UEFA European Championship France 2016

This adventure started in July 2015 with our application for tickets to Euro 2016… we decided to go for just two games meaning a nice long weekend in France. Our application was successful and Alan booked our accommodation in Lille and our transport to France on the EuroStar.

This would be a trip with company, originally we had planned a foursome trip with our friends Julie & Mike. Sadly Julie wasn’t up to the trip so it would be just the three of us.

We met up with Mike and he continued the drive down to Sheerness where we spent the night at Mike & Julie’s home, where they treated us to a lovely take-away Chinese dinner.

After a lovely scrambled egg on toast breakfast Mike drove us to the Ashford EuroStar station and caught the train to Lille, just an hours ride and we were strolling through the town towards our hotel. We stopped off to get our train tickets for tomorrow’s ride to Lens… France’s trains are run by different organisations and each one has its own ticket office. It took us three tries before we found the right office for the regional train.

Our room wasn’t quite ready so we left our bags at reception and waited in the bar. It was our first chance to test out our French and we ordered our drinks… Alan managed to order his drink using a combination of French, Spanish & English! Mike & I didn’t let him live that one down for the entire trip!

By the time we had finished our drinks our rooms were ready and we had gifts waiting for us and a free mini-bar. After unpacking we went out to look around Lille and for dinner.

We agreed a breakfast start at 8am… unfortunately, Mike was still on UK time, so he didn’t turn up until just before 9am! Fortunately, we had plenty of time before we were to head to Lens, which also gave us plenty of time to wind up Mike about being late!

Just before 10am we made our way to the Lille Fan Zone… but it wasn’t looking like it was going to open at the scheduled 10am opening time and instead we decided to head to Lens using the train tickets we bought yesterday.

After an uneventful train journey we arrived in the little town of Lens about 40 minutes later and made our way to the Fan Zone (which wasn’t open yet) and then found a little pizzeria off the main fan zone area. Which is where we parked our behinds for the afternoon. They had a big screen and would be showing the 2 earlier kick-offs, why would we need to go anywhere else.

We had a pizza and then the boys had itchy feet so I held our table while they went for a stroll around Lens. Whilst they were gone I made friends with two Australian guys. They were commenting on the fact that this was supposed to be one of the best places in the city to eat, I decided to join their conversation and confirm we had enjoyed ours. I recognised the guys from our hotel at breakfast this morning and asked how they had travelled to Lens, they had come by car… so I cheekily asked if could have a lift back (the one and only train back from Lens would be leaving at 1am!) Fortunately, they didn’t see it as a cheeky question and said sure.

By the time Alan & Mike arrived back I had sorted a lift back and debated the Brexit vote at length. We then watched the 3pm kick-off and the first half of the next game before we strolled to the ground through the crowds of Croatians and what felt like un-proportionately small number of Portugal fans. There was lots of singing and jollity and a little overzealousness with the throwing of full cans of beer high into the air.

When we arrived at the ground we split from Mike so he could attempt to sell his spare ticket. The only security check was just outside the ground, where Alan was stopped and told to check our flag into the ‘items not allowed in the ground’ porta cabin. He tried to get the flag out to show it was smaller than the maximum size allowed, but the security guy would not have it and refused to look at it. He really was quite aggressive & rude to Alan. He moved to another entrance tunnel and the young security guy let Alan through with no questions!!!

Into the stadium and there was another battle about putting the flag out, which we lost, even though on the other side of the stadium on the same level there were several flags hung out. Seriously dislike UEFA & FIFA for their sponsorship before fans attitude, it’s what has made us less bothered about whether we get tickets.

Mike joined us and shortly afterwards a different guy to who he sold the spare ticket to turned up. Mike had sold it at face value and the Croatian had sold it on for a 20 Euro profit.

The game was dull, so dull the two Germans sat behind us were discussing how scheisse it was. This amused me so I Facebooked the comment not realising one of the Germans was reading over my shoulder and he told me off for swearing. We managed to entertain ourselves with chatting with the Germans and Norwegians sat the other side of us until Portugal put us all out of our misery by scoring a late goal in extra time.

We made our way to our meet up point (outside MacDonald’s) for a lift back to Lille and after sitting in some congestion getting out of Lens we arrived back at our hotel an hour later and just a few minutes before the train would have been leaving Lens. Thanks Tony!

Planned breakfast at 9am (Mike wasn’t late) and then to the Lille Fan Zone to buy something I could butcher to sow the tournament ‘badge’ onto our flag. Whilst there we even spotted some wildlife, a Puss Moth.

We explored some more of Lille, had a few beers and then found a great little restaurant for a late lunch before catching the metro to the stadium. Again we split from Mike so he could sell his spare ticket and we headed into the stadium, this time we left the flag back at the hotel.

My German friend from yesterday’s match game to say hello and we wished him luck… this game featured Germany against Slovakia and it was 100% better than yesterday’s game finishing 3-0 to Germany.

Back to the hotel on the metro (surprisingly quick) and then I watched the final game in our room while Alan & Mike watched from the bar (minor celebrity spotting Ian Dowie).

Our final day and with our train not due out until 5:30pm we had the day to adventure a little further in Lille and we made our way to the Citadel, which is not open to the public unless though an organised tour, but we were able to walk around it and spot many species of wildfowl in the canals and surrounding marshy lands. Plus a leech!

Only a couple of beer stops as both Mike and Alan would be driving later, we returned to yesterday’s good little restaurant for lunch and then back to the hotel to collect our bags and then to the train station to check in for our return ride to Ashford.

We had the misery of listening to England being beaten by heroic Iceland on our drive home and we weren’t the only English people ending their France Euro 2016 time today!