Day 6 - Tour of Zagreb, Croatia and Third Concert
Ah Zagreb, the land of Brutalist architecture and shining night light displays. After a great first day in Croatia’s capital, we were ready for our concert day! After a 9:45 am call time, we made our way to the lobby and headed into the old town for a guided tour. After hopping off the bus and scurrying into a little park, we broke off into four groups and took guided tours around the bustling city. Our tour guides were full of wisdom about a variety of topics, including political corruption and the necessity of absinthe to a successful art career (*disclaimer that this comment is not officially sanctioned by PUGC). We also learned about the city’s recovery from a 2020 earthquake, the daily lives of its citizens and…
BOOM!
Sorry for the mid-glog interruption, that was just the Grič Cannon, which fires every day in Zagreb at exactly 12 pm (Gabriel probably wishes we were that punctual). The tradition dates back almost 150 years, and it commemorates a Croatian victory against the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. For the casual observer, however, it might seem as if we had traveled to Croatia to perform Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture. Or, better yet, perhaps it was the Hunger Games cannon alerting us to the dead acoustics we would later encounter at our concert venue. Either way, it was both terrifying and magnificent at the same time.
After taking in the sights and sounds of our city tour, we were let loose into Zagreb to continue exploring and get some much-needed grub. After a few hours of being out and about, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our pre-show rehearsal. At 4:20 pm, we set out from the hotel, concert black and folders in hand, to the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall just down the street. The sight of over 100 glee clubbers trying to cross the busy street was quite one to behold. That reminds me: why did the Princeton Glee Club cross the road? I actually don’t know the answer to this question, so that’s why I’m asking. Maybe the dedicated readers of the tour blog can help!
After a productive rehearsal, we gathered in the lobby to hear a rousing speech by our lion-hearted (or maybe tiger-hearted?) leader Gabriel before setting out to grab a quick bite to eat before our 8 pm show. Many of our hunger-weary souls found themselves drawn to the shining Golden Arches of a McDonald’s right near the concert hall. As you know, Glee clubbers only eat the most authentic local cuisine.
After a few songs by the Ivan Filopovic Chamber Choir, we took the stage for our third concert of the tour. Although packed in like sardines, we packed quite a punch with our sound! The concert was wonderful, and we garnered a long applause from our audience. We even finished our concert with an encore of “I’m a Train''! As the lyrics of the song say, it indeed has been a “hard day” in Zagreb, Croatia, but it’s nothing a good night of sleep can’t fix.
Hvala ti Hrvatska! Next up is the final stop on our Gleuropean Glour: Budapest!
P.S. As I was writing this glog post, I watched the Princeton basketball team upset Arizona in the first round of March Madness! Go Tigers! So the Zagreb cannon was actually firing in celebration of our victory! I think the occasion calls for the singing of “The Princeton Cannon Song '' and other traditional tiger fight songs! More on that to follow.
BOOM!
Zach Gardner ‘26
