To start off, I’ve run out of energy making up those little ‘departure board’ photos at the start of every post. It’s kinda fiddly squishing the letters in to place and, heck, I’m on holiday. So the frame and its hundred of little letter tiles might be another thing on the list of Things I Should Not Have Packed.

Secondly, it’s already past midnight so this is going to a bit short, more tomorrow.

After last nights festivities, today was a bit of a sleep-in day, but still made it downstairs in plenty of time for an easy hotel breakfast. Today’s forecast is for just a 30% change of rain at 1pm. So naturally as soon as we got back to our room after breakfast it started bucketing down. But it’s a good time to count my blessings, at least I am not the guy I can see through the window, using a foot pump to re-inflate one his car tyres in the pouring rain.

The morning was super quiet, did nothing after filling up with breakfast other than a preparatory nap for the afternoon.

Finland (Cha Cha Cha!!) we’re playing at the EuroVillage in the afternoon so we wandered over there to check it out, and ran into a few more Aussies (Hey Tobie!). On the way, near the Albert dock, there was a small platform made out of little stones, that people has taken to with a bit of extra decoration, which was cool, assuming it’s quite temporary.

Arriving at the eurovillage, we saw a slightly deflated “Turan TuranX”, the band from Azerbaijan, who failed to qualify at the semi final last night. Nice of them to still front up and play for us all, and the crowd did give them a rousing welcome.

Next up was a local band Keyside (a eurovision act fell through), but here’s a photo just in case these young kids become famous in future. 🙂

While all this was going on I was having a chat with one the locals who’d come down to see what all the fuss was about, was lovely talking to her, her primary concern was the prices going up for everything, and how terribly unfair it is. I said if she wants to see tourists being ripped off she should come to Sydney :). But it was great to see the locals getting involved rather than just having this rather odd competition just foisted upon them and them shunning it.

We were also accosted (if that’s the word) by this trio of absolutely lovely Dutch people, mad as hatters, but having the best time, they were such good fun.

And being in the village meant I got to take more photos of these beautiful buildings – The Three Graces.

As for the act we came to see, Kaarija from Finland, he certainly didn’t disappoint. Very funny, incredible high energy, and nice to hear some other songs for hi, apart from Cha Cha Cha – for which, of course, the crowd went completely bonkers. I’m still hoping it could win outright.

Next we grabbed a quick Pizza from a pizza truck within the EuroVillage, and then it was time to head off to the next instalment, the “Preview” show for Semi Final 2. But like I said at the top it’s already after midnight so I’ll save that for tomorrow morning. Suffice to say it was an incredible show!