It resembled something from the frames of a French surrealistic film.  Nude men and women walking along a river, absorbing the sun light while oblivious to the towering panel buildings that surrounded them.  The feeling of absolute unreality and of a casual happiness pervaded all who were present here, and this was the first thing I noticed.  Was this why they come here?

"Well, will you take your swimsuit off?"  – Ira asked me while she lay naked on the sand smearing her shoulders with sun cream.  She didn't believe I would have the courage to join her.

I didn't doubt whether I would undress or not.  My second feeling that emerged after the shock of being at a nudist beach had passed was the wish to throw all the clothes off as fast as possible.  I wanted to be like everybody else at this beach, and to rid myself of the feeling that I was a stranger in this holiday from normal life.  You can't just run away from here.  No, you can't go away now.  Other principles of life rule here.

So I took off my swimsuit.  But, for some reason, nobody paid any attention to this.  Except me.  "Ira, you may go swimming, perhaps.  I'd rather lie on belly."

Soon, when my back had become burnt I decided to go swimming at last.

"Well, it is 100 meters to the river", said Ira.  "There is a guy 5 steps away from us, and then a whole group of people.  Okay, sweetheart, just do it".  I had summoned my strength and moved towards the water.

Oh, it was really super!  I felt like a mermaid in a water-lily pond.  No matter, there were a lot of other water-nymphs around me too.

Eventually I emerged from the water.  Suddenly, I don't feel shy any more.  Now I fully understand Ira's point of view.

In contrast to other beaches, where people swim and tan dressed, here I didn't meet tipsy teenagers, rushing wildly among vacationers and swearing at each other.  Nudist vacationers differ sharply from the non-nude.  They lie on the hot sand peacefully while warming up their bones.  These vacationers are not burdened with puritanical breeding, but austerity of morals, and good manners are displayed here…

I became a kindred spirit with these people by the end of the day.  Having made the acquaintance of the entire beach, I forgot I had previously wanted to spend my time sitting in bushes watching all these crazy people when I first got to the beach.  But nudists are fine people.  They think about life philosophically and forgive others who do not understand what nudism is all about.  The only real distinction is an even suntan.

The pervading atmosphere of benevolent, good natured, pleasant and open-minded communication between these naked people surprised me and made an unbelievably positive impression upon me.  People communicate freely, joke with each other, play different games, give each other massages and nothing special happens at the same time.  It's fine!

It is impossible to come to nudist beach once.  If you have stripped off once and experienced the place, you will never go back to "normal" bathing.  It is a turning point in your life and a good point of reference at the same time.  Life has taken its normal course.  Now I have grown up.  And more and more you are drawn to the water, to be a mermaid again.

But there is one disadvantage.  After the first experience of freedom at a nude beach, one begins to sleep naked, eat naked and even watch TV naked.  Clothes start pinching and hurting you.  And when you see a crowd of people you are surprised as to why so many people are in one place still dressed?  It's time to change principles.

Article donated by Galina