Slip, slop, slap in July??

I was discussing what to pack with my husband over the weekend and as we will be in Europe over summer I talked about sun protection. He feels that it is unnecessary to bring hats, sunscreen and the like as he says %26quot;the sun is not as strong%26quot; in Europe as what we are used to in Sydney. I%26#39;d appreciate your thoughts.

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I spent a week in Paris last July and I came back with a nice tan. Without sunscreen, I would have been burned.

Pack an umbrella, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a light raincoat.

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last year I got a lovely sunburn while in Paris in May. So unless you want to learn the phrase %26quot;a bottle of sunscreen please%26quot; in french for the pharmacist, I%26#39;d suggest you take some.

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The sun is hot enough, bright enough and strong enough in Paris in July to stretch out across a couple of chairs in the Luxembourg, Tuileries, Palais Royal, Place des Vosges and get a perfectly good tan in a perfectly civilized manner.

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I thought as much. I will remember to pack the sunscreen and hats then. I think my husband is just trying to find a way to reduce the amount that I pack.

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Is he going to have to carry it? :)

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You know, you could buy your sunscreen in France. It has an ingredient, which I can%26#39;t remember the name of at the moment, that isn%26#39;t used yet in the States. It is better at blocking the specific rays of the sun that cause skin cancer-uvb rays. I think it is all of the sunscreen products made in France. By the way, I use sunscreen every day as I sunburn here in the northern climes. I%26#39;m very fair and often end up with a red, sunburned nose. Don%26#39;t forget to protect your mouth too-and your feet, if you are wearing sandals.

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Do you mean the sunscreen or the bag? We won%26#39;t have the freedom of just carry-on luggage no matter how much I cut back. We%26#39;ve 5 weeks in Europe with 4 kids, so are planning several suitcases to accommodate this. I%26#39;m happy to put the sunscreen in my bag though!!

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Being from Melbourne I never go out in the sun without 30+ at home but in Europe (somethimes for three months at a time in Greece at high summer) I stll wear sunscreen but only 8. The sun does seem to me to be more benign in Europe than in Aus but the skin cancer factor is the thing to consider in my opinion.

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Never mind skin cancer... what about all those wrinkles it will cause, making you look old? lol

I don%26#39;t know what your lifestyle is like at home, but in Paris you are most likely going to be outside walking in the elements for hours on end. Not the typical day at home where one is usually schleping from car to office to home and staying mostly indoors.