Memories from Düsseldorf

As keen followers of this blog will already know, I was sent to Düsseldorf by Svenska Yle (the Swedish-languaged branch of the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation) in order to cover the ESC from every thinkable aspect.

I have been around before, this was my eighth Eurovision that I visited, but the whole thing was rather overwhelming.

Fun, absolutely one of the best jobs you can have under the sun, but I was left with so many new impressions and ideas and impulses that it has taken a while to wind down afterwards.

For instance, I have not since a single one of the Düsseldorf broadcasts through. Too demanding. And they are still too present to be enjoyable. I like them better when they play in my head.

But slowly, I will start doing my slight summary of this year's contest. And I will rank all the songs according to how I like them now, when all is said and done and every single point has been counted.

Before that, though, I'd like to share some Düsseldorf nostalgia with you all. Among many other things, I spent my ten days at Eurovision making small web-tv clips that I'd love to share with you here.

Düsseldorf in rewind!



Paradise Oskar arrives at the welcome party



Paradise Oskar mingles with the other delegations at the welcome party



Paradise Oskar on a cruise with the Finnish press



Paradise Oskar sings Germany's eurosong from 2007 as well as his own song

All the clips I made can be seen on our YouTube channel here and they can hopefully entertain one or two of you before my Ddorf analysis begins.

ESC 2011: did you enjoy Düsseldorf?

Hello all...

I hope you all had an excellent time with the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, whatever way you watched it. On location, in front of your telly, with your laptop on your knee.

I know I had an excellent time.

The only really bitter little taste is that I had to sacrifice the blog in order to do my job properly. When I had made the news articles, the web tv, the columns and the radio reports I was all out of words.

It is a bit silly to have a eurovision blog on and then drop it when the season moves into top gear. I would have loved to be here and discuss more with you, dear readers, the development, the acts, the performances and the predictions.

Well, I also know that a fraction of you out there has the same need as I do. We need a eurovision blog the most when the season is at its slowest. Some place to turn to when nobody else wants to hear about Eurovision but you still want more.

So I will take the blog up again, slowly, and keep it going for the summer, waiting for the next season to start.

Hope you are still here, some of you, and please tell me... What did you think about the 2011 ESC? Who was your favourite? And why? Please leave a comment and brighten up my day.

Poor blog, how I mistreated you

Since I set foot in Düsseldorf, I have not had time at all to look after this blog. It doesn't look awfully promising for the future either, but I promise to predict the outcome of the semis as well as the big final.

Being very nervous about Finland. Thinking it will go through, fearing it will be the highly tipped one that misses out. Silence, please, voices in my head.

But I have not been lazy - have a look at the YouTube clips I have produced for Svenska Yle on our channel here with clips of Paradise Oskar singing Germany's 2007 eurosong, as well as interviews with Musiqq of Latvia and Kati Wolf of Hungary.

Enjoy!