I've just spent the last three or four weeks travelling northern Europe (Holland, Denmark and Germany)and enjoying naturist venues and thought I'd share a few observations. The venues ranged from small private clubs to big commercial camp sites as well as the odd nudist beach.
I was travelling alone and although I took the precaution of phoning ahead when I was planning to stay at a naturist site, at no time was my solo status queried. Indeed at every place I stayed I was made to feel extremely welcome. It's often said that if naturist venues alowed unlimited single males then they would become overrun with single males and drive away all the females and families. Well guess what? It's not true. I encountered just three or four singles (male and female)so where are all these single males waiting to flock to naturist clubs? A figment of someone's imagination I think.
During my travels I encountered many people with bodies so imperfect it makes you weep. Like the 80 year old man whose right leg is completely immobile he can only get around using a walking frame. Or the woman desperately ill with cancer who'd had a partial masectomy, was painfully thin and showing the usual signs of radiation therapy. I came across several people with deep scars and many people who clearly struggle with body weight. Then I read on these boards things like the guy who likes to walk around with a "non-sexual" semi-erection and the guys who worry that their penis will shrink to the size of a peanut when they get out of a cold swimming pool and I find myself wondering if they have any concept of what naturism is about.
I've spoken to a lot of people these last few weeks to try to understand what makes them naturists and the conclusion I've come to is that although people will give you different reasons ranging from "I just like it" to deeply philosophical psycho analysis, the common thread I believe is a desire for simplicity both in practical terms (such as it's just easier to wear no clothes) and in "lifestyle" terms. For example I've met a number of people who have given up houses or apartments to live full time in a caravan/trailer at a naturist site. They've all said they were concerned that it might be too drastic a step but now they'd done it they realised it was like fulfilling a life ambition.
I also stayed at regular campsites and I can now state with a certain amount of authority that almost without execption naturists sites are of a much higher quality in terms of:
I was travelling alone and although I took the precaution of phoning ahead when I was planning to stay at a naturist site, at no time was my solo status queried. Indeed at every place I stayed I was made to feel extremely welcome. It's often said that if naturist venues alowed unlimited single males then they would become overrun with single males and drive away all the females and families. Well guess what? It's not true. I encountered just three or four singles (male and female)so where are all these single males waiting to flock to naturist clubs? A figment of someone's imagination I think.
During my travels I encountered many people with bodies so imperfect it makes you weep. Like the 80 year old man whose right leg is completely immobile he can only get around using a walking frame. Or the woman desperately ill with cancer who'd had a partial masectomy, was painfully thin and showing the usual signs of radiation therapy. I came across several people with deep scars and many people who clearly struggle with body weight. Then I read on these boards things like the guy who likes to walk around with a "non-sexual" semi-erection and the guys who worry that their penis will shrink to the size of a peanut when they get out of a cold swimming pool and I find myself wondering if they have any concept of what naturism is about.
I've spoken to a lot of people these last few weeks to try to understand what makes them naturists and the conclusion I've come to is that although people will give you different reasons ranging from "I just like it" to deeply philosophical psycho analysis, the common thread I believe is a desire for simplicity both in practical terms (such as it's just easier to wear no clothes) and in "lifestyle" terms. For example I've met a number of people who have given up houses or apartments to live full time in a caravan/trailer at a naturist site. They've all said they were concerned that it might be too drastic a step but now they'd done it they realised it was like fulfilling a life ambition.
I also stayed at regular campsites and I can now state with a certain amount of authority that almost without execption naturists sites are of a much higher quality in terms of:
- cleanliness - washrooms etc were always of the highest standard of cleanliness because people cleaned up after themselves instead of leaving it to someone else
- friendliness - at naturist sites almost everyone goes out of their way to speak to you; at non-naturist sites almost everyone ignores you. I was often invited to share meals or drinks by naturists, never by non-naturists
- price - many of the naturist sites were cheaper than the regular sites
- space - the naturist sites almost always provided more space for tents and caravans
- security - I would think nothing of leaving possessions such as camera or money in full view of everyone even if I went off site for the day.[/list]
I was talking about this to a naturist in Germany (where they call naturism "FKK") and asked why he thought the naturist venues were always so much better and his reply was simply "I think FKK people are just nicer people". And I guess he's right but it begs the question does naturism make people nicer or are nicer people attracted to naturism? I think it's a bit of both.
If anyone wants any specific information about the countries I visited please feel free to PM me or post a question here.
Rik
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