Reporting to you from Tenerife, Spain. It is a Canary Island in the Atlantic on London time with a decidedly Mediterranean culture. Tenerife claims to have the highest point in Spain, which I am told is the top of Mt. Teide the volcano, but the high point for me is the beach. This is my first trip ever to a European beach. I was in Denmark in the summer ten years ago, but it was not a "beach year" that year.

There are many people from the UK and the nordic countries that spend every waking minute in the sun. You can see hundreds of people sunning themself with or without (cloud) cover. Nothing tops (seeing) them.

The difference in the suit laws and custom explains many of the other cultural differences between Europe and the States. Topless bars are probably more lucrative in the States. US titillation in the movies plays ho hum in Europe. Foreign ho hum scenes titillate in the states. I prefer the pure tan to the Puritan.

Sundae toppings are also missing. One restaurant had 30 desserts including banana splits and a dozen ice cream sundaes and no chocolate sauce. I think that chocholate sauce has been devalued because Nutello (chocolate hazel nut butter) is what substitutes for peanut butter here. ¿If you can have chocolate sauce for lunch, who needs it for dessert?

I am already growing numb without topping for my visual dessert at the beach, though. Part of the reason may be why my friend took up a petition to sue for more clothing. Good luck with his suit.

Enjoy it while you can. I doubt Europe's new Islamic masters will allow it when they take over in a few decades.

Hah, we beat the Muslims back when you were still here in Europe. The factors leading to our victory remain basically unchanged. They still have not learned why they lost. If I was you, I would worry more about the Chinese or the Indians, at least those seem to have their marbles in the right spot.

Alas Sam, I sense we will not be getting a lot of high quality web content out of you until you return to the land of toppings. :-)