mrv86

GERMANY
 

 
 
Hallo Freunde!
 
Hello fellow Totallympians, this is Germany calling!
Here are the votes of the German National Jury:
 
HUNGARY 10
SPAIN 9 MEXICO 8 CANADA 7 NETHERLANDS 6 NORWAY 5 ITALY 4 MALTA 3 AUSTRALIA 2 CHINA 1  

MOLDOVA
 

 
 
Bună prieteni!
 
Hello fellow Totallympians, this is Moldova calling!
Here are the votes of the Moldovan National Jury:
 
UKRAINE 10
POLAND 9 CROATIA 8 ITALY 7 SLOVAKIA 6 DENMARK 5 FRANCE 4 PORTUGAL 3 UNITED STATES 2 MEXICO 1

MEXICO 11 GERMANY 10
PORTUGAL 9 CANADA 8 LITHUANIA 7 ARGENTINA 6 BULGARIA 5 CHINA 4 SLOVAKIA 3 INDIA 2 HUNGARY 1

Good Morning
 

 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, we are now only about 15 minutes away from the start of the Grand Final.
 
We will take this opportunity to present a couple of Croatian singers of the olden age.
They are Vice Vukov and Josipa Lisac.
 

 

As the resident virtual lawyer on the forum, I highly advise you @OlympicIRL that you politely, but firmly and promptly remove this minor canine from the scene.
 
 

 
 
It's PG schedule and @Olympian1010 parents or legal guardians might try to cancel the contest.

Very good opening ceremony @dcro
 
Lovely country I need to visit when I have the chance. I only passed through it on my way from Budapest to Venice, but now I see you have many places to visit.
 
See you everyone tomorrow. Best of luck to each song.

#DontMissABeat - Opening Ceremony Recap
 

 
 
Welcome Opening Act Lijepa Naša Parade of Nations   Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Behind the Checkers   Dubrovnik 2CELLOS Adventures: Game of Music Osijek South Dalmatia Slavonia Dalmatia 2CELLOS Adventures: Totallympics Zagreb Musical Break: Mia Behind the Checkers   North Dalmatia Central Croatia 2CELLOS Adventures: Ode to the Champions Lika 2CELLOS Adventures: Worth the Wait Gorski Kotar Istria 2CELLOS Adventures: The Committee Kvarner Bay Rijeka (1/2) Rijeka (2/2) Emotions The Oaths Closing Act The Scoreboard Nessun Dorma  
This will be available in the Opening Post.

Nessun Dorma
 

 
 
We are now just one night away from the Grand Final. But for many, it will be just another sleepless night.
 
This is for everyone who is directly fighting this dreadful pandemic.
 

The Scoreboard
 
JURIES VOTED: 0/38 UNITED STATES   0 NEW ZEALAND   0 SPAIN   0 PORTUGAL   0 MOLDOVA   0 URUGUAY   0 AUSTRALIA   0 MEXICO   0 LITHUANIA   0 BRAZIL   0 INDIA   0 SWEDEN   0 INDONESIA   0 POLAND   0 SERBIA   0 ITALY   0 KAZAKHSTAN   0 CHINA
  0 ISRAEL   0 SLOVENIA   0 TUNISIA   0 GREECE   0 GERMANY   0 BULGARIA   0 UKRAINE   0 IRAN   0 CANADA   0 IRELAND   0 NORWAY   0 CROATIA   0 DENMARK   0 MALTA   0 HUNGARY   0 NETHERLANDS   0 ROMANIA   0 FRANCE   0 ARGENTINA   0 SLOVAKIA   0   Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the Opening ceremony of the
Totallympics Annual International Song Contest 2020.
 
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I wish everyone involved good luck.
Thank you and good night.

The Oaths
 

 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, in the spirit of fair play, the official oaths will now be taken.
 
Competitors' Oath
Reni Orsovai, Hungary
In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in
this Contest, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern TISC
- committing ourselves to a competition that values respect and the
true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of music and the honor of our nations!
 
 
Jury Members' Oath
@Pablita, Italy
In the name of all the jury members, I promise that we shall adjudicate
in our deliberations at this Contest with complete impartiality, respecting and
abiding by the rules which govern TISC in the true spirit of sportsmanship!
 
 
Hosts' Oath
@dcro, Croatia
I promise that I shall organize this Contest, respecting and abiding by the rules
that govern TISC - committing myself to overseeing a competition that values
respect and promotes the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of
music and the honor of our nations!

Closing Act
 

 
 
We will unveal the scoreboard in just a bit. But before that, let's enjoy one last official act of this ceremony.
 
Having covered the whole of Croatia with them, it is only right that we welcome once again our 2CELLOS friends.
 
This time, however, they are joining us in live, here in Rijeka!
 

 

Emotions
 

 
 
We continue the official part of the ceremony with a very special guest!
That's right folks, even the pandemic could not stop this lady from coming.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the official anthem of the Totallympics International Song Contest!
 

Behind the Checkers: Rijeka
 

 
 
With its name literally meaning "River", Rijeka is the third largest city in Croatia and the host of the TAISC 2020.
 
Pictured below is the main street, Korzo, with its Clock Tower.
 

 
 
Rijeka is the main shipping port of the country.
 

 
 
Here you can find one of the five preserved lifejackets from RMS Titanic, the only one in Europe.
RMS Carpathia, the ship that came to rescue surviving passengers from the Titanic, was at the time travelling from New York to Rijeka.
 

 
 
And here is the Trsat Castle once again. It is the oldest part of Rijeka.
It will host the Closing Ceremony.
 

 

Behind the Checkers: Rijeka
 

 
 
Welcome to Rijeka!
 

Behind the Checkers: Kvarner Bay
 

 
 
It is time for one last stop before we reach Rijeka. Let's take a look at the islands of the Kvarner Bay.
 
For starters, we have the Lošinj island.
It is a rather long and thin, but also a high island. Pictured below is the view of the island from its highest point Osorščica (588 m).
 

 
 
Lošinj has been a regular host of the MTB Downhill World Cup for several seasons now.
We do miss sport competitions here on Totallympics...
 

 
 
Town of Rab on the island of the same name is known for its tiny old town.
 

 
 
Having already visited the island of Krk during the team presentations, tonight we will only take a look at the Moon Trail near Baška.
Gotta find out why they are called the Moonwalkers anyway.
 

 
 
And there it is... In the distance, behind the Krk Bridge, we can see the lights of our host town calling us!
 

 

Behind the Checkers: Istria
 

 
 
We are getting really close to our host town Rijeka now. Next up is Istria.
 
Istria is the largest peninsula of the Adriatic Sea. It is the most Italian-influenced part of Croatia.
 

 
 
Some of the Istrian points of interest include: the Pula Arena.
Constructed between 27 BC and 68 AD, it is now the sixth largest surviving Roman arena anywhere.
 

 

 
 
Croatia is the birthplace of neckties. Back in 2003, the Pula Arena was dressed into one.
 

 
 
Town of Rovinj is known for its old town, which is seemingly placed on a perfectly symmetrical hill.
 

 
 
Motovun is a quintessential hilltop town of Istria. Every summer it hosts a renowned film festival.
 

 
 
Istria is generally known for its fresco paintings. Pictured below is Danse Macabre from Beram.
 

 
 
Brijuni Islands can be found just off the coast of Istria. They used to be a summer residence of the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito.
It is a place where Tito stored his gifts, which resulted in Brijuni turning into a very weird place today.
 

 
 
One of those gifts is Lanka the elephant. Imported in 1972, she was (and still is!) Indira Gandhi's gift to Tito.
 

A wise man once said: "Keep you friends close and your enemies closer."
 
Someone that every aspiring TISC participant needs to keep close is the Committee. While they are known for their excellence in recognizing the winning material, the inner workings of the Committee remain shrouded in mystery.
 
All we know is that Italy currently rules this secret society.
 
It is time to visit one of Istria's estates and maybe dedicate a song to the Committee!
 

 
 
Rumor has it this is how @Agger and @heywoodu got removed from their Committee duties during the 2018 Jubilee...
 
 
*Disclaimer: We are not asking for trouble. Any mention of the Committee is met with purest intentions.
 
 

We return to the Plitvice Lakes, only this time with our 2CELLOS buddies.
Let's enjoy a cover of Mumford & Sons' I Will Wait.
 
It has indeed been a long wait for Croatia to get an opportunity to host this wonderful competition. The long wait which included no less than three failed bids. We dedicate this song to all the aspiring hosts. Your time will come.
 

This must be Seamus' worst nightmare.
 

Behind the Checkers: Lika
 

 
 
Let's check out Lika next. Lika is a mountainous and the least densely populated region of Croatia.
 
Starting from the South, we find the Zrmanja river, known for its, in part, steep and barren canyon.
 

 
 
Velebit is arguably the most impressive mountain of Croatia. Stretching for about 145 km, the Velebit is a home to no less than two National Parks (Paklenica and Northern Velebit). Due to its mythical look, it is unsuprisingly a place where many legends are set.
 

 

 
 
Velebit has its own endemic plant - Degenia velebitica.
 

 
 
Situated beneath the Velebit, Gospić is the largest town of Lika.
 

 
 
Lika is also a place where the famed inventor Nikola Tesla was born, in the village of Smiljan.
 

 
 
Town of Slunj is known for its well-preserved 18th century mills.
 

 
 
Plitvice Lakes are also here! They are the oldest, largest and most visited National Park of Croatia. Plitvice Lakes consist of 16 different lakes, which are interconnected by various waterfalls and cascades. They are known for their crystal blue-green color.
 

 

 
 
Irregardless of the season, the Plitvice Lakes are not to be missed.
 

 
 
Going back to the Adriatic Coast, we conclude our trip to Lika in the town of Senj. It is a home to the Nehaj Fortress pictured below.
 

 
 
While the whole of Adriatic Coast is prone to having strong bora winds during the colder months, Senj is pretty much the epicenter of it.
Winds exceeding 200 km/h are a common occurance.
 

We are back in Zagorje, up and around the ruins of Kalnik, only this time we welcome 2CELLOS.
 
They will perform a cover of Enya's May It Be... May it indeed be, and may the best song win.
We dedicate this performance to all TISC champions!
 

 
 
 

Behind the Checkers: Central Croatia
 

 
 
We are back on the continent. It's time to take a look at sights that surround our capital Zagreb.
 
Let's start with Zagorje. Zagorje is a hilly subregion of Central Croatia, known for its castles, vineyards and cuisine.
 

 
 
Speaking of castles, most notable ones are Trakošćan.
 

 
 
And Veliki Tabor. Both are very close to the Slovenian border.
 

 
 
Licitar biscuits are one of the regional trademarks. You should be careful though... They are not always edible!
 

 
 
City of Varaždin is known for its baroque architecture. It is the former capital of Croatia (1756-1776).
 

 
 
Lonjsko Polje is the single largest wetland area of Croatia. It extends along the river of Sava.
 

 
 
Sisak is the main town of the Banovina subregion.
 

 
 
And finally we have the city of Karlovac.
It is known as "the city of four rivers" (Kupa, Mrežnica, Dobra, Korana).
 

Musical Break: Mia
 

 
 
Since we are about half-way down our journey, I'd say it is a perfect time for a short musical break!
 
Having just missed out on national selection for both 2018 and 2019 Annual (and both times to Zsa Zsa ! ), we have decided to give this moment to Mia. Tonight she will perform one of her singles Kiša (eng. Rain). It is a very fitting title actually. Our host town Rijeka has more yearly precipitation than London and Dublin combined!
 

 

Behind the Checkers: Zagreb
 

 
 
Let's visit our capital!
 
Zagreb is located in the Central Croatia, along the Sava river, and on the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain.
 

 
 
Let's take a closer look at some sights.
We start with the Zagreb Cathedral. 108 meters high, it is the tallest building in Croatia.
Top of the southern tower got destroyed in an earthquake on March 22nd, 2020.
 

 

 
 
Next up is the National Theatre.
From the outside, it is the same as the theatre in Rijeka, which is hosting this Opening Ceremony.
 

 
 
Zagreb Funicular has been going up and down the historic centre since 1890.