Miles today: 12
Total miles: 1227
Times I locked myself out of room this morning: 2
Different types of currency I now have to translate between: 3
Number of giant inflatable hands I was frantically waving when April came through arrivals: 2
Times April broke the revolving door at the airport before she even made it out of the building: 3
Number of minutes in room before April broke a bunkbed: 5

Woke up feeling mega skanky. Hair covered in oil from suntan spray (as is the car, the drivers window, my clothes, everything! Thats a problem with travelling alone, there’s no-one to rub the suntan cream in so I have to use that invisible spray stuff and it goes EVERYWHERE), and my face covered in big black scary mascara tear stains from last nights severe snot and tears moment. Stayed in bed til everyone else had left the room so I’d at least be able to grumble around in a mard by myself.  This meant the angry latino woman cleaning the showers wouldn’t let me in and shouted in foreign and waved her scourer at me every time I tried to nip in when she wasnt looking. So I had to wash my hair under the cold tap in the toilets. Absolute nightmare, and proper shivery brain freeze when it was right on the back of my neck, but at least it stopped me feeling skanky. Had a mooch exploring the city around the hostel but that part of town was dog rough, probably the dodgiest area I’ve been in yet, so I didn’t venture far. Bought some “Skum Banana” sweets for my friend Lee, a giant strawberry cake for myself and some binbags to clean the car out. When I set off it was all pristine and shiny inside and out, and the boot contents were all fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. Now it’s just a jumbled heap of bras, cardigans, charging cables and empty plastic bottles. Anyway, tidied car and set off for our April.

Copenhagen airport is only little, but has flights arriving at approx 60 second intervals judging by the amount of people coming through the arrivals bit. It was heaving. It’s lovely to watch people being reunited – it’s not something that’s ever sad, and everyone is always happy and smiling. They’ll shout and put down their bags to hug one another – its just heart warming to watch.  🙂  Right by arrivals there was a Eurovision desk so I had a chat to the reps, and they gave me times that stuff was happening in the Eurovision village and maps and whatnot for when we go over to Malmo tomorrow. And if you thought I could waffle and chunner on about Eurovision this woman was in another league! I was aware that April’s flight was due through the doors any minute, and it would have looked rude walking off to only stand 3 feet away, so I had no choice but to start blowing up my giant inflatable union jack gloves while the woman was still whittering on talking to me. It’s difficult to look interested while puffing away as a giant red white and blue hand expands in front of you, but I think I did a pretty convincing job. April actually took yonks coming through passport control so I actually had plenty of time to get my giant hands ready to wave. Now these are things I bought in the sale after the Queens jubilee, and they were sold singly, which I though was strange – surely they should be a PAIR of gloves? Well now I know why they only come in packs of one! Because after you’ve wrestled one sweaty little fist into the little hand hole in aforementioned giant inflatable glove it’s impossible (without another pair of hands) to get the other glove on. I had to resort to a mixture of clenching it between my knees and trying to swivel my hand further in, or tucking it under my arm and just pushing, while staggering around looking like some sort of patriotic cartoon wrestler trying to get the invisible man into a headlock. Either way after about 10 minutes I finally managed it and I stood there proudly with my sweaty little fists wedged tightly inside two giant inflatable hands, held aloft victoriously on the lookout for April coming through the gate. And then, just then, THAT’S when my contact lens started playing up. 😦

April finally came through and I waved my giant hands and shouted “You’re here, you’re here!” and April shouted even louder “Yes, All the way from Wigan, and we’re FA Cup winners” which ha ha ha proper made everyone look past her at the rest of the people coming through arrivals, like they expected the whole team to be accompanying her. If any Eurovision fans who happen to be reading this got caught in the queue that built up behind, it was April who broke the revolving door 3 times, not that poor bloke in the suit who thought it was his fault.

We found our “hotel” room is actually in the basement, which looks like something out of a submarine – twisty turny corridor and narrow bedroom doors that open outwards. Now I’m not saying this place was done out on the cheap, but the bunkbeds are handmade (April broke one within 5 minutes of being in the room) and the bunkbed ladder is actually a set of step ladders that is moved from one set of bunkbeds to the other. I’m sure she thinks I make things up for this diary – but when presented with a set of metal ABRU’s to climb up and down during the night she didn’t have much choice but to laugh.

We had a wander round town, paid £10 for a Guinness and half a coke and then went and sat on the side of the river inlet canal basin thing. Sun was beeming down, gloriously hot weather and everyone was sat on the side with both feet dangling over the river. Despite there being a little ledge to rest your feet on, the possible 15 foot drop into the water if you missed a step was just to much for me, so I sat sideways with just one foot over. Just wasnt brave enough. We sat there like that for a good could of hours just chatting and soaking up the sun, and watching a lad climb the rigging of a ship to fly a kite from the top. There were passing buskers, people with little dogs in baskets, tour  boats coming in and out and swans and ducks milling round. Just a lovely summers day, beautiful weather and a great relaxed atmosphere.

I’d gradually got my confidence up, and had finally swung BOTH legs over the side of the river and was sitting looking cool and hard like everyone else. Me..yes…my Name is Kat, this sitting on the side of the docks thing?…..oh I do this all the time…what?…..scary?…with BOTH legs over?…..Noooo…..I do this all the time me….hard as nails. Well it was fine til we had to leave, and my bravado had left me. Never in a million years was I going to stand up and clamber back over the edge of the river, just incase I lost my balance and went head first into water 15 feet below. Couldn’t sit there forever, so the only way I could get back onto the pavement and feel safe at the same time was to do…(and I must have looked like a right loon)…a backwards roll into the cobbles, and then crawl away sideways til I was away from the edge and could stand up. Would have been embarrasing enough anyway, but a busker with an oboe had set up directly behind me. So all the people sitting outside the restaurants eating their evening meals in the sun listening to the beatiful music where just staring at this sunburnt worried looking girl on the side of the river doing a backward roll and crawl away method when everyone else could just stand up and casually swing both legs back over the side.

We had a bit more of a wander, found a very posh restaurant and ate a FANTASTIC meal. I’ve not had a “proper” meal since I arrived, just been coissants and bagels or butties, or pizza. No proper meals that need a knife! Gorgeous food in a proper posh riverside restaurant, surrounded by little pavement bars and cafes and ice-cream palours. Very chic and sophisticated. April ordered fish, fried potatoes and veg, and the waitress brought it out, took a quick glance at her Wigan Ath tshirt and came back a few minutes later to plonk a bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup down on the table. Our reputation knows no bounds!

My dayglo green pint of cactus cider went down very well, tasted just like that 25p Space Special pop that pubs always have in the bottom of the wine fridge. Could have sat there for hours, especially as the waiter had come out and put heaters under our parasol, but it was getting late so we set off back home to our handmade submarine hostel room.

…..continued….