A little more conversation, a little less urine please...

Twas the night before Vappu and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...
they were all in Helsinki getting drunk...

Two observations stick in my mind: I have never seen such a large and quiet crowd; and Finnish men should learn to drink something less likely to make them p!ss on themselves...

1300: arrival at bus station
1305: pre-Alko closing panic renders me useless for finding Alko
1307: strangers on street lead me to Alko
1315: arrival at Alko, a writhing pit of humanity. Reach your hand in toward a shelf and see what you can pull out. Teeming with people, shelves bare in instants. Scary and yet a little exciting.
1330: witness local students play tug of war with a tractor. Witness local permanent drunk at the centre of the action. Realise today all drunks are equal and applaud him for seizing the day
1406: start pouring tonic water on the ground so I can pour gin in. Become the subject of a tourist's photo as a result.
1418: talk to local about the state of the nation outside McDonalds
1448: begin the Esplanati walk. Balloons. Balloons. Balloons. Beer. Beer. Beer. Surrounded by 15 year old Slipknot fans and the ocassional panda.
1502: Amanda looks well.
1600: Amanda's fountain gets bubble bathed. Or the surrounding seals get rabies.
1745: Amanda gets a wash from the locals.
1800: Amanda gets a hat. The crowd goes wild. Oh no, we're in Finland, cue golf clap. Hats wave in the air. Champagne corks pop. I make a Freudian slip while trying to say that last sentence.
1820: The streets run ... don't lean against any trees or walls and avoid the wet ground.

Full report once I have washed my shoes.