Day Eighteen: Thursday, May 31

Today was a very laid back day for me. I slept in late, explored around the Weidlingau/Hutteldorf area for a couple of hours, and then went out for pizza. This decision was the best of the whole day. I ordered a pizza “diavolo,” and it very well might have been the best pizza I have ever eaten. After this, I went back to Barb’s house to play fetch with their dog, Max and get a short workout. After cleansing myself of the combination of sweat and dog slobber, I got ready to go to an orchestra performance at Schonbrunn palace. This was a unique experience, as I was on a hillside with hundreds of others. We had plenty of time to converse and get situated before the music started. Once the music did start, something truly special happened. All of the hundreds of people in the audience suddenly went silent. Judging from how far away we were from the stage, I expected the sound of the orchestra to be drowned out by conversation. However, this was not the case. I was able to hear the players quite clearly. Later on into the show, an opera singer came out, and similarly to that of the players in the orchestra, her performance was spectacular. The show was complete with colorful lights, both pointing into the air and illuminating the palace. Every piece played was flawless, and the overall experience was very pleasant. After the concert ended, though, getting out of the park was challenging and a bit chaotic, but we made it back to the train station. After getting back to Barb’s house, I tried to get to sleep soon, as the next day was going to be a very early one.