Bed, breakfast and balls…..
So I show up, wondering if I should undress in my car before being greeted by the owners who are charming and fully dressed. Then they take me to my room. En route we pass one of the clients. I have only been to one other naturist in my life; Cap d’Agde, and there, as here, the naked truth (ha ha) is that these places do not attract the kind of people who look better undressed than dressed.
In fact it is now exactly ten years since I looked better undressed than dressed, but I don’t (normally) go around showing my buttocks to anyone who happens to be passing. Being a half-Swede I do get this nudity thing. I like wandering around starkers as much as your next Swede. In fact at our rented cottage I can often be spotted of a morning walking down to the sea and indulging in a bit of skinny-dipping. But here are the facts; the sun is shining and there are no other people about. What I don’t get about this B&B set-up, is how they can possibly find walking around naked with strangers RELAXING.
Also, it was so cold my instinct was to put more clothes on rather than take them off. But as you will see from the picture taken by the lovely and talanted (and fully clothed) Teri Pengilley, I got into the swing of things. Having said that, I was mightily relieved to get into my M&S cashmere jumper and jeans and head off the following day.
One strange side-effect was that I kept imagining all my fellow travellers on the train to Stockholm naked. There at least there were a couple of people I wouldn’t have minded breakfast with. They’re a nice-looking bunch these Swedes, as long as you like blond hair. Rather like it’s a nice place to live as long as you like yellow or red houses, and a nice place to drive as long as you like Saabs or Volvos and a good place to eat as long as you like Salmon or Meatballs. I could go on but have to have my tea now. It’s a Kanel bulle (cinnamon bun) or, er, that’s it….
Copyright:Helena Frith Powell 2008
18 Jul 2008 helena
Who’s the clumsy idiot who took that picture? No sense of perspective!
Each summer, we join a group a friends at a nudist camp in the Ardeche canyons. My very French husband seems to think this is a relaxing vacation (for him maybe) - being naked with a bunch of his closest friends and their families. Somehow, I think it (I) would be more comfortable having a meal naked with a group of strangers.
I only logged on to your site after reading about your departure for Abu Dhabi and suddenly noticed that aggravating teapot!
I really wanted to say a big thank you for keeping me entertained with your musings/ramblings/anecdotes about your French experiences in the Languedoc. Generally, I would look out for your articles in the ST but, also, in various other publications and it came as rather a shock to my ageing system to read of your imminent departure.
I used to spend many of my summers in Beaulieu where my uncle had a rather large cottage very near the marina. Sadly, he died from over indulging in booze and snuff - a heady mixture not designed to maintain the body equilibrium nor that of my aunt who’s still going strong at 76 (she didn’t take snuff, so we’ve put that culprit down to the premature death of my uncle).
Regrettably and understandably, my aunty couldn’t bear going back to the cottage so it was sold to a German family - it being not opulant enough for the Russian mafia.
I promised myself that, one day, I would return but, after reading many articles (yours amongst them most certainly) I decided that it would be better to wait until I reached retirement age, to avoid some of their hated bureaucracy.
Having now reached that point in my life, I’m taking time off after the French hols to go down to Carcassonne with a view to searching out some property between there and the Spanish border. I really don’t fancy much the UK any more and I think I deserve a chance at fulfilling my long-held wish; fortunately, my partner agrees so, hopefully, there’ll be another two old codgers clogging up the French social security system but, again hopefully, having a damn good time whilst doing so!
I wish you the very best in your new venture. No doubt you’ll be informing us all of your progress and eventual return to that unique country just across the channel.
Hello Michael, thank you and best of luck with it all, remember it gets very windy down that way so visit the house several times at different times of the day to see how exposed it is. You will have a great time - enjoy it!
Hx
I can assure you that you still look splendid naked, and successfully confirmed this when you stayed at my own naked B&B just a couple of weeks ago.