Elektra by Richard Strauss

Good: Watching the opera Elektra at practically the best vantage point in the Vienna Opera House, for just 4€. Notwithstanding having to start queuing 3 hours before the performance and standing for the duration of the 112 min opera, I would say that the overall experience was well worth it. The plot of the opera was relatively easy to follow, and the English subtitles helped tremendously. Opera is very poetic and emotional, but sometimes you can’t help but wonder if taking 5-10 min to express a single point is really that necessary.

Not-so-good: The “Morning Exercise with Music” performance at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna’s Hofburg Palace feels to be more hype than substance. Priced at 14€ per adult, all you get to see are the horses doing their daily (very) basic exercises, and photography is not allowed. One wonders why there is a queue for it, and also why it isn’t an Austrian Riding School instead.

Noteworthy food/drink: The “original” Sacher Torte from Hotel Sacher in Vienna, not that I recall eating any of its copies before. It’s essentially a very rich chocolate cake which can keep for several days because it’s not the “fresh cream” kind. If I happen to be in Vienna again, I’d go for another slice.