The grand tour

Ok, yes it has been awhile but we were off in Europe celebrating our honeymoon five years after the fact.

We arrived in Paris Saturday morning and right away we were doing the tourist thing.  We hit everything.  I was asked what my favorites were and they are Hotel des Invalides- especially Napoleon's tomb, followed by Musee d'Orsey, amazing museum from a philistine in terms of art and culture; Tuileries Garden and running along the Seine very early in the morning.  Yes, we actually trained while we were on our honeymoon.  The one thing I noticed about European runners is they are not friendly at all.  Generally when  you are out running here, you pass another runner and make a small wave or nod in acknowledgement of oh, you are crazy/in pain too?  Not European runners.  Everyone of them looked at me like I had two heads.

We actually went out to a club.  You know how they have open mike night at a lot of clubs here in the States?  Well apparently the club we went to- Spyce was the name, apparently that is the French spelling?-clearly had open stage/stripper pole night.  Seriously- the place was tiny, had a deejay and stage and two very small bars.  We got there and there were cute go go boys on the stage dancing in skimpy attire.  They got off and then out of the crowd cam two other cute go go boys.  I looked at the husband and said whoo hoo, we hit open pole night!  The best act though was the last one.  These three guys came up and took off their overcoats.  Two were regular sized, gym fit hotties.  The last one was a giant- had to be around 6' 4", jacked, mustache, no body hair and ink all over.  The two smaller guys were wearing black leather jock straps and motorcycle caps.  The giant was wearing a leather jock strap with spangles hanging off the front, black leather boots to mid thigh, black gloves above his elbows and - wait for it- pasties with tassels hanging from them!  I and the husband looked at each other and said no fucking way!  He really did not dance at all, he just stood there doing pseudo vogue moves.  I said to the husband you know in his mind he is wearing a long red gown, is blonde and holding a cigarette holder...

We departed Paris on Thursday from Gar de Nord and went off to Bruges- no we did not see the movie and everyone tells us it is hilarious.  Bruges is technically a city as it has a cathedral.  Well technicality aside it is a small town.  How do I know this other than trusting my eyes?  Um because we actually ran around the entirety of it in fifty minutes.  My favorite thing in Bruges was the Basilica of the Holy Blood.  Apparently during one of the Crusades some noble brought back what is believed to be two drops of Jesus' blood.  How did Dan Brown miss that when he was writing The daVinci Code?

Saturday morning we took the train from Bruges to London- I was psyched as we got to go through the Chunnel- clearly dating myself by calling it the Chunnel instead of the Channel Tunnel.As we were en route the husband is warning me that  London's weather is notoriously grey and wet.  We got off at St. Pancras and it was sunny as all get up and in the mid 60s.  I looked at the husband and asked where he had packed my Oakleys.

London actually stayed sunny and in the mid 60s the entire time we were there.  I got more tan than the husband from all the walking around we did.  We did all the tourist things and London was much more social as the husband had lived there for several years.  I got introduced to his friends and thankfully they all gave me the nod- not that it would matter five years after the fact.  I was told I was quite mischievous and very American polite- I am not sure that is a compliment or sarcasm as I don't speak British...or quite get their sense of humor.

That is all for now, will write some more later this week.