"Those typically Anglo-saxon single-gender activities (stag parties, hens parties, "women's tours), etc) are also totally outlandish to me."
That strikes me as an odd thing to say, Trudaine. (I'm assuming you *are* French - forgive me if I'm wrong!)

I've been to a number of <i>enterrements de vie de jeune fille</i> (=hen nights) with French (girl)friends, where I was the only non-French person there. And my (French) husband and his mates always organise stag parties for male friends who are getting married.
(And just for the record, I've never heard of a &quot;women's tour&quot;!!)

I never know where i fit:

- I enjoy sports (American football being my fav.)
- Monet and all art
- High brow books
- Paris and all European cities
- Great Food and wine
- Have hunted animals
- Have fished in several oceans
- Mountain Climbing
-Mountain biking
- Horseback riding
- Motorcycles
- Fast cars
- Opera
- All outdoor activities

Not clear if I am a man's man or a real man or whatevr.

Hairy arsed straight bloke here.

I loved the air and space museum - jet fighters, space rockets and so forth - not a sensitive soul as far as the eye could see.

http://www.parisdigest.com/museums/museedel'air.htm

There's also racing at Longchamps (or the hippodrome), football at PSG or rugby at Parc De Princes.

Although rugby is pretty &quot;suspect&quot; if you ask me.

Hi Tru,

&gt;It seems that in Anglo-saxon societies, there is a sharp separating line between the male and female universes,...&lt;

Unlike.....?

The word &quot;machismo&quot; is Spanish.

I agree with Ira.
The macho world of Latin men has been well documented.
The difference between North American and European ( continental) attitude could come from an early exposure to the beauty of art and culture to young people in Europe.. An interest by men in music, opera, fashion, food etc is not considered non- manly but part of one's heritage.

nbujic, with all due respect, I don't think the average European man is any more &quot;cultured&quot; than the average American man. Nor any less &quot;manly&quot; -- !

Besides. Both of those adjectives are so loaded as to be practically explosive.

My point was that European children (of both sexes) are much more exposed to art, museums, good food, beautiful architecture than kids in North America.
Something must rub off.

I don't have any tips on Paris (I'm taking my first trip there in April, but my husband has been there many times), but I had a similar situation with our honeymoon. I wanted to go to Africa and see the big cats, but if he had his way, he'd never travel anywhere other than Europe or Latin America. We went to South Africa for our honeymoon and he had a great time. He appreciates that I encouraged/facilitated him expanding his comfort zone (he's very well travelled -- his mom's European and he started travelling to Europe regularly as a small child). Now I'm on a campaign to visit Asia in the next decade...

my husband is a guy's guy...and he enjoyed Paris.
The catacobs are fascinating and pretty exciting...

nj, I understood your point. My point was that if you were to compare NYC (or Chicago, SF, Seattle, etc.) urban kids w/Paris (or Rome, Barcelona, Stockholm, etc.) urban kids, their level of exposure to the arts, etc., would be fairly comparable.

A Seine Cruise is a great activity to do at sunset when the lights start to go on. It's a nice way to end a day of sight seeing and can be done before dinner.

Try to visit Versaille on a Saturday or Sunday when the fountains are on in the gardens. Arrive before 9am so you can get an audio guide, visit the rooms and then head to the gardens for a walk in the sunshine.

My hubby is an outdoorsy guy, but he loved London and I cannot wait to go to Paris with him. There is something for everybody there!

Could be.
In American culture as reflected in popular TV shows , men who love opera, art,good food, are well dressed and groomed, are often portrayed as pompous, bad at sports, weak and ineffectual (&quot;Frasier&quot; comes to mind) or gay (&quot;Will and Grace&quot.
Political candidates are seen shooting ducks, wearing cowboy boots and working on their ranch.
God forbid if they plaid the piano or spoke French.

These questions are usually by women concerned about wanting their own husbands to have a nice trip.

That is it, meanings of society do not have to be read into it.

So true sea urch. But you'll notice on forums they read alot that is not there

We did the Segway Tour of Paris and that was cool. I bet he'd like that.

http://www.fattirebiketoursparis.com/

Someone asked earlier (before the man's man discussion) about the sewer tour.

We did it mainly because

A.) it was pouring rain, we were right there when the skies let go, and we had a museum pass; and

B.) my husband was reading Les Miserables on the trip, so he naturally wanted to see where Jean Valjean took refuge. (And I won't say if he is a man's man, but he is a rescue diver who loves museums, and a big bald guy who is an amazing gourmet cook. He also HATED the musical Les Mis, but loved the book.)

Anyway, the sewer tour was short, clean(surprisingly!), well-organized, and really interesting. We were especially enthralled by the process they use to clean the sewers using giant balls that sweep through the tunnels pushing the debris ahead of them, and the brave men (man's men???) who manipulate these deadly tools.

If you aren't that into art, have culture overload, or just like quirky information, it is definitely worth an hour or two of your time. It left me with a great appreciation of modern sanitation and public engineering, and it doesn't take a large chunk of time.

Wehearttravel- you and your husband might also enjoy the Promenade Plantee- a long aqueduct with artisans' studios underneath and a long walking/jogging trail on top with nicely manicured garden beds. It is a fun walk, doing some on top and some below looking into the studios. It ends in a big park where lots of roller blading goes on. A nice way to see another side of the city and get fresh air and exercise.

Have a fabulous honeymoon and remember that you will have many trips together to experience and share everything the two of you enjoy as a couple and as individuals. (Whoa! i just gave MYSELF a tear in my eye with this great metaphor for marriage

Hi BlueSwimmer,
It was me who asked about the sewer tour and I'm really happy to hear your answer. It's exactly the kind of thing my SO would be interested in since his background is urban planning.

I like the sound of the Promenade Plantee too. You've been a great help!

nbujik, I do have to agree with your point. You hardly ever see a pres candidate tiptoeing through the tulips. I wonder if any country would promote candidates in that manner. Interesting idea.

Hmm. Interesting thread but I cannot help but wonder how y'all would react if I said my wife is a feminine woman who doesn't want to [[ maybe a NASCAR race]]... but I won the coin toss and we are going anyway.
Secondly &quot;man's man&quot; is not a term most guys use. It seems to be from this thread that it is &quot;wife speak&quot; for doesn't like cultural, artistic, inside things.
Thirdly the following things are not what I would recommend for a person who doesn't want to go to Paris:
1. Booking a cruise on the Seine
2. Trip to the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe
3. Cheese, wine and crusty bread anywhere
4. Versaille
With the possible exception of Eiffel Tower I think these are the things that he will hate.
I would cast a vote for Segway toutr, fat bike tour, roller skating, sewer tour, museum of eroticism, that nuseum(place) with all the stuffed animals, the Ferrari store, wine tour and tasting, Virgin Magastore, Michael Osman special tour, ferris wheel (if it were still there), and that huge hardware store (BVD or something like that), that Canadian Bar down by the Seine and the pedestrian street of Greek restaurants, street performers, finding the Arago markers, ....

Yes, all political candidates wish to present an image of strength and leadership, but it seems in the USA
the cultured and intellectual side of a person is somehow seen as a weakness by many and being shown shooting something is a good display of leadership ability.
Can't wait to see Hilary in a camouflage outfit!