This year, everything is extraordinarily bizarre. It’s my 1st complete day in Düsseldorf, and it’s the Semi 1 already tomorrow. Now, how did that happen? Don’t ask me. It’s summer, it’s partytime, it’s old friends having a chat and new friends in the making, so that’s good.

So… time to write about the past 24 hours!

Finally both esc-chat.com bloggers are united in the host city. Due to the fact that MartinF got accreditated and I didn’t, we mostly just meet in Euroclub so we took the chance there to get us together on camera.

I’m switching between 2 alternative press centres, one being in my hotel room (god that elevator is slooooww). The glass in our bathroom is made in Sweden. Let’s hope Eric doesn’t get access to our place. The other one is in the Eurocafe, which has free internet, good coffee and nice people who drop by here eventually for a chat or newest gossip.

I got myself a 3-Day-Ticket now (recommended for people without accreditation who still want to get around the city easily), which is valid for 72 hours and costs 15 Euros which is fairly alright. Then I took myself a lot of time at the Eurocafé/Euroclub which is the same basically, where I found out that Getter Jaani from Estonia will be there later for a meet & greet. By the way: as far as I know, Nadine Beiler (Austria) and Dino Merlin (Bosnia) will be there tomorrow afternoon, taking his guitar along.

Ratinger Straße with Schlösser Quartier Boheme (Euroclub)

Different sources give different information about how to enter Euroclub without accreditation these days. It was said there’s a list where you give your name, but that idea seems to be trashed, cos they gave away the free tickets again today. I also asked about tomorrow evening (which should be the after show party), and got the reply that one should be at Eurocafé before 11 to secure one’s access. However, other people said it can only be entered with accreditation.

Before Getter Jaani arrived I took a walk along the Rhine and noticed that Düsseldorf can prove me wrong. To be honest, the atmosphere along the riverside promenade is fantastic. People are playing boule or get a suntan, the beautiful houses are glowing in the sunshine as well, and the TROS ship had another surprise for me just in time: Nadine Beiler performing her song “The Secret Is Love” on the ship (check out the video tomorrow morning).

Back to the Eurocafé, I spotted last year’s polish entrant Marcin Mrozinski (who’s here for a few days), and then I got Getter Jaani to talk 5 words to all of you, which are gonna be revealed tomorrow morning in the daily #esccam clip!

Getter Jaani and her dancers

Finished this part of the day with a long walk along the sunny Rathaus-Ufer (the “beach” promenade). Eurovision life in Düsseldorf – I can tell that much for now – won’t be a contender against Oslo. But I have to say, Düsseldorf can be – surprise – quite gorgeous. Mediterranean vibe? Check.