eurorubbertravels 9/12 (1)

Its September and off on another euro conference/holiday run.  I look forward to these as a chance to put on some rubber pants and tour the ancient cities of Europe.  Six cities in 2 weeks, much of it rubberized.  Had lots of fun and did it in style but have to say that until the last day or two the people were strangely quiet and non-responsive to it all.  Here is the story in short:

PARIS
Arrived early to spend the day before heading south.  Got into rubber as soon as my room was open. Not much to say here except it felt great to walk the streets in full rubber.  Wore the blue splatter/bleacher jeans and black T so as to "blend" into the crowd.  (!)  Just cool enough that a jacket was welcome.  I noticed a lot of (hot) officers stationed around the city in riot gear, probably in anticipation of any more of the protests that had been going during that time frame but the streets were quiet until a large group of motorcyclists went by.

fig tart and quiche in Paris,  mmm . . . 

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right bank, left bank, I can never figure it out . . . 

waiting for a friend on the Montmartr steps

and then suddenly there was this large group of cyclists in the streets . . .

MADRID/BARCELONA
Took the overnight trainhotel to Madrid, still fully rubbered from the last 2 days.  Felt nice and smelled nice too.  Sleep was restless but noone seemed to mind my being there.  Madrid was generally too warm and sunny for full latex.  I don't think I wore it once, except the first day when I arrived, and I took it off in the hotel.  Skins gotta breathe . . .

arrival and transfer into Madrid

Lucifer falling from grace . . . 

Barcelona was different.  Had one day there and was determined to visit the Gaudi works in full rubber.  Got to town and could not get in my room to change so went to look at a few things.  Got rained on and wished I was in gear.  The blue splatter skin jeans from Polymorphe again seemed the appropriate choice and I think the architect would have approved!  Was happy to get into the room to rubber up, and the sun comes out.   grrr...  Went out anyway.  Went to see his most famous works, the House and the basilica, in latex.  Couldn't go inside the house but the basilica was utterly fantastic.  Got quite a few looks that day but oddly no comments.  I was constantly on the move but still it was strange to be so noticed yet so distant . . .

I think the painter would have approved (pants from Polymorphe!)

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In line to get train tickets for tomorrow . . .

waiting for the morning train out . . .

next blog - italia . . .

Way Out West - Unwound

Back Home at last!  Another rubberized working-vacation complete. Wore the latex blue splatter pants and black polo on the way back. Worn out but had a nice train ride. There was the 5 year old girl at dinner before departure who really liked my costume.  The hot guy who, waiting to board asked where I was headed and seemed quite curious, or bored, but never actually asked about what I was wearing.  Then there was the guy (retired) who did want to know all about it as we were boarding, even after I said it was latex.  One of the conductors asked if I was hot.  Nope, I was cold (that nite)!  And then the couple down the hall in my car headed to a cruise to Jamaica (I could have been their baggage boy!) who thought it was a really interesting outfit.  And all the dining car patrons who were just plain nice to me.  All in all one of the most friendly trips I've been on in some time.  Sometimes I feel like a Rubber Ambassador, making rubber friendly for the masses.  Which raises the question of why folks were less friendly when I was in Europe last month . . . but more on that next post.

and then there were all the riders who thought I was a conductor and asked for directions to their cars and seats!  In this outfit . . .  .  I gave directions to more than a dozen travelers, literally.  Must have been the cap . . .

btw, it feels nice to be back home, even as I pack for Chicago in 6 days . . .

Previous posts:
way-out-west-again
really-way-out-west
a-cry-for-help

 shopping "basket" at Trader Joes

heading east . . . woo woo!

 brief stop at Hotel Congres

 red light warning

back home and waiting for the bus . . . in the cold . . . 

A Cry For Help? . . . . or Going Way Out West

630 am

Sitting in my hotel room after too little sleep (in full-on skin tight black latex for the second nite), wondering (yet again) why I do it.  Not just the rubber, but the rubber in public.  Is it a chronic need for attention, standing out from the masses and shouting "I am here!" or is it just a cry for help?   After all I don't have the hottest body, being more skin and bones.  And when I'm away from home on yet another long trip, I get a little homesick and introspective.  What will this rubber day hold for a rubber adventurer?

1:00 am arrival in LA - hamming it up for the camera

830 am

Having "continental" breakfast at the hotel I got an unexpected and surprisingly quick answer, or at least part of it.  Two nice LA ladies at the breakfast station found me and my rubber suit irresistible, wanting to know who I was, where I was going, and of course if I was hot (or cold as it turned out) in that outfit.  I just wish the 3 hot guys who came in as I was leaving had also had the courage to ask those questions!

press what for ticket???

11 am
Taking a train/bus to LACMA to the Mapplethorpe exhibit (oddly restrained despite s&m theme) met a cute guy who also thought it was an amazing outfit, more night ware but good to see in daytime.  I agreed.  He sat next to me and got off when I did, but he went right and I went left.  Sigh.  Waiting for the return bus led to another fine compliment.

I'm thinking he might have approved . . . 

Life imitates art at the sculpture garden?

2 pm
A visit to Syren and found some nice transparent pieces I might get later, including a transparent hoodie.  Staff thought I had on some hot latex.  Nice compliment from a quality rubber vendor.

5 pm
Connecting up with my friend we started a rubber tour of WeHo in rubber.  Got all sorts of looks and comments, as expected.  Including some over-friendly types with a little too much to drink.  The restaurant staff were very friendly and we had some fun with them.

The day (which ended with a negative reaction to the fancy salad I had for dinner - tummy cramps and cold sweats in latex are not as much fun as one might think) was actually full of nice compliments all day long and in venues ranging from city buses to museums.  In the final analysis, wearing rubber is just something I'm compelled to do.  You are here on this planet once and it is worth celebrating, both you and this incredible planet.  Rubber is a fantastic material to wear, with both fashion and sensual aspects.  Why not celebrate it.  The key is to do it with a smile, something I have not always done so well as I'd like but am getting lots better at.  A smile and a hello can disarm a lot of apprehensions.  A man dressed in full latex brings a little (and often welcome) diversity, diversion and stimulation to people's dull work day, especially when dealing with customers all day.  Days like this only encourage me to go out there and just do it even more.

really way out west

Took a day trip to Mono Lake, an alien landscape seemingly perfectly cast for an otherworldly rubberman.  Wore my black w/ red trim skin pants outfit.  There weren't too many folks at the tufa towers on the shore.  A small group of japanese tourists smiled and we exchanged hellos and good mornings.  Also met a couple of photographers at different points.  They were all convinced I was a skin diver in a wetsuit and wanted to know what I saw down below.  lol!  I went on trying some experimental photography with the auto-timer, with mixed results.   Here are some of the best.