Well, when I last wrote, I was in Geneva. I decided to go and check out the United Nations HQ - a field trip that made it feel an awful lot like I just paid to go to work!
Believe it or not, one of the main tourist attractions in going to the UN is the broken chair sculpture out the front. Who knew broken furniture can be considered art as opposed to a reason to visit the tip...
Inside we got to visit various rooms including the general conference room, the human rights room and the main room used for peace negotiations. The ceiling in the human rights room was spectacular.
The colours of the sculpture on the ceiling are different on each side to symbolise the different ways that people can see the same issue or event.
The peace negotiations room is of course steeped in a huge amount of history. I was however concerned a little about the tour guides commentary. He showed us a painting in the ceiling and told us it was to 'symbolise the five most important continents'. Sooooooooo, which continents are NOT important to the UN? This is the offending artwork.
I think the peace room may have also provided some of the inspiration for The Lion King...
No tour is complete without a trip to the gift shop. This one has the most impressive collection of flags I have seen in my life (and I go to Eurovision!).
All that talk of bureaucracy really built up an appetite, so I was then out in search of lunch. I proceeded to eat the most expensive 6" sub in my life. A pizza sub and small drink set me back AUD$16! How does anyone afford to live in Geneva? Seems some people were not even aware that the Swiss ate the same food as the rest of us. I overheard a group of tourists (American) who were shocked, SHOCKED, that there was sushi available. I mean, who knew they ate sushi in Switzerland???
My Saturday night was spent running 6.5km through the Swiss countryside with 1400 women from 120 countries to raise money for UNICEF. It was actually a great vibe - people came out of their houses and were eating picnics outside whilst cheering us all on.
Sunday morning I was up again to run the half marathon. We spent a lot of time running through fields of canola and vineyards until we came back to Geneva and enjoyed (?) the last 10kms through the city and around the lake. The route was packed of people who taught me that cowbells were not just for alpine skiing events. They were all very supportive - with our names on our bibs they would call encouragement out to each individual. I knew the point in the race where I hit the wall - it was the drinks stop where I could not longer think of niceties in French. Fuck it, I was exhausted, it was English or mute.
Having made it to the finish line alive, it was time to limp back to my hotel room and eat all the things and watch the marathoners finish their race (my hotel was at km 39 of their course). Room service were a little judgemental when they bought lunch, but when he saw my medal and bib on the bed he said "oh, I guess you earned all this food".
Monday morning hearlded the start of Eurovision week, so off to Stockholm I went. Those who read this blog often would know that I have a particular travel bug bear - the baggage carousel. If everyone takes one step back, everyone can see if their bag is coming, but people have such sucky travel manners that they all crowd it making the problem worse. The Swedes will not tolerate this. They have drawn a line on this issue, literally. Most efficient baggage collection I have ever done. Thank you Sweden.
I hit the ground running, going to a function for Dami Im, and then off to Jury Semi 1. It is not Eurovision unless they start taking over your wrists...
There was no escaping Eurovision in this town...
I decided to attempt some sightseeing on Tuesday, and hit up old town. Sadly, so did the passengers of the Celebrity silhouette, which was in port.
Semi 1 on Tuesday night did not disappoint. We had everything from a breakdancing astronaut to an interval act that was designed to entice a Hunger Games type revolt in favour of refugees. For the second night in a row there was also EuroClub. Someone asked me if the drinks were expensive at EuroClub, at which point I realised that despite having had many a drink this week, I'm not sure I paid for all that many (so thank you to everyone who bought me a drink, apologies for not always returning the favour, and remind me of this in the Ukraine so I can make it up to you all!).
I'll be honest. I didn't get out and about much in Stockholm (thankfully I've been there before!). It was a lot of getting up at noon, trying to be functional all afternoon, going to the show, dancing the night away at EuroClub, getting home at 5am, going to sleep, and doing it all over again the next day. The midnight sun made you feel more than a little guilty. This was 3am.
I'm assured my ninja skills remain intact and that I didn't wake my hosts trying to sneak back into the house at 5am.
Friday night I went home "early" (3am), so was able to be functional for the day. Got to have a lovely lunch with a view.
If I could take one thing back from Sweden with me it would be all the cinnamon buns. All of them.
Also got to do a spot of shopping. I still question who has time to grate their own salt...
A pre-final dinner on Saturday night also revealed a rather aptly named bathroom fixture company.
Saturday night was what it was all about. An added surprise for those in the arena was a pre-broadcast performance from the Olsen Brothers. Overheard in the arena "wow, they are still alive?".
We also had a somewhat strange interval act - Justin Timberlake. It was good, but not very...Eurovision.
Eurovision is of course not complete without glitter. Lots of glitter. Be it the type one wears in their hair...
Or the type that falls during the winners announcement.
So. much. glitter.
The Ukraine was of course crowned the winner.
There currently seems to be an even bigger competition going on at the moment between Australia and Russia on just which one of them was 'robbed' more. As I write this I am watching a CNN story on Russia saying they will boycott next year (at least Australia hasn't gone that far). Australia may have won the jury vote, and Russia may have won the public vote, but at the end of the day it was the Ukraine who polled the most consistently over the two, and hence they are the deserved winner.
And with that, another Eurovision is over. A lot of people talk of their PED (post Eurovision despression). I seem to more commonly suffer PEC (a post Eurovision cold). With that, it is back to bed with me to try to get myself better before this ship sails into Norway tomorrow morning.
Great post as always. I share your baggage carousel rage and also applaud the Swedes.
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