Nude beaches. Have you gone to any? What did you think about them? Share your experiences and thoughts
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Abaya and I have just come back from Spain, which was a great trip
. We went there for a conference of hers, and a few extra days of vacation; of course when she was in the conference I was touring the city (Barcelona) by myself.
Anyway, one day I was walking around the city, and it was quite hot. I had a nice meal by a small fishing restaurant close to the beach (where asking for wine means receiving a whole bottle, which cost less than 3 bucks, heh) and afterwards I walked by the beach. It was so nice to be by a warm beach again so I started walking in the water, and cursing myself for leaving my swimsuit in the hotel. As I kept walking I started to notice naked people, until I noticed an area where most people were naked. So I just took off my clothes and jumped in the water, which had the perfect temperature on that warm day.
A couple of days later Abaya and I went to the beach again, this time with the proper equipment (towels and sunscreen!). We went to the nude beach too. I found it very liberating to be naked in the water (and also lying on the beach). It's quite nice not to have tight fabric stuck unto you, and to feel that free... I felt more self conscious of my body as a teenager and in my early twenties, but I am not at this point, at least in an anonymous setting. Abaya enjoyed it to, but she noticed a few guys staring which made her feel uncomfortable. Also, there was a guy in the back of the beach with a video camera. And at one point the police walked on to the beach, checked out a guy's camera, and gave him a fine.
The presence and actions of a few had a bit of a negative impact on the experience. By breaking the social contract they made people aware of being naked, in a way (much like that snake in the bible, according to Abaya
[apologies to Canadians, but there are no vine leaves emoticons
]).
But, that did not matter much to me. Maybe because I'm a guy and therefore I feel less vulnerable to the stares of strangers.. I can see how it can make others uncomfortable though.
Another aspect of the nude beach is, well, seeing all the naked people (of various shapes and sizes). While it is not an erotic experience, because of its context, it's still nice to notice attractive people naked . Though I would wonder if the feeling goes away as the novelty subsides. Also, being naked prevents people from hiding their physical flaws, but that act has a beauty in it too, maybe from a mixture of vulnerability and purity that comes from the nudity. It's kinda nice to see that no-one's really perfect.