Tale of Two Cities: London + Paris

[s1conrad]

I recently returned from a European holiday. I spent about a week in London & Paris. I scored a reasonable airfare via Norwegian from Oakland to Gatwick ($460 r/t). It was a no-frills flight, so I brought by own snacks and water. After downing a melatonin, I slept most of the 10 hr flight.

 

LONDON

After landing at 1:00pm, it was about a 20 min wait to go through UK Customs, then a crowded 30 min train ride to London-Victoria. I used my Oyster Card (from a previous visit) to get into central London. By 2:30pm I was sitting in the Wolseley on Piccadilly having a late breakfast (Salmon Benedict + Large cappuccino). I actually prefer the buses to the Tube (I like to check out the surroundings); so I caught Bus 14 to my hotel off Tottenham Ct. Road. I stayed 3 nights at the St. Giles on Bedford Ave. I got a superior room -- which had a double bed and a small sitting room for about $130 per night. I like this location because it's near Bloomsbury/Soho/Covent Garden/Theatreland. The St. Giles is going through a lobby renovation--so things on the ground level are pretty chewed up. However, this didn't affect the guest rooms. As a bonus, the hotel offered guest free daily passes to the adjacent YMCA. So I was able to do a workout, swim and steam every morning.

 

I saw two plays while I was there: 'Beautiful' the Carole King show & 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'. 'Beautiful' was very entertaining and the BIG surprise was Carole King herself coming out during the final curtain to thank the cast, crew & audience! It took everyone by surprise. She lead the audience in a chorus of "You've Got a Friend". It was probably the highlight of my visit. 'Virginia Woolf' had a terrific cast; esp. Imelda Staunton as Martha, but it was an arduous 3 hours to sit through. One of the best things about London is the major museums are FREE. The National Gallery, British, and V&A have amazing collections. The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square houses one of my favorite paintings: 'The Ambassadors' by Holbein -- I always make a pilgrimage to see this amazing 16thC work of art.

 

Aside from the major landmarks, London is just a great city to walk around; each neighborhood has its own vibe. If you get tired of the hustle-bustle, you can always chill in a little cafe or pub. There are the ubiquitous Starbucks/McDonalds -- however some local chains offer a quick bite for an affordable price: Leon, Bills, and Pret a Manger. If you're into the Tea thing, Richoux and Patisserie Valerie have locations throughout London and have elegant, reasonable set tea menus.

 

PARIS

Now onto the City of Light. The Eurostar is the quickest, cheapest and most comfortable way to travel between the two capitals (my advance purchase was about $140 r/t). I arrived about 90 min before my departure at St. Pancras Station. I killed some time by checking out the many shops and cafes in the busy rail station. Going through security and customs was fairly quick (as it was mid-week--I guess weekends can be a zoo). The ride was very smooth considering the train was traveling at almost 200 mph! Once in Paris, you simply walk out of the Gare du Nord -- no customs to go through. I stayed in the 9th Arr at the Palm Astotel on Rue Mauburge (half way between the train station and the Opera House). It's well-maintained place with decent, modern style rooms (about $125USD per night including breakfast).

As in London, I did a lot of walking but I also bought a 10-pack of Carnets (14.50 Euros) to get around on the very efficient Metro and buses. I've done the Louvre before, so the D'Orsay was the major museum I visited. Allow yourself at least 3 hours, if not more to see this stunning museum. The dollar is very strong right now, so I did a little shopping while in Paris (gifts for Mother's Day and graduation + the men's store at BHV had a great Spring sale). The food in Paris is a little better than London, but the service (if you're not a French speaker) can kinda suck. I did have a really good meal & decent service at Auberge d'Louvre on Rue St Honore = 19 Euros for a 3-course dinner. I found that the London restaurants offered more attentive service than in Paris. Also, keep in mind many restaurants in both cities include the service (tip) in the final bill -- about 12.5%.

 

MEET-UPS

Now the part you've been waiting for. I did get together with two guys featured on RM. My first night in London I met with Mark (aka FITHOTJOCK) https://rentmen.com/FITHOTJOCK

 

I have had my eye on this stud for a few months. We met at my hotel and we had a quick dinner in the casual restaurant on the ground floor. Mark is quite handsome and very ruggedly built. He was pleasant enough, though he's been going through some tough times as of late; his mood was a little downbeat. The bedroom portion of the evening was so-so. When I asked him to flex his mighty arms, he responded that he didn't know how to pose--as it looks "effeminate" {?}. Throughout the hour session, he seemed a million miles away. It wasn't an overly fulfilling session, though he did cum (after I probed his ass)--I however did not (jet lag I suppose).

 

 

On the brighter side, I met a terrific young guy, Luis, in Paris. He's listed on TheBestFlex as MuscleLover

http://www.thebestflex.com/profile/Musclelover or on RM as Muscle_Bottom. Luis met me at my hotel and we spent over an hour together. First off, his photos do not do him justice. He is extremely handsome, in a swarthy kind of way, with beautiful olive skin, a full thick head of hair, luscious red lips and gorgeous brown eyes. He has a nice, tapered physique -- not shredded, but thick biceps and quads + a nice, firm ass. He has a great command of English, so he was good to talk to. He was very affectionate and loved to kiss--I really felt a good connection to him. I'm getting hard just thinking about him. I will definitely see him again when I go back to Paris.

 

 

Aside from these two encounters, I didn't go to any gay bars or clubs in either city (I'm not a big drinker and I hate cigarette smoke). Any other questions, please send me a message. With recent terror-related events, some people might be hesitant to visit Europe--but there are crazies everywhere. I felt less safe crossing Collins Ave in Miami (with all the bad, texting drivers) than I did when I was in Europe.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Nice TR

 

I was at the Wolseley nearly every day last week for breakfast. It's always so reliable (and the location can't be beat). Never had a bad experience there.

[Zman]

Thanks for the detailed trip report. It made great vicarious reading and I appreciated the practical advice. You also appear the have excellent taste in men .

 

Not to be downer but I am curious if you ran into any delays or problems coming back through US Customs.

[s1conrad]

Thanks for the detailed trip report. It made great vicarious reading and I appreciated the practical advice. You also appear the have excellent taste in men .

 

Not to be downer but I am curious if you ran into any delays or problems coming back through US Customs.

 

Merci Zman:} The only hassle coming back via OAK was the limited number of customs agents at the airport. Oakland is somewhat new to international arrivals, so they only had 2 customs agents to handle a plane load of 300 pax. It took about an hour and 15 min to get thru the line--SFO on the other hand has loads more agents. Otherwise, it was a smooth trip coming & going.

[+ Charlie]

I think the main floor of the St. Giles Hotel is always chewed up. I don't think I have ever been there when it wasn't. The reason why guests get free passes to the YMCA next door is because the St. Giles used to be the YMCA, before they realized they could renovate it and market it as a hotel for much more money.

 

I agree with you about the buses being much more interesting to ride than the tube, although they often move at a crawl through central London traffic.