Just when we thought yesterday couldn't get any better, along comes another blog-worthy story that forces me off the streets of the Old Town and into an internet cafe to share our adventures.
Last night, we had the kind of evening that forced us both to wonder aloud whether the pinnacle of the trip came on our third full day in Croatia. Almost certainly, we have one of our best honeymoon stories for the kids.
You may recall from yesterday's post that we were torn between the fashion show, the outdoor cinema or the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. In the end, the symphony won out (much to the delight of our host Lidija, who giggled that we were nothing like the other travelers she has met), and Lloyd and I made our way to an odd makeshift theater room built right inside the city wall. We stopped at the ticket counter for more information about the concert, and we learned that the choral group performing with the symphony was from Vancouver, Washington. Here we are, thousands of miles away from home, and a small chorale from the Pacific Northwest is performing in Dubrovnik. More than a little odd.
The show was spectacular. The group performed classics by Haydn and Beethoven, as well as an assortment of Negro spirituals incredibly arranged with the Symphony. They also performed Croatia's national anthem, some traditional Croatian music, the Star Spangled Banner, Shenandoah, and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Lloyd and I were blown away at the complex mix of cultures, arrangements and sheer musical talent.
After the show, one of the Vancouver chorus members stopped me on the way out and said very succinctly, "Thank you for coming tonight." As an aside, this has been happening to me a good bit in Croatia thus far: folks see the wild curly Adriatic hair and assume I am local or from nearby Italy (which, of course, I love - Lloyd is always greeted with 'hello' whereas I get more 'Dobar Dans' and 'Ciaos'). I thanked the man with my truly impeccable American accent and told him that I was a Washingtonian as well. And this is when our night took its unexpected turn.
Within minutes we were introduced to the entire choral group. The news that we were from Washington was exciting, but the fact that we were honeymooners? That was cause for a real celebration. Frank asked us to join the symphony and the choral group for drinks in the outdoor cafe just outside the performance hall. The symphony! And the singers! And this is how Lloyd and I came to be toasted by the entire Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra and the Bravo!Vancouver chorus. A die-hard Husky couple named Brian and Cheryl bought us our drinks, took photos of us and promised to send them to us as soon as they arrived back in the U.S.
Generally I don't seek the company of other Americans while traveling, but last night was certainly the exception. What an incredible opportunity to meet a group of talented Croatians and Americans and learn a bit about their travels, especially from a Catholic perspective. Many members of the chorus attend a large Catholic church in Vancouver and told us how Medugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina - the site of their July 1 performance - is a pilgrimage site for them. Lloyd and I felt so honored to share their post-concert evening and to be treated as their special guests. The bulk of our trip lies before us, I realize, but what a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I know we'll seek out their performances back in the Pacific Northwest, especially if the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra joins them there as they did last September.
No comments:
Post a Comment