Tuesday, July 29 ... this was a relaxing day. In the morning some of the group chose to go to the town of Rovinj and visit the markets, and a few decided to stay back at the hotel and enjoy the amenities the resort had to offer.
Rovinj is a small town about 40 minutes south of our hotel. The character of the town is a combination of Croatian hospitality along with the look and feel of Venice, Italy ... with narrow walkways and old time Mediterranean architecture.
During the afternoon everyone just relaxed by the pool, or took a dip in the sea. In the late evening we had another unique performance opportunity. The dancers performed on the terrace of the hotel pool along with other local entertainers. Hundreds of hotel guests watched the show either from their candle-lit poolside tables, or from the multi-level terraces that over look the pool area, or from the balconies of their rooms that also overlook the pool. It was a magical scene ... the pool area was beautifully lit up and in the distance the waves of the Adriatic Sea could be heard splashing up on shore.
The dancers first performed their Volyn dance which brought on a loud round of applause. At the end of the show the dancers returned to perform Hopak. The audience gave the dancers a very genuine, enthusiastic ovation. Many of the comments after the show gave us the impression that a lot of the European onlookers had never seen Ukrainian dancing before. They were authentically impressed that a folklore group had travelled all the way from Canada to perform for them.
Tomorrow we leave the beautiful coast of Croatia and head inland to Zagreb (capital city of Croatia).
A group of dancers visit the seaside town of Rovinj.
The Peper gals taking to the cobblestone streets in Rovinj.
Veronica, Bonnie & Julie taking a pic of the bells, high atop the town bell tower.
A view of Rovinj, Croatia along the Adriatic Sea from the bell tower.
Emily, Anastasia and Veronica find one more souvenir to buy at one of the shops
along the narrow lanes.
Mediterranean splendor.
A quick rehearsal on the lawn before the show.
The stage is set! ... for our poolside performance at the resort.
The girls are ready to perform Volyn!
A very unique opportunity to perform poolside.
Don't fall in!
Proud parents with front row seats along the pool cheer on the dancers.
Also joining the parents are Martin (our guide) and Josip (our driver).
Hundreds of onlookers along the pool, watching from the multi-level terraces, and as well, from the balconies in the rooms.
The crowd went crazy during Hopak!
A double lift-spin during the encore.
Proud to be Ukrainian Canadian!!
The dancers presented Canadian pins to people in the audience after the show.
Hannah met a couple from Ukraine that were so proud to see their cherished culture on display by a group of young Canadians.
Lexie & Hannah cool off after the show by grabbing a 'window seat' in their hotel room!
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