Where to Next? Eurovision Song Contest Edition!
May means many things…its the end of the school year, the start of summer, the beginning of road trips and summer cruises (Alaska cruises maybe back on this summer?). But for a certain group of people, May means only one thing.
Eurovision. Song. Contest.
After being canceled last year, Eurovision is back and wow - there a lot on offer this year! So while the EU did announce this week that they’ll allow vaccinated Americans to visit soon, I’m stuck working and have to live off the ESC to get me through another year. I thought it would be fun to theme this week’s travel blog post to my 3 favorite songs that made it through to tomorrow’s Grand Final! And maybe it will inspire your next Europe trip? Okay…here we go!
#3 - Iceland | “10 Years” | Daði og Gagnamagnið
This would have been Ireland but Lesley Roy got screwed by poor staging on Tuesday’s semi-final, so instead I’m giving it to another island country - Iceland! Unfortunately the band is in quarantine due to covid and won’t be able to perform live tomorrow. But luckily they pre-taped a performance of their song just in case, so everyone can still enjoy this quirky, sweet song, that’s the perfect followup to their 2019 entry “Think About Things”.
The band’s frontman, Daði, lived in Denmark and Germany before moving to the Southern Region of Iceland when he was young. This rural part of Iceland is known for its natural beauty, including the Selfoss waterfall and Gullfoss geyser. In the small village of Eyrarbakki you can find the oldest timber house in Iceland, dating from the 1700s. Like much of Iceland, the area is dotted with geothermal springs and baths, and is a great place for natural relaxation. And the ruralness makes it an amazing spot for viewing the Northern Lights away from light pollution.
#2 - Azerbaijan | “Mata Hari” | Efendi
Although this song isn’t high on many lists this year, its basically tailor made for me, so I’m putting it as my #2. Its got sexy lyrics about the infamous WWI femme fatal Mata Hari, an exotic dancer turned spy who was executed by the firing squad in 1917, all layered over a slick Middle Eastern inspired beat. And Efendi being one of the most adorable and sweet singers in the competition doesn’t hurt either.
Azerbaijan shares a boarder with Russia, Armenia, and Iran and is considered a crossroads between the Caucuses and the Middle East. The main languages are Azerbaijani (a dialect of Turkish) and Russian. Although predominantly Muslim, Azerbaijan is very secular and you’ll find the culture to be much more relaxed than neighboring countries like Armenia or Georgia. An oil boom started around 2006 and has begun to transform the capital, Baku, into a modern city, and its quickly becoming famous for its daring modern architecture. If you’re more the nature-type, cities like Guba and Sheki act as gateways to fantastic hiking, rock climbing, and camping in the Caucus Mountains.
#1 - Italy | “Zitti e Buoni” | Måneskin
I promise I’m not just saying this because I’m an Italiaphile - after at least a decade+ of ho-hum entries from Italy they’ve finally sent an AMAZING song to Eurovision. Its pure rebel rock and roll, and probably too cool for me, but I’m obsessed! And I’m not the only one saying it - its the favorite to win tomorrow according to journalists and the betting markets.
EDIT: IT WON!!!!
Måneskin is representing Italy after winning last year’s Sanremo Music Festival. This is Italy’s biggest music festival and contest and has been held annually since 1951 in the city of Sanremo, near the French boarder on the Italian Rivera. Sanremo’s nickname is “la Città dei Fiori” and it hosts an international flower festival and parade every January or February, depending on when forcasters think the flowers will be blooming the best. Like other Rivera cities (Monaco is less than an hour to the west) Sanremo abounds with casinos, seaside resorts, yacht clubs, and nightclubs. The main casino building dates to 1905 and is a beautifully preserved example of Art-Nouveau architecture.
So….who do you think will win? You can tune in tomorrow starting at 3:00p Eastern Time in the U.S. - the NBC service Peacock will be streaming the Grand Final FOR FREE!
