Opera shocker

 Yesterday EGU seemed more comfortable with the technology or perhaps there were simply fewer remote / recorded talks. Some interesting stuff on microplastic movement on soil surfaces due to rainfall - in simulations most of the microplastic was washed away in less than 5 minutes, also an interesting talk on how biodegradable microplastics add a C source to soils and boost microbial activity.  Final highlight for me was a talk on meta-analyses. A survey of c. 31 meta-analyses on soil carbon concluded that only one had been done properly!

There was another opera tonight - The Puritans. As ever it was all about thwarted love, this time set during the English civil war. But what a shocker (SPOILER ALERT).  Standard stuff in Act one, with the hero and heroine (previously promised in marriage to someone else) falling in love but being on opposite sides of the war. The hero saves a prisoner but has to flee (the jilted lover lets them escape) and the heroine thinks shes been jilted and goes mad. Act 2 was generally arias and mad stuff. But then in Act 3 there's a final battle after which the star crossed lovers are reunited, the heroine regains her sanity and the hero (on the losing side) is pardoned by parliament so they can get married rather than have the hero being executed. Cue much rejoicing but then, in the final minute of the opera, the jilted ex-lover who was inevitably on the other side to the hero in the war stabs him to death and the heroine goes mad. Then the curtain drops. No happy ending after all.

A night at the opera

So day 1 ended. I think it's fair to say that EGU is struggling with the technology - in some ways a surprise given that we've had two years to sort out things like this but the switching between in person talks, remote talks and videos was not entirely smooth today. Hopefully things will improve. Science-wise for me highlights were a bit thin on the ground but there was an interesting talk about a crop growth model that might benefit from an earthworm component and a good presentation about how earthworms impact on plant defence against different insect herbivores.

In better news, as someone who isn't naturally inclined to eat salad and who likes fried potatoes, eggs and sausage, EGU poses a real threat of scurvy! So I was surprised and delighted to find the rolls I bought for lunch contained some carrots - the orange lumps might not look the most appetising but it's good to have a cheeky vegetable to supplement the tomatoes and peppers I ate at breakfast!

Carrot bread

Perhaps the main event was a return to the Vienna State opera. It's a lovely building that makes me happy when ever I walk in. 

My usual pre-opera dinner - Wurstz box and beer!

Tonight's opera was Boris Gudonov by Mussorgsky. Spoiler alert - it's a sad tale of succession to the Tzardom via murder followed by guilt, possibly madness and death. All good stuff and surely an important message for us all! The building is just as much of a highlight as the actual opera of course.

Part of the central stairs

Boxes slowly filling up

Outside balcony

Ceiling details

More ceiling details

The main chandelier

and then some time passed.......

 and so two years later I can report that:

1. the beetle bank samples failed to show any exciting trends. The soils from the banks had a higher carbon content but were less dense so that the total C was the same as the lower C concentration, higher density arable soil.

2. the C sequestration stuff is coming along nicely - more shortly

3. I have finally finished analysing the earthworm-plant-bacteria samples - again, more shortly.

But as we emerge from Covid the exciting news is that in person conferences are back and I am currently in Vienna for EGU2022 after, depending on how you count it two or three years away. Possibly the biggest inconvenience of Covid has been ringing up Austrian Airlines to change my ticket every year, it plays havoc with my blood pressure but at last I've been able to use my plane ticket. Today I spent some time wandering around the town, reaquainting myself with some of my favourite bits of Viennese architecture before the conference proper starts tomorrow.

Karlskirche in all its ridiculous glory

Karlskirche poking out above the trees

The opera house - performances booked Monday and Tuesday

A wonderful plant pot - reminds me of the Disc World

The Secession building - home of the rather weird Beethoven frieze

A new fave - the Hundertwasserhaus

and again

Not a building but I just love the way these road signs remind you that you are truly in central Europe