An operator back in the park...

Arrived late Thursday in Helsinki so took a taxi to the hotel and, after sorting out the inevitable emails, had a relatively early (UK) or late (Finnish) finish. Friday dawned bright and sunny and once I'd finished work at Beneq it was back to the hotel to...yep. sort out the email. And then it was off to find the Olympic Stadium. A nice walk by the (sea)lake and over the railway footbridge, along by another lake and around the corner and there I was. General milling about so I found someone who seemed to know what was going on and he said "Queue over on the grassy knoll for me to come distribute the next set of numbers...we're up to 350".What was it about Yanks and grassy knolls? Still it was the best I was going to get so I complied. True to his word he returned armed with indelible marker and we queued, got branded, queued, shuffled, queued, moved snake-like to another entrance, queued (you get the picture).

Miraculously, I ended up right next to a walk-out section off the stage. Stage Manager Dave came and gave us his speech...vigorously interrupted by guitat-tec Kevin playing his usual soundcheck chords. "If Bruce comes down here. don't pull his fingers off, or his arms or his legs or his shirt. Hold him up if he leans into the crowd and when he puts his arm out push him back. I don't want to have to come into there and retrieve bits of him." OK Dave...got it...no fingers.

He only used that ramp twice all evening but no matter, it was a memorable show. Sherry Darlin', Youngstown, Point Blank...all for the 1st time for me. Bruce dancing with a young girl at her 1st E Street gig, escorting another from one walk out to the next, arm around her shoulders, singing to her in front of 60,000, a big kiss and hug for another little girl who just couldn't stop smiling. Rosie came out again...and there's something so wonderfully reassuring about the human condition when a stadium full of people all end up enthusiastically singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town on a warm summer's evening when it's still daylight. Not many folk could carry that off.

Twist and Shout rounded off a wonderful concert and, as I wandered back out of the pit trying to make my legs work, there was lots of applause from people in the stand above and suddenly the screens that were partitioning off the stage-exit walkway around the side of the pit parted and, unbelievably, Bruce walked out to welcome a young girl (presumably a family member or friend) and took her off for a lift out of the stadium. If I hadn't been so gobsmacked I'd have asked if there was room for one more. Got lost walking back whilst mulling all this over so thank you to the 2 kind souls who saw I was struggling with the map and pointed me in the right direction.

Saturday started grey and just got greyer and wetter. I resisted the temptation to pay Mr. Hilton over 20 quid for a breakfast and had coffee and croissant outside in the (by that time) almost imperceptible drizzle. Looked a bit grim for Suomelina so I thought I'd catch the bus to Porvoo for more coffee at an old haunt – the Cafe Helmi. After Turku, Porvoo is Finland's oldest city (although it's only the size of a small town really) and, if you ignore the shops selling tat, I think it’s one if the prettiest.

No one told me they'd moved the bus station in Helsinki. Well, to be precise it's not moved as such...just gone underground. Very swish now, and no doubt warmer than the old one in winter! Took a bit of finding for me though – clear sign that more caffeine was necessary.

Dozed on the coach and, the closer we got to Porvoo, the harder it rained. Just peachy! Thought I'd been clever travelling light and not bringing a coat. This miscalculation meant that the 1st stop was a department store for an umbrella. Duly equipped, I went off to get wet and get coffee and, once again, managed to resist the temptation to eat a Helmi-type cake for all of 15 seconds. Yum. Chocolate one too – the shame!

I'm pleased to report that the roof is now back on the beautiful cathedral after the fire that ravaged the place in May 2006. Restoration should be complete next year. Who, in their right mind, would torch a building like that. Obviously someone not in their right mind.

A walk down by river and then the clouds started to clear. After an Illy and walking a bit further, the sun came out big-time so that settled it - go back on the boat Glynn. Much more interesting than the bus and lots of time to write...a blog entry for example - hence the abnormal length of this one. A gentle meandering trip back through the Finnish archipelago, arriving at Helsinki's South Harbour at 7pm. A light meal at one of the thousands of eating places en route back to the hotel...catch up on some reading, maybe make a blog post. That'll do pig, that’ll do.

Best day ever - 'till tomorrow of course…