Darwin's plough: 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.