Vienna State Opera House

To say that the Vienna State Opera House is breathtaking would be an understatement. It's beauty was nothing, however, to the ballet we experienced. By pure chance, Kim and I were able to get tickets to see Romeo und Julia, better known as Romeo and Juliet to our English speaking friends. The show was sold out - and we had resorted to coming an hour and a half before the show to try to get standing tickets. Moments before our group left the Opera House, our beloved art professor, Frau Loos, yelled out to Kim and I that two tickets had just been sent back. Kim splurged on a 3rd row seat and I happily accepted a balcony seat with a clear view of center stage. The ballet was - unbelievable. I love Shakespeare, but have never been a fan of Romeo and Juliet. The ballet changed my opinion. Without words, without lines or stanzas, the dancers were able to transform the story into the most beautifully heartbreaking thing I have ever seen. For the third Act, Kim asked to switch seats, because of a large Armenian man's cologne that was giving her a migraine. I thought she was exaggerating, but after 2.5 seconds, realized she hadn't been joking. Regardless of the nasty smell, the view from the 3rd row was spectacular. Needless to say, Kim and I have both been transformed into avid ballet fans. The opera we attended the next night was nothing in comparison to our ballet. We now have tickets reserved to see the St. Petersburg ballet in Salzburg. It's an addiction...