Day 23/24, to airport and home.

We checked out of the YH, remembering to retrieve our SYHA cards and entered the fray that was Vienna morning traffic. There was no hurry so we stopped by the Naschmarkt for a wander round and a coffee before leaving the city by way of the Donaukanal cycle track. This was pretty easy to follow: just keep the canal on your left and the smell of drains in your nostrils (and the motorway to Bratislava on your right for a bit of the way). When it left the canal, the path was signed to the airport and meandered through a pretty nature park where we stopped for a poppyseed cake bought earlier at the market. The cycle track continued right into the airport and we arrived at the hotel grateful for a bit of air conditioned luxury. We even paid an upgrade for an early check-in, which is a bit of a cheek as the room was waiting anyway. So we didn't feel guilty about liberating the toiletries from their imprisonment in the hotel. The next 3 hours were spent packing and wrapping the bikes (including 15 minutes attempting to stem the blood flow from the tip of my LH ring finger which fell prey to my penknife blade!). A recce of the route and distance to departures, followed by a shower and change, and we were ready for a drink and tea. Then came the chore of repacking bags for the flight. 

Distance 15 miles. 

We didn't take breakfast at the hotel the next morning, but carried the bikes and bags straight over to check-in. Hoping desk would open 3 hours before flight, we rocked up 3.1/2 hours before. It didn't. We stood for the best part of 2 hours at the front of the queue before finally being processed. After the usual tyre pressure discussion with associated physics lesson,  the issue was delegated to the guy on oversize baggage. He didn't give a stuff, so long as he could ram the bikes through the scanner. Then it was breakfast in lounge and, when the noise from the  Israelis who surrounded us became insufferable, we headed to the gate. So here's a lesson learned: when you are being bussed to the aircraft, try to be around the last ones on the bus. That way you're the first off and into the cool of the aircraft. Flight delayed, so we'll see how the rest of the journey pans out.