0 Day 03 - Sibenik

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Day 03 - Sibenik

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The morning started with the breakfast buffet in the hotel.  Despite the jet lag, many of the boys were eating breakfast by 9:00 am.  There was a wide variety of breakfast foods available including fruit, cereal, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and other goodies.  After breakfast, a short excursion was taken to exchange money (where they can exchange US$ for Kuna). 

At 9:30 am, we boarded the bus for the short trip to Sibenik where the team would workout for a couple of hours.  A few of us ventured into the town of Sibenik to explore the waterfront area.

Lunch (as all meals so far) was a buffet back at the hotel.  The buffets provide plenty of choices and all the boys are finding a lot of good things to eat (chicken, beef, pork, pasta, potatoes, salad and, of course, dessert).

After lunch, we were scheduled for a walking tour of Sibenik.  Now, a long walking tour on a hot day did not sound like the most appealing thing for a group of athletes (especially, athletes who are most comfortable in the water).  Linda did a great job of planning the tour with a local teacher/tour guide and it ended up being a fascinating little trip. 

The weather cooled down quite a bit as a summer thundershower rolled through the area.  The boys perked up as if they had never seen rain before, dancing around in the brief, light shower.   

The cooler weather made walking easier as we learned about the history of Croatia, the Dalmatian coast, and the town of Sibenik.  As we walked the narrow streets, our guide explained different aspects of life in Croatia including history, politics and religion.  Many of the structures were 800+ years old and the boys could see how architecture changed over the millennia.

After our tour and a short rest back at the hotel, the team was back at the pool for our first scrimmage.  We were facing a local team that had just won a championship, but only two of their starting players were able to make the scrimmage.  Still, the team provided a good, physical challenge and our boys rallied together to put the ball in the goal.  You really can’t beat this location for water polo with the ancient town of Sibenik as a backdrop.

Dinner was another buffet at the hotel which left the boys satisfied and full (hamburgers and mini pizzas certainly helped, as did the ice cream at the dessert bar).  The boys then headed off to bed for some much needed rest.