It took time, but with less than a week to go before the start of Euro 2008 and with sunny weather bringing people out in droves, Vienna is starting to show some football fever.
Preparations for the 100,000-square-metre fan mile enclosing City Hall Square, Heroes Square and the Ring road in between, which is to be closed for a whole month starting on Monday, are in full swing.
Stages and giant screens are being set up and the still-shuttered food huts are already in place, ready to be opened for business.
Euro 2008 banners, which already greet visitors at the luggage claim area at Vienna s international airport, line all the main arteries of the city, while every other shop window seems to have a football theme, whether the products on sale are ladies shoes, …