Hello from Croatia! We're in a lovely little town in the Northern part of Croatia (where nobody speaks English) called Varazdin, where we're giving a concert in the historic Croatian National Theatre tomorrow night.
We arrived yesterday at our surprisingly nice hotel (with memory foam mattresses!) and have been doing plenty of rehearsal to prepare for the competition. It has given us some nice down time to rest our bodies, our voices, and do laundry.
Here are some photos from yesterday and the bus ride to Varazdin.
Today we rehearsed with a German gentleman (I can't spell his name) who has been the president of the Marktoberdorf jury in the past, and he is helping us with our pieces. He has been and will be here for all of our rehearsals in Croatia, and working with him has not only been very helpful, but a wonderful experience as well! We've all learned a great deal in the few rehearsals we've had, and are all getting more and more excited for the competition!
The relaxation is a Godsend, and has really helped me and everyone else rest our voices and prepare for the remainder of the tour. Here are some photos of Varazdin, the perfect place for repose.
I don't have much else to add tonight because we have not been doing much. Tomorrow I am going jogging because I have realized that because I have no control over most of the food I am given (apparently in Europe, "I am a vegetarian" is code for "please serve me deep-fried cheese") I must take some of my health into my own hands lest I gain horrendous amounts of weight. Varazdin is the perfect town for jogging, so Ali and I are getting an early start, and I shall don my yellow Arnie shoes and head out into the town tomorrow! Hopefully I will get to see some additional sights tomorrow in the town itself so I can report these to you and show you some pictures.
I want to give a special shoutout to Malia's family, who has been following the blog as well! I'm so glad this blog has been useful to you, and that you are enjoying reading and looking at the pictures.
More things I've learned about Europe:
1) You can't get change anywhere. If cashiers see that you have a smaller bill than the one you offer, they will demand that you pay with it. They also don't understand (esp. in Croatia) the phrase, "can you break this?" I suppose it is a colloquialism.
2) Every European country, it seems, has a different toilet-flushing system, each more confusing than the last.
3) All popular music here ever played is American or British.
4) Europeans have no concept of the "tuck in," and beds are made with a mere comforter untucked on top of a bed.
