Episode 558: Three Cheers For The Germanic Countries!

Finally, a hotel with free WiFi! Guess Germanic countries are better after all. This hotel is apparently a converted Club Med, so its facilities are fantastic. I'm talking an indoor swimming pool and saunas here, way better than anything we've encountered so far actually. The Internet access, however, is the best part. Only trouble is that we're staying on a floor that doesn't have WiFi access, so to use it, I'll have to go downstairs. Not a big deal, when you consider that it's free. Also, finally a hotel with adapters! It's item one on their information list. They charge a deposit of €50 though, which seems irrationally exorbitant. Surely people who can afford to stay in a place like this don't need to be deterred so strongly from making off with an adapter? We attended a Mozart and Strauss concert given by the Vienna Residence Orchestra in Palais Auersperg, which was incredible! During the intermission, instead of just going out to the foyer, we were led to another part of the palace, where we could take pictures of (and with) the musicians, as well as the palace rooms. Pretty damn cool. Listening to the music sent me back to adolescence because after my dad's CDs, classical music was the next thing I spent a lot of time listening to, before I sold out to pop music. I think it trained my ears for life though, as I reckon I have a pretty good ear for music given my comparatively limited formal training (that began later in life as well than for most Singaporean kids these days).