Gay Tripper

Aqua Sphere: Corfu Nero Aquarious Cyclamen

James Styron — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:37:57 +0000

Swimming is tough. Ever tried it? No, not doggy paddling around your neighbors
in-ground whilst trying to keep your quaff dry; we’re talking 500m freestyle
endurance tests, 200m IM sprints with flip turns, two hour practices before the sun
comes up. That kind of swimming.

With every Tom, Dick, and Pornstar busting out a new line of drip dry loincloths
aimed at showcasing your beach business, it’s no surprise performance-based
brands like Speedo, TYR and Dolfin are the sinking stones of aquatic fashion. It
goes: you can choose to look good or you can choose to be fast. But never the
twain shall meet.

Or so we were told.

Then came the cheeky team from Aqua Sphere who decided it was time to test
that rule. They know swimmers train hard; they also know swimmers get cut to
shit by rough hewn hems, eyes bulging behind those bastard suction cup goggles
that threaten to pop out an iris (and STILL let the water in). Aqua Sphere Seal eye
protection has been their greatest claim to fame to date; thanks to the designers
behind their innovative swimwear, it won’t be that way for long.

Not only are Aqua Sphere’s shorts super soft and crazy flattering, they’re built
for maximum breathability and resistance to chlorine, making them ideal for cliff
diving and high diving. Each pair combine comfort and performance, which
means you’ll have the best of both worlds in and out of the water. Between your
legs.

Durable, versatile, and damn sexy, if you’re any sort of serious swimmer these
may well be your best option for the upcoming summer months. With the right
sunglasses you might pass yourself off as Tom Daly…okay, maybe not. But
they might believe you raced him in the qualifiers. Check out the gear here.

exercise of the week: the founder

Melanie Webb — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:29:48 +0000

Great fitness starts with the a strong ‘core.’ By core I mean the center point of the body. Weak back muscles can limit your performance and lead to pain and injuries. My good friend Eric Goodman out of Santa Barbara, California teaches you one simple back exercise that will build a stronger back and give you better posture in less than 3 minutes. Check it out!

WHEN YOU’RE IN BARCELONA, EAT AT LOFT 212 (AND TELL THEM SIMON SENT YOU)

Simon M. — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:34:26 +0000

Like many of you, I’ve worked in the service industry. I’ve waited tables, sold luxury handbags, I’ve sold clothes, and I’ve placated the angriest customers. Like many of you who know both great customer service and Europe, I’ve been puzzled, disappointed, and at times, enraged by the customer service in Western Europe (I remember one time in an upscale bistro in Paris a server getting mad at me when I was translating for the 5 other people at the table and was taking longer than she wanted to help her do her job). In general, it is nice to be greeted within 12 minutes, to have your order remembered, and to not be ignored by your server; I consider that a minimum of service. Since I’ve lived in Paris for a couple of years, I’m more or less used to French service, but this is why I was elated and kind of stunned to eat at Loft 212 in Barcelona a couple weeks ago. It was actually the best restaurant experience I’ve had in a couple years and I was lucky enough to sit down with the owner, Alberto Longan, to talk food, wine, gay Barcelona, and salesmanship. Counting the service, here are 5 reasons why you’ll have a great experience there:

The service is impeccable: Alberto and I connected on quality of service because we’ve both been salespeople; he’s the director of a large-scale electricity transformer sales company, I sold clothes, shoes, and handbags all over manhattan for 5 years. He just wants everyone to have a good time, and his staff is equally concerned with your good time; I was impressed that the entire staff was friendly, cordial, and could talk at length about the food and wine in English, Spanish, and Catalan.
The food is delicious: During our conversation, and in the middle a sweet, dry bottle of wine from Catalonia’s Terra Alta, I asked him which tapa he would recommend, the one that you guys can’t miss, and, expecting some sort of magical asian fusion sushi tapa with truffle oil, smoked sea salt and caviar, I was surprised when he said Patatas Bravas (maybe the most common tapa aside from Spanish Tortilla). Then I saw them and I understood why: Patatas Bravas are a simple dish of fried potatoes smothered in Bravas sauce (a mix of garlic aioli and spicy tomato sauce), the Loft 212 take on Patatas Bravas (pictured) is a fabulous revision of a classic. Cut into cubes with a cylindrical holes at the center of each, fried, dusted with fleur de sel and then filled with bravas sauce they were the best I’ve had in Barcelona (I eat a ton of Patatas Bravas FYI). After I devoured those I ate something I’m usually less excited about: Morcilla. I was pleasantly surprised as this Morcilla (or blood sausage) from Leon, was served as a spread with sauteed onions for texture instead of rice, which gave it a sweet and savory flavor. That combined with the pork Trinxal, and I was ready for something lighter. Luckily for me the spinach and pine-nut ravioli dressed in balsamic came out right after and then I was ready for the perfectly pink entrecôte with potato purée that followed. Everything was delicious. Literally everything.
It keeps getting better: When I asked Alberto if thought it was dangerous or risky to open up a new restaurant in the middle of the economic crisis (in Spain, unemployment is at 25% and youth unemployment (ages 16-24) is at 55%) he simply responded that it was the perfect time. Then again, his finger is definitely on the pulse; the kitchen makes everything except the bread and pastry daily and they won’t even serve fish on Mondays, he’s in the process of sourcing local and organic ingredients for the ever-changing menu, and thinking up new styles of dining. Say, for example, you just want a drink after work and you’re a little hungry (and might be a lot hungry during the drink); you come to Loft 212 on Wednesday, buy a more expensive drink, and eat the bar pinxos for free (you can even take them to a table if you like). Or maybe you just want a simple dinner; you get the 15 euro prix-fixe that includes water and wine. Or maybe you want to plan a party for 60; you call the restaurant and make a reservation for 60. So it’s no surprise that the restaurant is doing well.
It’s gay-ok: Because the personal is political, because I care about your guys, and because I don’t support businesses that are anti-LGBT if I can avoid it, I asked Alberto about his LGBT customers and his thoughts on marriage equality. He was kind of surprised that I asked because it’s not really something he thinks about; more specifically, he told me that Barcelona has a huge LGBT community, he has a ton of LGBT customers, and since marriage equality happened in 2005 he doesn’t really think about it anymore: “Everyone is just people, you know?” He said. Since my two cultural contexts are the US and France, it was bizarre and refreshing to hear this perspective from a someone living in a “post-marriage-debate” country. Needless to say, Alberto’s great. He’ll even share a recipe with you if you ask nicely.
Get a free glass of cava or champagne: Because Alberto’s such a great guy, he told me that I should say that if you, faithful reader, come to Loft 212 and mention that you came because of Simon’s review on Gaytripper, you can get a free glass of cava or champagne. What a guy!

Go to Loft 212 (but be sure to make a reservation)

Address: Carrer Valencia 212 08011Barcelona, Spain

Tel. 932 222 359

top three reasons to ski utah now

Melanie Webb — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:37:01 +0000

Ski Utah, The Greatest Snow on Earth. The states moniker is stamped boldly on most Utah license plates. The simple statement embodies all that is skiing in Utah: eleven resorts within an hour of Salt Lake City International Airport; the friendliest locals on the planet; 2002 Winter Olympics Venue.

If you’re a winter sports enthusiast you’ve heard the sales pitch before. Let me give you three new reasons why you should ski Utah now:

Alta.

The snowboarder in me really doesn’t want to give a nod to Alta, one of only three North American resorts who still won’t allow snowboarding. But even I must admit, Little Cottonwood Canyon’s Alta boasts some of the best slopes in the world. With this year’s snowfall already at 268 inches and a new home brew beer from Wasatch Brewery, the Alta 75^th Anniversary Ale, this is the year to go.

Park City.

Thanks to Park City’s Quick Start program you ski free the day you arrive. With flights from the East Coast arriving as early as 9 am, you can have your boots buckled and edges on the mountain before lunchtime. If you didn’t already have this week’s [Elevation: Utah] 3^rd Annual Park City Gay Ski Week on your calendar, start planning for next year!

Sundance.

Yes it’s a yearly film festival, but did you know that Sundance is a place? There simply is no other place like Sundance if you’re looking for an authentic, artistic, cozy ski vacation in the Wasatch Mountains. The big news this season is the first new lift since 1998, bringing the total on the mountain to five. Owned and overseen by conservationist movie star Robert Redford, the resort was created to nurture inspiration and discovery and is a haven of preservation.

Intellectual types will want to plan your visit to coincide with the Author Series. Including lunch in the acclaimed Tree Room restaurant, signed books and Q & A with featured authors Cheryl Strayed, Maria Semple, Norman Ornstein, and Douglas Brinkley, this year’s author series is already selling out.

Plan your vacation at SkiUtah.com.

a quiet evening in belleville, paris

Conorworld — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:46:55 +0000

For thirteen years I had failed to return to Paris after a family holiday as a teenager in 1999. In fact it was the last time I stepped foot in the most-visited country in the world. It wasn’t that I really didn’t want to return to the City of Light. As a sixteen year-old and to this day still an avid lover of history and architecture I was mesmerized by Paris, with its elegant uniformed Haussmann boulevards peppered with instantly recognizable sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. However as I grew up, what I wanted from a holiday changed and with it my perception of the city. In my 20s I began to see Paris as a desiccated museum, scrubbed clean of the grime and proletarian fervor that shaped its history. In my mind it didn’t have the creativity of London or underground excitement of Berlin. It was an overpriced confectionary for American and Japanese tourists to excitedly digest.

If it wasn’t for a chance to go to a music festival and stay for free in the city, it could have been another thirteen years before I returned. Having already ticked off the major sights all those years ago and now an adult, I decided to branch out. On the one evening I had free I took the opportunity with a Parisian friend to visit Belleville. Historically a working-class district whose residents were fervent but tragic supporters of the Paris Commune of 1871, the area has become more heterogenous, home to artists, hipsters and a large ethnic community. It is a refreshing break from the sterilized central arrondisements of the city.

Being in France, I had to start my little wander with a late afternoon glass of wine in Le Chapeau Melon. During the afternoon it is a wine shop and a place to quietly drink a glass. The selection was decent but at night the place switches over in to a restaurant with a delightfully eclectic four course menu which at €32.50 is a steal for pricey Paris. Booking is essential, as it is popular and there is only one sitting.

Upon finishing my glass of wine it was time to meet my Parisian friend. After a wander around the streets we encountered a constellation of characters, from immigrants in their phone shops that doubled up as local meeting places, hipsters, young families and prostitutes. We observed the architecture from bland bars to the random flourish of graffiti, some of which was pretty good. However for architecture fans, there is one little gem to be found. It only seems right that the Communist party of France would have its headquarters in this traditionally working class district. Commissioned by lifetime Communist and at the time exiled Oscar Niemeyer, it displays his characteristic brutalism with flourishes of pure beauty, especially in the glistening auditorium whose bright ceiling is as inviting as the gates of heaven. One can make an appointment to visit the inside; but, alas my time was constrained and I could not visit. With the recent passing away of Niemeyer this month, my lost opportunity now has an added poignance to it.

In Paris it can be at times hard to find a decent bistro. They are either good quality but expensive or tourist tosh. There appears to be very few middle ground places and certainly so with a bit of character. Le Sainte Marthe on the street with the same name is an exception. Located on a part of the street where it recedes to create a quaint little square covered by trees, in the summer I heard it is one of the most pleasurable places in Belleville to eat and drink. Since it was early November, the weather was not exactly conducive to sit outside so we dived in to the bosom of this red-painted bistro. It felt like a truly local place where young twenty-somethings drank wine while on another table a gaggle of grannies ate traditional French food while their grandchildren scribbled on paper. Indeed it felt very cozy and we were willing to stay for it not for the pangs of hunger emanating from us. While we could have enjoyed the food here we felt that it was only fair that in this home for multitudes of immigrants that we try something ethnic.

“You see the person behind me” whispered my friend Antoine as we were about to dive in to a noodle soup in Pho Dong-Huong, the lively Vietnamese restaurant on Rue Louis Bonnet; “he’s in gay porn”. Not the typical conversational topic you would have over food but it was an example of the eclectic crowd to be found in this delicious restaurant. All the kinds of people you would expect to find in Belleville were devouring freshly-cooked food in this lively place, plus your local porn star. The food was very reasonably-priced where a big bowl of noodles, a side dish and a beer left change from a €20 note. The beauty of Vietnamese food is that it always fills you while making you feel refreshed and it certainly perked us up for the five minute walk to a bar in the night where the temperature bobbed just over freezing.

Our destination was a low-key local bar called Café Cheri(e). Situated on the corner of Boulevard de la Villette, it seems to be a mash-up of a typical contemporary Parisian café and a dive bar and for that reason seems to attract a crowd of artists and students. It was a Thursday night at 10pm and the place was busy but not full, however Antoine had informed me that on Friday and Saturday nights it can get quite rammed. To take the opportunity to see my friend I had decided to skip the first night of the music festival but was happy to be here where the DJ was playing music by the bands I could have be seeing at the festival such as the Chromatics and Twin Shadow. The crowd was decidedly mixed with a smattering of artists, gays and hipsters. It nevertheless felt warm and welcoming and conversation flowed as easily as the beer that was cheap for Paris. However it was a school night and by 1am we were beat and it was time to sadly leave this great bar.

On my first night in Paris in thirteen years I had finally seen another side of Paris that felt a world away from the romantic film-set ideal that most tourists seem reluctant to leave. Venturing to Belleville was a refreshing and rewarding experience that defied the stereotype of Paris being an expensive and unimaginative city while showing hints of the old city of past.

Sweden: Where’s the LGBT Scene in Stockholm?

Will McGough — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:14:08 +0000

I know what you’re thinking: I already told you I was straight, so what the hell would I know about the
gay scene in Stockholm?

Well, would you believe I just spent a few days in the country with a handful of LGBT travelers? We saw
the Northern Lights, slept in the world’s first ice hotel, and, yes, toured gay-oriented hotels and ate and
drank at gay-owned establishments.

A Place to Stay: If you’re a fan of pop culture, you might recognize the Hilton Slussen from the third
book of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series (all of those books are set in Stockholm, by the way). It
also happens to be in the thick of the LGBT nightlife scene, with great views of the Stockholm “skyline”
and newly renovated rooms. If you book soon, there is a 20% discount found here.

A Place to Eat: Just as much of a scene as it is a place to get your grub on, Torget is a cozy and gay-
owned bar and restaurant (which is very clear when you visit the website). Stop in for a drink, at least.

Where to Dance: I probably won’t go with you this time, but check out Paradise at Kolingsborg. We
went on a Friday night and both rooms were crowded and festive (two different DJs). Those looking for a
little extra fun should hang out around the downstairs bathroom. Look around – you’ll see what I mean.

Where to Hang Out: Old Town Stockholm is an extremely charming part of town with lots of small
coffee bars tucked in around the Royal Palace, all of which are gay-friendly (you’ll see rainbow stickers
on a lot of the doors). You can window shop for your preferred setting, but all are extremely inviting,
especially in the winter when it’s cold and snowy outside.

top 5 wines i loved in downtown napa

Samantha Vacca — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:24:46 +0000

There is a certain complexity in determining the wine that suits you. Flavors of course are important, but more often than not wines include hints and surges of tastes that adhere to your interests. I visited Back Room Wines in the Downtown Napa Valley recently, and participated in a tasting known as Wines Off the Grid, featuring a variety of bottles from places that do not have their own tasting rooms. Here are a few of my favorites from that excursion:

1) KOSUGE Chardonnay 2010, with a buttery apricot taste and delectable finish this one is sure to please at any party. I am not a Chardonnay person at all and I loved it.

2) VIVIER Pinot Noir, only 300 cases per vintage made, but what an exquisite bottle! Right from Sonoma County, this is one I have ordered several times over since being back home.

3) GREEN AND RED Zinfandel 2009, 1000 cases per vintage here, a small vineyard ran by Jay and Pam Heminway. This was my personal favorite by far. OUTSTANDING wine for any Zin fan. Paired with a delicious brie, or just by itself.

4) FARM LIFE “A Sunny Endeavor” Only NINE barrels of this wine made each vintage! That’s probably less than I consume each month. A licorice taste with a bit of spice, this is a very inexpensive wine with a completely expensive flavor. A must buy.

5) BRIDESMAID, from an artist at heart—this wine down to the stunning label is an A+. The perfect gift for someone who is getting married, or just any ol’ wine lover like me.

To be honest, every bit of food and liquor I was fortunate enough to taste while visiting the downtown Napa area was delectable, and these are just a few of the best. Oddly enough, when thrown amidst a wine-centric universe, what’s the first thing I brought home? A bottle of Leopold Brothers bourbon.

FEMINISM ALL DAY LONG AT FONDACIO TAPIES, BARCELONA

Simon M. — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:17:01 +0000

I know most of you, like me, probably love feminism and performance art, or maybe you really just want to watch Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece and Marina Abromovic’s Art Must Be Beautiful. Art Must Be Beautiful, in one sitting. Either way I have great news for you! Right now, the ever-expanding feminist and gender critical performance art archive, Re.Act.Feminism is available at the Fondació Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona. You’ll find a library of feminist performance art spanning 6 decades and including over 160 artists and artist collectives. The best part is that if you, like me, are doing research right now on feminist performance of rage, then you’ll totally appreciate the fact that with the purchase of one entry, you can return up to 5 times afterward and potentially spend the whole day consuming and taking notes. Or maybe you just love feminist performance art (like you should) and want to spend hours watching Yoko Ono, Nancy Buchanan, Barbara T. Smith, Hannah Wilke, or look at the relatively unknown photos from the body artist ORLAN’s Performance, “MesuRages” (these are obviously my favorites). It is a remarkable thing that an archive of 160+ performances both centralized outside of a university library, but also totally available to the public, so take advantage of it.

Re.Act.Feminism is available until February 17th at the Fondació Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona, Spain and will move to Berlin, Germany from June 21st-September 1st at the Akademie der Künste.

The Re.Act.Feminism website

2013, the Year of the Transformative Adventure

Melanie Webb — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:27:31 +0000

Welcome 2013! In honor of our continued presence on the planet I’d like to dedicate my inaugural Gay Tripper Blog post to the mighty ancient Mayans. As I’m sure everyone is aware by now, it was not the end of the world that was predicted for 2012, but rather a shift into a new state of consciousness. Do you feel it? Did you wake up today feeling like a more compassionate, self-aware, loving version of your old self?

Frankly, the noisy banter I woke up to in my head told me that I might have a little more work to do. Best to start by planning my first great adventure of the year – a 10-day Vipassana Meditation in Rockford, Illinois. Illinois, you ask? Indeed, Illinois in January, the perfect venue for a peripatetic being like myself to hone my mind’s ability to focus.

An ancient Buddhist tradition, Vipassana trains mind over matter through disciplined attention to the breath. I have 9 hours a day of meditation to dread – I mean, look forward to – in an environment that bans all electronics. After a year of pushing the envelope in every possible way, going unplugged sounds like just what the doctor ordered for this girl.

To introduce myself, I’m a personal trainer/outdoor guide turned small business owner on a mission to improve American health and well-being one body at a time. But the more I work with bodies, the more I realize we have to work on the mind too. Max Strom, one of my teachers, says, “The time for speaking of the mind, body, and emotions as three separate entities is over.” I’ve come to the conclusion that while the body is the vehicle that gets things done, it is the mind that is the driving force. Combine a healthy and fit body with a clear and focused mind, and you have a powerful being capable of unleashing unlimited talent and love in the world.

And so, dear readers, my challenge to you this beautiful New Year is to embark on an adventure that transforms you. Whether a spontaneous staycation, where you decide to explore the hidden gems your own wonderful city has to offer, or a well-planned and anticipated journey to a distant and mysterious land, I encourage you to shake it up a little. Do something that challenges, molds and refines you. Explore the indigenous culture of a place, eat scary-looking delicacies, and engage all of your senses in the experience.

My goal this year is to share with you some of my favorite places, along with insights into the body that will inspire, uplift, and encourage you to keep on ‘tripping.’ It’s an honor to join the community. Please send me your feedback and let me know what you’d like to see more of. Most of all, Happy New Year!

meanwhile, in brest, the gays say yes

Simon M. — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:57:08 +0000

I don’t know if you guys have heard, but France is in the middle of passing a marriage equality law. And since France’s national past time is expressing emotions through the form of protest and demonstrations (well, after those violent revolutions, anyway), there have been massive demonstrations all over France, both for and against. I say in “the middle of passing” instead of “hearing a bill on” because marriage equality was one of newly elected French President François Hollande’s big campaign promises and if he backs down on based on a minority public opinion (31% against last I checked), then there’s going to be some non-peaceful protesting in the aftermath (think White Night Riots, but with instagram).

Last weekend was the final push for the public to declare support for marriage equality before the government starts to structure the law, which is why you may have seen the 400,000-person march in Paris or Solidarity in Argentina and Montreal. You probably didn’t see the protest in Brest, though. You might not even know where Brest is. And to be fair, I didn’t really know anything beyond the title of the Genet novel before going there. But I’m here to tell you all about it! Brest itself isn’t exactly magical, but it is full of galettes (buckwheat flour crepes), cider, Seattle-like weather, and a small, tight-knit LGBT community that is coming together to take up space in public. The demonstration at Brest’s Hotêl de Ville had approximately 300 people in all, lasted for two hours of speeches, and ended in the participants spelling out a large, human “OUI!” which has come to symbolize the coming together of LGBT associations in France who say “YES” to marriage equality. There were no counter-protestors, unless you count the heterosexual couple who was tying the knot at the same time of the protest inside of the Hotêl de Ville which is more so just poor taste and bad timing. The law is expected to take a similar amount of time to pass of a bill in the United States. Probably with an equal amount of passive-aggressive name calling.

Explanation of attached photo: “We are so handsome (masculine plural), and so beautiful (feminine plural). Now imagine our children!” In France, since anti-marriage organizations are not allowed to make religious arguments based on religious scripture because of France’s secularism or “Laïcité,” they can only claim that they are keeping “the children’s” best interest in mind. This sign mocks that sentiment.