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Friday, June 26, 2009

Crete nude beaches (4): Frangokastello


[Atitlan wrote: I have ]Mixed feelings about this beach. Frangokastello is named after the 13th century Venetian castle (pic 2) on a narrow strip of plain under mountains on the south coast of Crete, some 12km east of the tiny provincial capital of Hora Sfakion. If you're staying in Frangokastello, like we were, you can probably walk to the beach 1km east of the castle.

The sandy beach shelves only gently into the warm water, perfect for weak or non-swimmers. The bay is also better protected than the main beach from
the summer winds. However the authorities have tried to ensure nudism only occurs at the far end of the beach. This part has little width of beach, even less so when the tide is in, so it can get cramped and crowded. On our first visits there was a preponderance of what I'd call hearty naturists - groups of straight nudists standing talking to each other. But it did improve on later visits, with a mix of families, couples and singles. As there's no shade, other than from bring-your-own cheap umbrellas available in the mini-markets, we found it best to
arrive at 4pm and stay almost until the sun went down at 8pm. It was quieter then too. Towards the evening, when most people had disappeared, we noticed a few single males gathering, presumably for some fun at dusk. Not, though, a reason on its own to make it a beach of choice for ymna members.

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Article and photo were forwarded in a group message from: atitlan on his [ymna2] Yahoo group

Crete nude beaches: (3) Gialiskari, near Paleochora

The only town in south-west Crete - and a small one at that - is Paleochora. Apparently there is a nudist section at the far end of the town's Sandy Beach but we never went there. Instead we followed the other hire cars very slowly down the rocky track to the beaches 4km to the east. We got a flat tyre on one trip but, no sooner had we got out to fix it, than 3 almost-naked Greek lads stopped and changed the tyre for us, refusing to accept any payment.

Follow the road at the end of Pebble Beach and take a branch off to the right after 1km. When you arrive at the three Anidri beaches, take the left fork marked Gialiskari Beach and park behind the friendly kantina that serves snack meals and cold drinks under the welcome shade of trees.

The nudist section of the beach is the furthest away from the car park, marked by a gap between the two sets of sunbeds. During the week, nudists
were about 60% of those on the beach; at the weekend it was reversed. Mostly nudist couples including two other male couples. You could continue walking naked along the E4 walking trail to the east and it seems likely there is
occasional cruising along there. However this particular beach is probably not a sensible destination for those of you hoping to meet new friends. A lovely place, with cliffs behind, comfortable coarse sand to lie on and clear blue water to swim in.

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I promised I would post some photos of nude beaches visited in Crete this month. If you're just looking for pictures of nude men on the beaches, stop now.
However if you're thinking of visiting Crete or you're interested in finding out about how nude beaches operate in parts of Europe, read on.

The first thing to stress is that nude beaches in Greece vary by time of week and time of year. Some may be taken over by 'textiles' at weekends and during the July/Aug peak season. Crete is so far south that you can visit the beach most days from April to October, so missing the summer peak may not be a problem.

The other point is that few European beaches are entirely nude. Nudists tend to co-exist with textiles on the same beach, either together or at different sides of the beach. The nude part of the beach is always the furthest away.

There is an excellent website with hundreds of pages on Greek nude beaches. Essential reading before you go, even if some of the information now seems out of date:
http://www.barefoot.info/greekgde.html

This article and photo were posted by atitlan from a message on his [ymna2] Yahoo group

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Crete nude beaches: (1) Elofonisi


Article and photos Forwarded in a Yahoo group message From: atitlan on his [ymna2] yahoo group, who recently visited the Greek Isles.

I promised I would post some photos of nude beaches visited in Crete this month. If you're just looking for pictures of nude men on the beaches, stop now. However if you're thinking of visiting Crete or you're interested in finding out about how nude beaches operate in parts of Europe, read on.

The first thing to stress is that nude beaches in Greece vary by time of week and time of year. Some may be taken over by 'textiles' at weekends and during the July/Aug peak season. Crete is so far south that you can visit the beach most days from April to October, so missing the summer peak may not be a problem.

The other point is that few European beaches are entirely nude. Nudists tend to co-exist with textiles on the same beach, either together or at different sides of the beach. The nude part of the beach is always the furthest away.

There is an excellent website with hundreds of pages on Greek nude beaches. Essential reading before you go, even if some of the information now seems out of date:
http://www.barefoot.info/greekgde.html

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So, to the first beach. It is the furthest west on the large island of Crete. Its beauty comes partly from masses of tiny rose-pink shells comprising the sand - and this has meant visitors by the busload. However if you wade across to the island (off-right in picture 1) and walk along the eastern or left side, you will soon come to your first nudists spread around the little bays - see 2nd pic. We saw several single males making for the rocks at the end. A word of warning - it's a national park where sun umbrellas are banned and there is no shade. You could get very sunburnt out in the open.

__._,_

Crete nude beaches (2): Kethrodassos

Article and photo Forwarded From: atitlan on his [ymna2] yahoo groups


This is my kind of nude beach - very beautiful, very quiet, shade sitting on dunes under the juniper trees. Not a place to go to if you're seeking company but certainly somewhere to commune naked with nature. There were about ten of us there the afternoon we visited, mostly young couples, either naked from the start or eventually naked. Apparently it does get people camping there at weekends but they do not disturb the nudists, I understand.


The downside is getting there. It is only about 3km east of Elafonisi/Elafonissos but to get there by road you need a 4WD or nerves of steel. Take the road just north of the village, signposted Paleochora. The surface loses its asphalt almost immediately. Follow it as best you can past various turnings until you reach a greenhouse on a bend and a right-hand narrow track with grass down the middle. Follow this uneven and winding track for another 500m or so until you reach a parking spot on the headland. Then descend on foot to the beach below.

A better alternative might be to drive to the beach at Elafonissos and park the furthest to the left you can. Then follow on foot the marked E4 walking trail along the coast (unusually flat here) until, maybe after half an hour, you arrive at the Kethrodassos beach.

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There is an excellent website with hundreds of pageson Greek nude beaches. Essential reading before you go, even if some of the information now seems out of date:
http://www.barefoot.info/greekgde.html


Sunday, June 21, 2009

Summer in Berlin

Here's an article from the July 2009 UK edition of Conde Nast Traveller, forwarded in a message from atitlan on his Yahoo Group: [ymna2]

It's a shame they didn't  illustrate it more appropriately with a picture of nude bathers but it does give a good impression of what Berlin is like in the summer. There are plenty of places to be naked outdoors, a fascinating cultural scene
to explore and some great nightlife. Almost everyone speaks good English too. I heartily recommend it as  a place to visit in the next month or so.

The main article is included in the attached photo [click to enlarge].

__._,_.___

Saturday, June 20, 2009

In Thin Air of the Alps, Swiss Secrecy Is Vanishing

Found in the March 18, 2009, New York Times.


New York Times


http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/17/world/17swiss_600.jpg

A growing number of unclad hikers are wandering the Alps, near Appenzell. Some Swiss legal experts say that banning nudity in public would be unconstitutional.

APPENZELL, Switzerland — The Swiss like their secrecy, particularly in banking. At other times, they are more open. Take hiking.

In recent years, it has become fashionable for a growing number of Swiss and some foreigners to wander in the Alps clad in little more than hiking shoes and sun screen. Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers.

In September, the police in this mountainous town detained a young hiker, whose friends will identify him only as Peter, wandering with nothing on but hiking boots and a knapsack. But they had to release him, because in Switzerland there is no law against hiking in the nude. The experience alarmed the city fathers of Appenzell, pop. 5,600, who worried that the town might become a Mecca for the unclad. Like most remote mountain regions, this is a conservative area.

For centuries the farmers here lived off their famed Appenzeller cheese and a bitter liqueur that most, except fervent admirers, say tastes like cough medicine gone bad. Not until 1990 did Appenzell grant women the right to vote, decades after other regions of Switzerland.

Suppose families with children were out hiking and encountered a group of nude hikers, officials asked. Moreover, the name of Appenzell was popping up with troublesome frequency in the blogs and chat rooms of nude hiking enthusiasts.

"We're not in Canada, where you can hike for hours in vast forests," said Markus Dörig, 49, spokesman for the local government, a look of exasperation on his face. "Here you meet other hikers every few minutes. It was bothersome."

Konrad Hepenstrick says he almost never meets people who are bothered. "You greet them, and they greet you, though in winter, of course, many ask, 'Aren't you cold?'" he said, picking at a lunch of coarse, spicy Appenzeller sausage in a restaurant high on the slopes over the town. Unseasonable snow showers clouded the view of the surrounding peaks, thwarting plans for a nude hike with this reporter.

Mr. Hepenstrick, 54, is an architect who loves to hike in the altogether. In winter, he said, he has hiked for hours in temperatures well below freezing, though he does concede the need for a hat and gloves. He has hiked in the nude for about 30 years, he said, and has crisscrossed the hills and mountains around Appenzell, as well as in France, Germany, Italy and even the Appalachians.

His companion, a schoolteacher, also hikes, though she will not do so au naturel, he said. So why does he take off his clothes? "There's not much to discuss," he said. "It's freedom. First, freedom in your head; then, freedom of the body."

With some Swiss legal experts arguing that banning nudity in public would be unconstitutional, the government has been hamstrung in responding to the hikers. It has drafted legislation that, if enacted, would outlaw "abusive behavior that offends against custom and decency," but it seems likely to be challenged. Daniel Kettiger, a legal expert, published a six-page paper last month titled, predictably enough, "The Bare Facts: On the Criminal Prosecution of Nude Hiking," pointing out that in 1991 Switzerland struck a law from its books that banned nudity in public.

"Simply being naked without any sexual connotation is no longer illegal," Mr. Kettiger said by telephone, adding, "at the time there was a wave of nudism." Was he himself a hiker? "Yes, but never nude," he replied. "First there is the danger of sunburn, and then there are ticks all over the place in the Alps, which carry Boreliosa," or Lyme disease.

The Appenzeller justice minister, Melchior Looser, is sure he can frame a law that will force the naked to cover up. "I think the measure will work the way we have fashioned it," said Mr. Looser, 63, noting that offenders would be fined the equivalent of $170.

He would like to have the law in place by springtime, when hikers again take to the hills. But he concedes that it must be approved by the grand assembly of the people, a gathering of all citizens of voting age once a year on the town's main square, which is scheduled to convene April 26. Passage is by no means assured.

Hans Eggimann believes it will be enacted. "I hike around the house naked, but outside I put my pants on," said Mr. Eggimann, 57, a large man who sells more than 60 types of cheese in his shop in the town center.

Others are not so sure. "Many Appenzellers I know say it doesn't bother them," said Alessandra Maselli, who works in a dry goods store not far from Mr. Eggimann's cheese emporium. "I'd say it's about half and half, with a slight majority for the law," she said.

Over in the Bücherladen bookstore, Caroline Habazin, 46, said the controversy gave everyone a good laugh at the town Carnival parade last month. One float featured a male and a female hiker in flesh-colored tights, their arm and leg muscles and their rear ends stuffed up steroid-style with filling, though the man's private parts were mostly covered by fake grape leaves. "I think it's only a pretty small group," she said.

Her colleague, Edith Sklorz, 48, said why anyone would want to hike nude was puzzling to her, though her husband felt differently. "I can understand swimming nude," she said, "but not hiking."

What offended her equally though, was the government's choice of responding to the hikers with a law. Recently, the neighboring town of Gossau passed a measure banning spitting in public, she said, threatening offenders with a $50 fine; and now a law to ban nude hikers. "For every tiny thing, there's a law," she said.

Ursula Heller has been selling apparel for hikers and trekkers for five years in her shop just off the town's main square. A threat to her business from nude hikers? She laughed deeply. She and her husband are avid hikers, she said, but she is against nudity.

"If you want to get undressed," she said, "you can always wear shorts or a bikini."



Thursday, June 18, 2009

Barcelona and Sitges, Spain's Gay East Coast

Rav23
Canada : Ontario : Toronto

Original posting: Rav23
06 Apr 2009, 00:02

Hi guys,
I'm planning a trip in August for Barcelona and I've heard quite a bit about Sitges. This is my first trip to Spain, so i'm looking for any input in regards to accommodations in Barcelona and if it's worth visiting Sitges.

1) Mostly it's going to be myself in the city (unless i can get a few friends come with me) but i've been looking into hotels vs apartments/lofts. Any thoughts on which is more accommodating in terms of price and convenience?

2) Also I'm not a big clubber but I've heard quite a bit about the night life in Barcelona, so any input on club/bars is quite welcome. And also any experience anyone has had in Sitges as well.

Thanks for all the help guys,
Ravi.


seaview
U.K. : LONDON : Stratford

Follow up: seaview
07 Apr 2009, 06:01

I've been to Sitges several times and can definately recommned it, its a small very gay town with many bars all within easy walking distance of each other. There are also many gay and gay friendly restaurants, so if you are travelling on your own there is absolutley no need to be concerned. The town has two main gay beaches, one nude and one not, the naked one is about 10 minute walk from the town centre the covered beach is right bang on the town centre. The train from Barcelona to Sitges is very quick and cheap it takes about 40 mts.

As far as accomodation is concerned - thats a personal choice that depends on your budget and style, but I'm sure both Barcelona and Sitges hove something to offer.

BTW - Majorca is also worth a visit, there is a small lively gay scene in Palma, which is a beautiful town with a great all round culture and feeling. The island is stunning - but best stay away from certain mainstream resorts on south west coast.

Enjoy.


cuggsy
U.K. : Gloucestershire : Bristol

Follow up: cuggsy
07 Apr 2009, 06:09

I hope to go in September, my last visit was 12 years ago so I am sure some things have changed. It is a really friendly resort, perhaps a little more expensive than other places like Benidorm but worth a visit.

Palma de Majorca is good too but the scene has contracted quite a lot, the bars seem less and less, oh for the days of "The Black Cat"


edrenalin
Australia : New South Wales : Sydney
age: 26
role: Versatile
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Follow up: edrenalin
07 Apr 2009, 06:25

coming to barcelona in august for a few days looking for friends and fun to show me a good time. leave a message with name and number *beep*


jecv
U.S.A. : California : San Diego
age: 18
role: Versatile
')" onmouseout="hide_tag()" alt="">
Follow up: jecv§ * [msg]
07 Apr 2009, 06:27

I lived in Barcelona for four months. I would say the best clubs are DBoy and the Arena clubs (esp VIP, on La Gran Vía). Metro is good if you're for an obvious, guaranteed hookup.

I never went to Sitges, but would recommend it, as it is extremely gay (most gay guys in BCN make it there at some point), and it is a spectacularly gorgeous town. There is also a gay beach (which doubles as the city's nude beach) in Barcelona... it is called Playa Mar Bella, and it is pretty much an entire nightclub's worth of hot guys on one beach.

As for accommodations, anything would do, I suppose, but I can specifically recommend Hostal L'Antic Espai (www.anticespai.com). It is in a great location in the heart of the city (L'Eixample near Plaza Catalunya), owned by a really agreeable gay couple, competitive prices, and just an all-around great unique little boutique hotel.

Have a good trip!


Rav23
Canada : Ontario : Toronto

Follow up: Rav23
11 Apr 2009, 06:18

Thanks for all your help so far guys, anymore help is always appreciated :).
Rav.


lenavig1
Canada : Ontario : Ottawa
age: 56
role: -
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Follow up: lenavig1
12 Apr 2009, 10:01

hi there,

I loved Sitges and took spanish classes with the Hola Sitges Language school which provides great appartments for rent right on the beach...but of course you are going the very high season and very expensive season. Prices nearly triple as compared to prices in May or October, when the weather is still very good. Barcelona is fabulous for architecture and music: do not miss a concert at the Palau de Musica Catalana.. The Catalans (because they are bilingual there: Catalan and Spanish) are very friendly, and gay friendly in particular. In Sitges there are 3 gay beaches: the fully dressed one right in the middle of town, the clothing optional one at little bit out of the main action (north ) and the nude gay beaches at the south of Sitges: you have to walk a bit out of town following the train tracks... Sitges has the reputation of being the most expensive of Spain...so plan ahead....


thickhard
U.S.A. : New York : New York

Follow up: thickhard
13 May 2009, 13:34

I have plans to be in BCN in July, and was thinking of spending some time in Sitges. Anyone have a suggestion for a specific hotel or B&B in Sitges? I prefer clean, neat, well run, not too fancy, smaller, but most important is QUIET since I am a light sleeper - so nothing next door to a club or bar. Thanks in advance!


dudua
Spain : Cataluña : Barcelona
age: 36
role: Top
')" onmouseout="hide_tag()" alt="">
Follow up: dudua
13 May 2009, 19:00

Hey guys,

There's this nice website with a lot of gay-related info about Barcelona (maybe a bit outdated, but still 90% correct): http://www.gayinspain.com/gay/barcelona? lang=en

If you need more details or recommendations about specific places, I'll try to help you.

Enjoy BCN!


matteocr
Italy : Lombardy : Milan
age: 42
role: Versatile
')" onmouseout="hide_tag()" alt="">
Follow up: matteocr [msg]
13 May 2009, 20:16

Sitges
Try to hotel Romantic
in the cebter very small very nice, quite , no pretention....


thickhard
U.S.A. : New York : New York

Follow up: thickhard§ [msg]
14 May 2009, 03:19

Thanks I will check out that site - here is a question about Sitges. It seems like there are several different beaches and several different parts of town. Is there a specific area where I should try to stay? I dont mind walking (in Provincetown, I typically stay at a hotel that is a 45 minute walk to the beach - but its a fantastic hotel so I dont mind at all).


fckbud
Spain : Madrid : Madrid
age: 46

Follow up: fckbud
14 May 2009, 07:41

You guys will love Sitges... It is soooooo beautiful, and the gay scene there is incredible... Not much of a sex bar scene, if that is what you are looking for (For that, mixed with resort, I highly recommend Playa Inglesa in Canary Islands). But Sitges is a picturesque beach town with a lot of designer shops and great restaurants. The bars range from discos to quiet venues. To stay, I would definitely suggest the gay-owned Hotel Liberty, across the train station and near the main entrance plaza where the bus from BCN and El Prat airport leaves you. It runs about €55 to €60 per night for high season.. summer... with breakfast included. The owners are really fun and in the early evenings, the hotel bar becomes a prime stopping point before heading out. The only gripe I have is the beach... It is very crowded and the water isn't as pleasant (very murky) as it would be in other spots on the Mediterranean. There are a lot of gay Britons living in Sitges, so language won't be a problem. Have fun!


lenavig1
Canada : Ontario : Ottawa

Follow up: lenavig1
14 May 2009, 09:42

I would specifically not recommend Romantic if you want quiet... they put me in the 'annex', next door to a loud discotheque.....closed at 4 am... or so


thickhard
U.S.A. : New York : New York

Follow up: thickhard
14 May 2009, 13:49

lord. THANKS for that heads up about the Romantic. I just found them through Pink Pages and sent them an email asking for more info - their site is rather vague on details. I am a light sleeper, so a club next door is a definite NO NO for me.
On the typical hotel.com type sites I only find hotels right on the beach, which would also seem to be very noisy.
Hotel Liberty sounds good - any other suggestions from anyone else who has been to Sitges?
Thanks again for all the help guys! This entire trip is turning into an internet based adventure!


thickhard
U.S.A. : New York : New York

Follow up: thickhard
14 May 2009, 14:02

Hotel Liberty looks great, but its 115 euro per night, so not such a great option for me. Anyone know anything about Antonio's Guesthouse? It looks quite nice, for about 20 euro less per night.


thickhard
U.S.A. : New York : New York

Follow up: thickhard
14 May 2009, 15:50

thanks - but I already have fantastic accommodations in Barcelona for only 30 euro/night, I need info on Sitges only now.


notyermate
U.K. : LONDON : Hackney

Follow up: notyermate
12 Jun 2009, 02:51

It seems like eveyone is going to Bcn in August... :P How lucky am I? I'll be there as well from the 5th till the 17th and maybe even a bit longer. I might actually go to Sitges for a few days after the 17th. So any more info is always welcome...


notyermate
U.K. : LONDON : Hackney

Follow up: notyermate
13 Jun 2009, 18:02

Not a very buy thread, is it?... just trying to keep it going for a bit... Any more info on Bcn and Sitges?


Tim_Kruger
Germany : Berlin : Berlin

Follow up: Tim_Kruger
14 Jun 2009, 08:37

we will visit Sitges and Barcelona in early september!

photobloke
U.K. : Dorset : Poole

Follow up: photobloke
15 Jun 2009, 04:29

i'm going to sitges and barcelona july 2nd, about my 6th time. Sitges has a great weeknd gay scene, most of the bigger bars have gorgeous strippers, XXL has darkrooms and is very blokey, Prinz club is small but strippers and hot shower night (its a shower on stage for anyone to strip and shower in!), I got stripped naked by a hunky stripper. Piano Bar is music based quite tasteful, parrots is where everyone starts for a drink to watch passers by. Sitges gets much much less busy from mid september to april, but if you can catch the festiovals and the fabulous firweorks shows its a real treat. August is best (and the most expensive).

Barcelona has some nice bars like Dietrichs, lots fo saunas full of hot Spanish men, but avoid the one neaerst Place Despanya unless you want to spend all your time saying no thanks (or yes please!) to Rent Boys - dozens of fit ones, but 30 minutes was all i could take before it got annoying and left!

Barcelona is a fabulous city even without a gay scene, but the gay nude beach is also full of eye candy. The nude beach in sitges is quite a hike over coastal cliffs, is very small, and is next to a busy mainline rail line - gay men love taking the risk of getting killed to go cruising in the woodland across the line rather than walk over a bridge on top of a hill. The trains are VERY fast and come storming out of a tunnel, so dont do it!

Saturday, June 06, 2009

[ymna2] cloudscapes

From: atitlan on his [ymna2]  yahoo group

Vegetating amid vegetation

Message sent by atitlan on his[ymna2] yahoo group

Meet the Scenic Boys: Outdoor naturist adventurers

Have you heard of the Scenic Boys? Check out their blog/site at: http://scenicboys.typepad.com

Their site is amazing. They are amazing. They embody exactly what nudism and eco-friendly travel and outdoorism should be about. Also You can find their video on Vimeo. Search for scenicboys.
Here are some pictures of these two splendid guys. See below for a clip showing extracts from a couple of their videos. A big thank you again to Dusty and Garret and a strong recommendation you bookmark their site and follow their further adventures.


The Scenicboys are Dusty and Garret, a handsome gay couple from Seattle who love to go on hikes and car trips into the big outdoors. They are at ease with being naked, though they they might not describe themselves as nudists. They have a website with many of their photographs from past trips:
http://scenicboys.typepad.com/

Linked to it are (currently 12 or so) lengthy video clips of a very professional nature.
I felt I was with them there as they hiked up mountains and around waterfalls. My thanks to them for allowing us to enjoy their adventures and for being models of how young gay men should act (and can interact) with and for the world.

Here are some pictures of these two splendid guys.
They are a fabulous cute couple and even without seeing them naked [ their privates ] is a real treat. Is rewarding to see a great relationship that like that can exist in the modern fickle USA world. A big thank you again to Dusty and Garret and a strong recommendation ou bookmark their site and follow their further adventures.

Tropical Vacation

It won't be long (August 1st) before I depart for my own tropical vacation near the southern shores of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Photos forwarded from atitlan from his Yahoo Group [ YMNA2]

Friday, June 05, 2009

Started new Web 2.0 App Mobypicture

Mobypicture updates Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Blogger and Vimeo all with one emailed posting from my cell phone or iPhone (or web upload).


- Posted using Mobypicture.com