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May 23, 2015 - 1:25 a.m.
"eurovision 2015"

5/23/15 1:25am BST

Hey Journal!

This morning we woke up at 10:30 and we had missed a few messages from Julio suggesting that we meet for breakfast! We were hungry so we headed out in search of food.

We decided to go back to the "it's just a potato darling" cafe since we really liked their food. The website said they served breakfast on Saturday until 11:30 so we had to hurry. We got there shortly before the deadline but the place was CLOSED! :(

We looked around for somewhere else to go and wound up by the place that Julio had suggested in the first place. The line there was INSANE, though...so we went to another little cafe nearby. We each got a Full English Breakfast, but they weren't as good as some of the others we have gotten.

After that, we went back to the flat to shower up. Unfortunately, I really wasn't feeling well. My throat was hurting a lot and I felt sick. We stopped at Sainsbury's on the way back to get more supplies and I also picked up some cough medicine. It helped me a lot!

Instead of showering right away, I wound up taking a nap. I slept for a couple of hours! It's definitely because I was feeling sick. I was also feeling hot and cold on and off the whole time I was sleeping - BUT that may be because they don't have air conditioning in most places in Europe so I was trying to sleep under the covers and then I would get too hot! What a mess!

Anyway, when I woke up from my nap, I took a shower and then we got ready to go out for the big EUROVISION SONG CONTEST!

So, Julio's friend was having a BBQ and Eurovision Party and Julio invited us to come with him. I had heard of Eurovision before from listening to BBC Radio 1, and I knew a very little bit about it... but it's one of those things that almost nobody in America has ever heard of. It's so weird because it's a really big deal in Europe and they don't even make any mention of it on our TV or news!

Anyway, even though I had heard of Eurovision, I had never seen it! We got there around 4:30 and Julio and Loren had arrived just a few minutes before us. We hung out outside for a while while the host of the party, Mark, prepared the BBQ grill. They don't have self-lighting charcoal in England so it took a while!

One of Mark's friends made me some tea because my throat was still bothering me and we hung out outside for a while before heading inside. Julio, Loren, and I snagged the very coveted seats on the couch! I was very happy about that! Anyway... we all put in £2 each and pulled the name of a country out of a cup. I got Germany and Dan got Austria.

So...here's how the show went. First, there were 27 countries who had to perform a song. Each song went on, one after the other, for a couple of hours with no commercial breaks at all. I was a fan of Lithuania and Serbia and so was Loren.

When all of the performances were over, it was time for the voting. Each country votes on their favorites and we waited! Dan was talking to some other people at the party and I pretty much hung out with Loren and Julio the whole time. Julio disappeared for a while... I guess he went outside, so it was just me and Loren for a while, too. He's really nice, and his accent is wild! I've never heard an accent like it!

Finally, it was time for the results. Each country had a presenter deliver the results. For the UK, it was Nigella Lawson. I think Scott Mills usually does it but he was at the Big Weekend this year.

Anyway, as each country gives their results, the running tally changes and soon, the picture becomes clearer as to who has any chance of winning.

Sweden and Russia were neck and neck for a while. The winning country gets to host the event next year. In the end, Sweden won! After hearing the song again, I do think it was a pretty good, but the guy used this crazy CGI display thing which I think wowed people into voting for it regardless of the song!

There were only two countries in the entire thing that didn't get a single point. Not one other country gave ANY votes to Germany or Austria! The two countries that Dan and I had picked randomly.... What are the chances! So, the money that we had all put in at the beginning went to whoever had picked out Sweden. Dan and I, however, got to share the loser prize of £10! Wahoo! That converts to about $15.50!

The show was over around 12:00 and we headed back to the flat around 12:30 or so. The tube was closed so we had to take many busses! We kept changing our route based on which busses were available at the next station. It was a little hectic...definitely the most complicated bus trip of our time here, but it wasn't terrible.

Now we're back and my throat is still killing me! We have to get to sleep now.... Tomorrow will be a long day of traveling. I can't believe our trip is really coming to an end. In some ways it feels like we just got here yesterday and other times it feels like we have been gone for sooooo long.

All I know is that I really can't wait to NOT be eating out for every meal and NOT to be spending massive amounts of money on things, and to enjoy our mattress! They definitely do not have the same kind of mattresses we do in the US!

But, we've had a great trip! Until tomorrow from home....

Goodnight. :)