RESIDENT DUDE: Eurotrip Essentials

RESIDENT DUDE: Eurotrip Essentials

Like DIVAlicious.NYC, Dudes Dish is morphing. Now you will look to the Resident Dude for the latest in men’s fashion, trends, and technology. And after a recent DIVAlicious summit in Italy we thought what better way to kickstart the column than with our EuroTrip Essentials…

 

The Travel Accessory. 

Señor Lettuce: Like international currency, plugs change from country to country. Rather than carrying an individual adapter for each, pick up one that can morph to fit the outlet of any destination. Bonus: there is also a dual USB input allowing you to charge your iPhone and iPad at the same time.

Universal-World-Wide-All-In-One-Travel-AC-DC-Power-Plug-Adapter-Adaptor-dual-USB-Port

JC: While the iPhone 6 image and video quality have you covered on selfies and group shots, if you want to capture the sights and scenery and create unforgettable memories, step it up a notch with a real camera and multiple lens options.

 

The Reading Pleasure.

SL: Go old fashioned. In NYC I stare at screens for the majority of my day and forget how pleasurable getting lost in a book on a beach can be. My suggestion: balance that tan with some mental stimulation. Check out Mastery.

JC: On the flight over I got my digital read on with a highly recommended book for anybody interested in entrepreneurship: ReWorkBut as soon as I stepped foot on soft beach sand, I had to break out the magazine collection.  Inc., Fast Company and Vanity Fair… cover to cover.

The Fitness Health Trick.

SL: Thousands of miles away from your plush gyms, cycling classes, and pampered “boot camps” — what will you do for fitness??? Make use of your surroundings. Run around the city that you’re in (throw in some stairs for bonus points), take a swim in the ocean or pool, and create a circuit outside (I’d suggest a few rounds of push-ups, squats, flutter kicks, and jungle gym pull ups). You just might come back in better shape than you left in.

Rome Run

JC: An oldie but a goodie… The Jump Rope. Traveling outside the US is typically a downgrade in health and fitness facilities. Having an ace up your sleeve could mean the difference in a pant size or 2. Including Jump Rope intervals, either timed or by count, into any circuit or long run will help spike your heart rate. Finish with Double Jumps for a burnout.

Jump Rope

The App.

SL: Generally I try to leave my phone in the room when I am traveling for pleasure. However, there are some truly amazing things that friends and family would love to see in real time. Imagine how cool it could be if grandma could tour the island of Capri with you. Periscope makes that possible. Maybe technology isn’t so bad.

Capri

JC: WhatsApp provides a great way to message on Wifi without spending money on a cellular network plan.   Save your dollars for the food and entertainment. 

WhatsApp

The Gear. 

SL: Cellphones die. Data plans fail. The fall back? A good old-fashioned watch. Something rugged enough to take on all of your adventures and comfortable enough to wear throughout your trip. A good watch is a lifesaver for setting and making meeting times, monitoring running and workouts, and most importantly allowing you to disconnect from that shackle that is your cellphone for a little bit longer.

nigel-sylvester-gshock-0

JC: When in Rome…you have to pick at least one night to show off your ‘A’ game to your European hosts.   When the sun goes down and the temperature cools off, the opportunity to shine that leather jacket rises like a phoenix. Pick a winner.

Leather Jacket

The Food.

SL: Anyone that has been around me for more than five minutes knows I am a very hungry man. My fiancé jokes that if I do not eat I become hangry (hungry + angry). My appetite has the potential to cause problems during periods of extended travel if I do not curb it. My solution: the Probar Meal. The average person uses this as a meal replacement. I like to think of it as a snack.

Probar

JC: Choosing your favorite Carb in Italy is like picking your favorite child. I love you all differently yet equally. Pizza of course, but my sleeper pasta pick: the Paccheri, a larger macaroni which pairs nicely with meat or fish.

Secchi-Paccheri_-001

The Game. 

SL: I am a big proponent of utility, and am always looking for ways to maximize it. My solution to having as many games as possible while taking up the least amount of space, a standard deck of playing cards. Name me one other way to take your uncle’s money in poker and then beat grandma’s ass in rummy? There isn’t one.

Cards

JC: For some fun with family, friends or a significant other, take turns playing Head’s Up.   Guaranteed laughs and as long as you don’t take the game too seriously, great for a group dynamic.

Heads-Up

The resident dudes wish you jet-setting adventures and a summer of travel and leisure.

– Señor Lettuce & JC

NOTE: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and our own.