Travelling ain't glamorous. If you've ever seen Steve Martin and John Candy in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", you know this to be true
My favorite scene: During a blizzard, the two are forced to share a room and a single bed at a hotel in Wichita, Kansas. In the morning they wake up with Candy spooning Martin. Martin asks,"Where's your hand?" Candy answers, "Between two pillows." Martin leaps out of bed screaming, "Those aren't two pillows." Priceless.
Lucky for them, Martin and Candy stayed within the confines of the good ol' USA during their trip. In my weekly travels, I throw in some foreign countries and languages, pile on the fact that I'm now eating Paleo and running barefoot, and it can get pretty nuts.
Here's the conversation I had on Thursday with a very understanding waitress at my hotel in Gothenberg, Sweden.
Server: "Sir, you can't eat here without something on your feet."
Me: "I'm sorry, but my feet are so cold I have to massage the blood back into them."
Server: "Was it so cold in your room last night?"
Me: "No, the room was great. I just went for a run this morning."
Server: "Oh. Well, I'll tell the staff to increase the heat in the fitness room."
Me: "No, that's okay. I was running outside."
Server (grinning): "Don't worry sir. Everyone who comes to Sweden underestimates the cold. You need to get some warmer socks and shoes."
Me: "Um, I don't run in shoes."
Server: "Excuse me?"
Me: "I don't run in shoes. I mean, I run in my barefeet."
Server: "Excuse me?"
Me: "Have you ever heard of Zola Budd?"
Server: "Is she that actress in the Stieg Larrsen movies?"
Me: "What? No, no, she ran barefoot in the Olympics."
Server: "The Special Olympics?"
Me: "No, she ran in the normal Olympics for South Africa."
Server: "Oh, now I understand."
Me: "You do?"
Server: "Yeah, I'm sure she couldn't afford shoes. People are starving down there."
Me: "Actually, people aren't starving in South Africa. I wrote about it on my blog. You should....never mind. Is it okay if I keep my shoes off but my feet under the table?"
Server: "Okay, just keep them under there. Now what would you like for breakfast?"
Me (scanning the menu): "Well, I'd like something with eggs and bacon or some kind of meat. Also, fruit and a yoghurt if you have it. No bread, though."
Server: "Oh, are you on one of those low-carb diets?"
Me: "Well, it's different than that. I just eat like a caveman."
Server: "You mean like bear meat?"
Me: "Never tried it. But I probably would."
Server: "We don't have bear meat."
Me: "Hmm, too bad. Do you have mammoth?"
Server: "I don't think so, but I can ask."
Me: "That or some juicy seal meat would be good."
Server: "I'm sure we don't serve seal. I think that's illegal."
Me: "Probably. That whole seal clubbing thing has really gotten a bad rap."
Server: "Excuse me?"
Me: "You do have eggs, right?"
Server: "Sure."
Me: "Okay, then I'll take scrambled eggs. And bacon if you have it."
Server: "Cavemen ate bacon?"
Me: "Only during the summer solstice."
Server: "The summer what?"
Me: "The summer solstice. That's the longest day of the year."
Server: "You mean its longer than 24 hours?"
Me: "For some people, probably."
*Posted here at the BRS and at www.runbarefooteurope.blogspot.com
My favorite scene: During a blizzard, the two are forced to share a room and a single bed at a hotel in Wichita, Kansas. In the morning they wake up with Candy spooning Martin. Martin asks,"Where's your hand?" Candy answers, "Between two pillows." Martin leaps out of bed screaming, "Those aren't two pillows." Priceless.
Lucky for them, Martin and Candy stayed within the confines of the good ol' USA during their trip. In my weekly travels, I throw in some foreign countries and languages, pile on the fact that I'm now eating Paleo and running barefoot, and it can get pretty nuts.
Here's the conversation I had on Thursday with a very understanding waitress at my hotel in Gothenberg, Sweden.
Server: "Sir, you can't eat here without something on your feet."
Me: "I'm sorry, but my feet are so cold I have to massage the blood back into them."
Server: "Was it so cold in your room last night?"
Me: "No, the room was great. I just went for a run this morning."
Server: "Oh. Well, I'll tell the staff to increase the heat in the fitness room."
Me: "No, that's okay. I was running outside."
Server (grinning): "Don't worry sir. Everyone who comes to Sweden underestimates the cold. You need to get some warmer socks and shoes."
Me: "Um, I don't run in shoes."
Server: "Excuse me?"
Me: "I don't run in shoes. I mean, I run in my barefeet."
Server: "Excuse me?"
Me: "Have you ever heard of Zola Budd?"
Server: "Is she that actress in the Stieg Larrsen movies?"
Me: "What? No, no, she ran barefoot in the Olympics."
Server: "The Special Olympics?"
Me: "No, she ran in the normal Olympics for South Africa."
Server: "Oh, now I understand."
Me: "You do?"
Server: "Yeah, I'm sure she couldn't afford shoes. People are starving down there."
Me: "Actually, people aren't starving in South Africa. I wrote about it on my blog. You should....never mind. Is it okay if I keep my shoes off but my feet under the table?"
Server: "Okay, just keep them under there. Now what would you like for breakfast?"
Me (scanning the menu): "Well, I'd like something with eggs and bacon or some kind of meat. Also, fruit and a yoghurt if you have it. No bread, though."
Server: "Oh, are you on one of those low-carb diets?"
Me: "Well, it's different than that. I just eat like a caveman."
Server: "You mean like bear meat?"
Me: "Never tried it. But I probably would."
Server: "We don't have bear meat."
Me: "Hmm, too bad. Do you have mammoth?"
Server: "I don't think so, but I can ask."
Me: "That or some juicy seal meat would be good."
Server: "I'm sure we don't serve seal. I think that's illegal."
Me: "Probably. That whole seal clubbing thing has really gotten a bad rap."
Server: "Excuse me?"
Me: "You do have eggs, right?"
Server: "Sure."
Me: "Okay, then I'll take scrambled eggs. And bacon if you have it."
Server: "Cavemen ate bacon?"
Me: "Only during the summer solstice."
Server: "The summer what?"
Me: "The summer solstice. That's the longest day of the year."
Server: "You mean its longer than 24 hours?"
Me: "For some people, probably."
*Posted here at the BRS and at www.runbarefooteurope.blogspot.com
