As seen from the cheap seats

On my first visit to Vienna I committed a near mortal sin, forgetting that she who visits Vienna shall not leave without attending the opera. Not wanting to commit such a grave error the second time 'round, V. extended every hospitality for a great night out on the town, including a visit to the Wiener Staatsoper to take in Le Nozze Di Figaro like all good locals should.

This was my first opera, mind you, and we had just about zero interest in shelling out the big bucks for tix. Instead, we joined the throngs of those arriving two hours early to hang around the back door in the hopes of snagging cheap seats.

At the front door, all the elegant tux-and-gown, see-and-be-seen opera goers. At the back door, all the bratwurst in hand, holes-in-my-jeans and five-miles-of-scarves-in-my-hand bargain hunters. Not to brag, dear tux and gowners, but your ticket cost more than 200 euros. Ours cost 4. That's right, four.

Four euros for direct center stage tickets on the ground level. Never mind we had to stand and were packed in like sardines--it is part of the adventure. Kinda like comparing first class Titanic passengers to those in the steerage. The cheap seats are where the party's at.

If I would have had my camera, there would have been pictures of legs. Lots of legs. From those much needed sitting (squatting?) breaks when you look up and are only reminded of what the world looked like when you were 4 years old.

There would be pictures of scarves. All the scarves "reserving" people's places hours before the show started. The scarves over which all out brawls started, including yours truly as she battled out our territory with the snotty Spanish woman.

There would be pictures of people on the ground. Where can you ever have a group of people standing squashed together for four hours without at least one person passing out? At least this time it wasn't me.

And there would be a picture of my Coke. My Coke that cost more than my ticket to the show.

And the show? Great. I'd do it again anytime ... but only from the cheap seats.