I had the great misfortune to be on the London Underground today, when temperatures down there were well over 100 degrees at times.

The link shows men going topless down there, and that made perfect sense. A shame that women didn’t feel a sense of unity in joining them.

So let’s salute those brave should she have, in the past, for reasons of dares, comfort or glamour photography, who’ve stripped off in the bowels of hell.

I”m delighted to say I’m home now, and fully nude. I expect to remain in this state of undress for the next 36 hours, at least.

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Both Pookes and I have been over to the EA Glamour Store, where one of the free gifts available is a pareo, a naturist staple. Even for established naturist women (and some men) the trip from the towel or sun bed to the bar/ice cream stall will involve throwing on a pareo. I’m not quite sure why, I don’t do it on the beach itself, but will throw a pareo around my lower half for the trip from the apartment to the beach, and I’ve never rationalised it. I do like my early morning beach walks before the rest of the family is up, and I do put on a pareo for the 200m from our usual apartment to the shore. After that, it comes off and I walk with it draped over my shoulder or scrunched up in my hand.

Which is odd, now I think of it, as at 7am I’m less likely to be seen by anyone for that 200m walk, than I might be later in the day, when I probably wouldn’t even bother with one.

Anyone got any theories as to why this is? Convention we all subscribe to?

I’ve got numerous colourful pareos that go on holiday, and I’ll add to them if I see one I like. Occasionally, I wear it wrapped at my cleavage (often when cooking, it offers scant protection from splashing boiling water or olive oil when cooking pasta or whatever, but I feel I should protect my more sensitive parts -Jim does the same when he’s on kitchen duties- from boiling water or oil) but it would come off again to eat on the balcony. Now that I’ve thought about it, there’s probably no need to use it at all, but it has just become ‘a thing’, in all circumstances.

In which case, why are all of us naturist ladies bothering? Maybe just go nude from dawn until dusk?

Ella

Almost everyone I speak to these days in real life will, at some time or another, have been photographed nude. And very few identify as naturist.

Sometimes, these photos are ‘for private consumption’, if you know what I mean, and many people in relationships take these kinds of photographs or else do share ‘naked selfies’.

I’ve never been quite sure about naked selfies, and it’s not something I’ve ever done in real life although (obviously, see above) I’ve done them in SL for the purposes of illustrating this blog.

And ‘not quite sure’ when it comes to pressing the button when facing a mirror. Does no one know how to set the self timer on their phone camera and keep the mirror out of shot? :-O

Both genders are at it, and I have to say that while researching I was quite shocked to see that many men, shall we say, prefer to photograph in a state of arousal. For males, it’s a phenomenon (aroused or not) known as Dick Pics, part of the sexting culture.

Over 1/3rd of people in their early 20s have sent or received them, (naked selfies, that is) and 1/4 of people over 45 have sent or received them! 

The reasons for sending them are wide and varied.

Probably because I’m naturist, there’s never been any need to feel we had to take and send them, even when working in different locations for weeks and months on end. Besides, on a sunny day like today, where I’m in the garden, nude, if Mr. Keng was working elsewhere, we’d face time one another (and equally we’ve done that in the dead of winter, where the idea of being naked isn’t an option!) and if I’m naked in the garden, and he’s just waking up in the USA, for example, well, I’m naked! It’s not like he’s not seen me naked before. And we’ve got albums full of naturist holiday photos too, where we’ve taken photos of one another doing ordinary holiday things, just without clothes.

There I am building a sandcastle on the beach with the children. Here is is emerging from the sea. And so on.

The point of this post, in a naturist context, is that if so many people are comfortable posting photos of themselves online (or privately, many of which end up online, and with the knowledge that this is a likely outcome) why are so many people afraid of naturism?

Go to the beach/club. Enjoy the nakedness. Know that, even in a world of cellphones and hidden cameras, the likelihood of being photographed are much less than they would be by taking a naked selfie. If you’re comfortable with your naked body being shared in a cellphone transmitted photo (where it may end up out there, forever) why are you uncomfortable with the idea of going to a naturist beach and dropping the swimsuit?

I really, really don’t get this.

As for the ‘coy’ aspect, some people are happy to be photographed nude if they aren’t recognisable. Perfectly fine by me. Do it! In 50 years, when you’re old and in a nursing home, you can look back and say you were (a) beautiful and (b) had a life.

However, in 50 years I’d like to think that we’re all so over the embarrassment of naked bodies that birthday suit shots on whatever social media looks like then is all rather humdrum and ordinary.

Ella

With Elbag and Brenda now back in control of Eden Naturopolis, the place is returning to its former glory, having been denuded in the time that it wasn’t under their control. Slowly but surely it fascinates and delights with each visit, as the rebuild goes on. Latest in the redevelopment is the Boardwalk area at the central tp point, with the opening of a coffee shop. Now, we’ve got a coffee shop beneath SLN HQ (at Eden Kittiwake), and we know damned good coffee when we taste it. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to forego the opportunity for other coffees, and the Eden coffee shop is a winner, both for the quality of the Colombian served up, and the decor (see above), which involves certain bits of furniture and bric-a-brac that is delightful, including old gramophones, a mini homage to the Beatles and cakes to die for! (although we’re all watching our figures).

Next door is a lecture theatres where NED talks take place, and below Susan gave a talk on the dangers of being photographed clothed! It seemed to go down well with the audience.

Julie

I’ve been over at Izzie’s store, because I found out that they have a ‘sand’ tattoo, (L$199) something that anyone on the beach will understand. A wet body ends up with sand stuck to it.

Look familiar?

I did try to find real life photos that demonstrated an effect we’re all familiar with, but sadly almost all are either of the glamour or pornographic nature, so it’s a limited gallery.

Ella

A lifetime dream is currently being fulfilled, with me on the US west coast. Sadly, no naturism has been possible on this trip. No matter : I’ve seen and done things I’ve always wanted to see and do. Back in the UK next week.

Pookes

Back from the holidays, and I’m slowly pulling myself out of holiday mode. It’s blooming hard, though…

A normal level of posting should return during this week.

Ella

The weather is pretty remarkable across Europe right now. Even here on the Spanish coast it will top out at 32 degrees over the next 2-3 days, and that’s with the effect of being cooled by coastal breezes. Inland? Almost intolerable.

I once read an article about how, by mid-century, global warming would result in the likes of the Mediterranean countries becoming regularly ‘intolerable’ in the summer months. Where the direction of travel is mostly in a southern direction now, it was suggested that eventually it would go the other way, with Spaniards, Portuguese, French and Greeks all escaping to northern Europe, where their holidays would entail escaping the blistering sun in favour of something more tolerable. I arched an eyebrow when I read it (and it was probably long before the whole global warming debate became more front and centre as it is now)

The photo above replicates me yesterday, pen and paper in hand, scribbling notes for SLN-related articles (such as this one), and slightly ‘covered up’ because, well, sometimes you need to afford yourself a little bit of protection!

This morning I’ve taken my morning walk along the shoreline, naked in the early morning sunshine, gone back to the apartment to grab my laptop, and I’m now sitting in the shade having ‘desayuno’ (breakfast). Cafe con leche, milky coffee, and a tostado.

While there are dozens of places I could drive or walk to in a short space of time, I’d have to cover up for those, as they’re all beyond the naturist zone. So I give my trade to the same place, every morning, every year we’re here. For the naturism, the view, and the ambience. Where I am right now can be seen, in the distance, in a couple of the photographs in the small gallery below. Stay hydrated out there!

Ella

In my previous post I mentioned that, given the current European heatwave, it wouldn’t be long until stories of public nudity came along. Three hours later…

The same story is in German here.

German security guards ask topless women to cover up. Others strip off in solidarity. The police stop a nude moped rider. All taking place in Munich and Brandenburg.

Expect more of these real life naturist type stories to follow if the heatwave continues. 🙂 Extreme heat is the best advert for naturism, ever.

Ella

Ffrom writing about the miserable weather, a week ago, Europe is now basking in a killer heatwave.

OK, I’ve relocated to Spain, where I should expect much better temperatures than at home, but this is content-wide now. Home (Scotland) is enjoying temperatures in the low to mid 20s, the south of England to be near the 30 mark at the weekend.

Madrid and Paris are to see the temperature hit 40+ in the next few days :-O

And it’s at times like this where stories are re-told in the media, and I regularly hear first-hand, that my ‘naturism now makes perfect sense’. Indeed. Why wear clothes when going naked can be much more comfortable!

OK, you do NOT want to be naked, outdoors, unprepared, in 40 degrees of heat. But now is the time to think of sleeping nude, being nude indoors and generally embracing the idea of naked living of you aren’t naturist. You will almost certainly feel more comfortable for it, indoors or out, like the people enjoying naturism in the gallery below.

It makes logical sense.

Jim and Ella enjoy cooling off with some outdoor naturism.

Poor Susan is meanwhile stuck indoors working on her photographs.
But the nude living experience makes it a much more comfortable environment for her.

Ella