Vassaliki

Bare Brilliance

Dealing with the media and naturism.

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As a company we are always looking for ways to sell and market our products. It’s a way of life for any business and with experience of owning my own business in the past it can be a difficult and sometime’s an unrewarding job.

But when the nude body is in the equations it’s a completely different ball game! Magazines, radio stations, TV and newspapers always seem to want some type of story for the media and Samantha and I have had our fair share of calls from the press.

When Samantha and I decided back in 2007 to open Vassaliki Naturist Club the naturist media H&E, BN, Naturist life and the many European naturist magazines gave us plenty of coverage in their magazines with articles and adverts we managed to get a good number of bookings subsequently from the active naturist market. But our vision has not been to just sell to the already converted. We believe that naturism is one of the best ways to relax when on holiday and a superb way to make new friends.

Vassaliki is a small unimposing resort so offers the first time naturist a perfect opportunity to enjoy their first naturist holiday. So we decided we needed to try and sell to the unconverted. How? I guess we needed to get our resort in the main media. During the summer of 2006, Studland naturist beach in Dorset (near were we used to live in UK) was getting bad press both in our local and in the national papers. I wrote to our local paper with the news that a young couple from the area were leaving the UK to set up their own naturist resort in Greece and that naturism was still a thriving and popular lifestyle.

This was the start of our involvement with the media. First the Daily Mail ran a half page story in April 2007 which caused a tidal wave of calls and emails. We had a bidding war between rival magazines wanting our story and constant calls from radio stations wanting interviews. Samantha and I had become overnight celebrities and we were in Greece trying to not only to open our resort but deal with the barrage of calls.

The interest was too much; we were dealing with a monster and did not know where to turn until we received a call from the lady who wrote the piece for the Daily Mail offering us an agent to deal with all the requests. She was an angel and listened to what we were prepared to do; she went through all the requests for interviews and came up with a plan to offer us the best exposure without jeopardising our business.

We sold our story to four magazines, Women, More, First and Living Abroad, plus see set up a few radio interviews which were to be done over the phone. We then had a call from ITV’s “This Morning” programme who asked if they could fly us back to London to be on the show with Fern Britain and Phillip Schofield. They wanted us to sit nude on the sofa and talk about our change of lifestyle and naturism. We declined the offer on the grounds we did not have time to travel back and that we would not be comfortable being nude in a TV studio. We offered to go nude if they filmed on our resort but we guess that either their budget was limited or they didn’t have the balls to do it – excuse the pun!

Since the initial wave of calls we have had a steady stream of media requests. Many are turned down due to time scales or the lack of direction but we have managed to get the attention of a large mainstream tour operator. We are now the only naturist resort being sold by this large corporation.

We have employed a professional designer to do our brochures and exhibition stand. This was a big step for us as we have been doing all the design work ourselves. We are now working toward bringing our website in line with the brochure and to offer a quality front to our business. I love my job of marketing our resorts and educating people about our naturist lifestyle. Not only to get people to visit our resorts but to encourage people to continue with naturism by attending and supporting other naturist clubs and activities. We hope the more people using the resorts and clubs, the more new facilities will become available to us all.

A Perfect Combination

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Some things in life go together so well, and compliment each other so perfectly, you wonder if there has been some divine intervention at play.  Like strawberries and cream, sea and sand – and for us Naturism and Sailing. All these things have a sum that is greater than their two parts – they are perfect!  And sailing naked for us has been a truly ‘bucket-list’ activity.

We all know the absolute pleasures of skinny dipping.  This is often the first activity that seals it for most of us that we want all our holidays to be unclothed.  That feeling of freedom of swimming naked that is followed by the added bonus of no wet sticky clinging fabric that takes an age to dry.  So it is the same feeling once you go sailing – unclothed.  I have to be frank here – I am not talking about sailing to the Fastnet Rock, or in global latitudes that would freeze you solid.  Sailing where the sea is azure blue, the breeze is warm and dry, and that the sun shines from rising to setting are the kind of places to sail.  Then you have found perfect naturist sailing conditions.  The freedom of naturism marries perfectly with being blown by warm breezes freely over clear blue waters.

We discovered the very same perfect combination last year whilst staying at the beautifully maintained resort of Vassaliki Naturist Club, on Kefalonia, an island that is a jewel in the Ionian Sea. One of the excursions was for a day’s naturist yacht trip.  The trip sounded nice and our fellow holidaymakers spoke highly of their experiences.  With other guests from our resort we embarked on the stunning 38 foot yacht, ‘Ino’, out of Argostoli, a beautiful port on the south west corner of the island.  Even before fully leaving harbour we were seeing huge loggerhead turtles swimming just below the surface of the crystal clear waters.  That day we cut through gentle waves under the power of taught white sails to a deserted ‘tropical’ isle where we swam and snorkelled in crystal waters, and dined on simple greek cuisine and wines.  The simplicity of the whole day harmonised with everything we love about naturism.  We were hooked.  Sailing naked was in our blood.

The same holiday we were drawn to taking an exhilarating RIB day – seemingly skimming between stunning bays, punctuated with lunch the most rustic taverna built and lazy sunning moments on beaches far from the madding crowd.  There seems to be a certain euphoria brought about by speeding naked in a powerful boat – or is it just raw adrenaline?

Another opportunity came our way to sail naked in January this year.  Thankfully it wasn’t in the cold of the Northern Hemisphere.  It was in the winter sun of Cape Town’s stunning Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. We sailed on a sleek white catamaran owned by friends we had made at the new Vasnat naturist spa resort.  A retreat of stunning quality in the elegant South African Winelands region.  On this occasion we saw penguins swimming along side our super smart vessel, making flashing dives into huge shoals of small fish feet below the shining surface.  We saw seals, their heads bobbing with curiosity, so close we could see their huge round black shining eyes as they watched us glide by.  Unusually for the time of year, only yards from our bow, we were privileged with the iconic sight of a Southern Rights’ whale tail upend and slip below the ink black deep water as it made its way through silent depths.  Some days you know you are blessed – sailing on those waters, warmed by a distant southern sun, we knew it doesn’t get much better.

So what do you do when you have discovered your love of this divine combination?  Well, our answer was to go sailing for longer.  Day trips are an awesome fillip – but sailing naked for a week with a ‘crew’ of likeminded people becomes an apex in naturist holiday-making.  Once again we returned to Kefalonia and journeyed from our naturist resort base of Vassaliki to Fiskado in the north of the island where we boarded the ‘Tove’ – a 42 foot, six cabin luxury catamaran.  This magnificent sleekly double wedged piece of luxury marine boat building took us around the blue seas that divide Kefalonia, Lefkas, Ithaka and mainland Greece.  We sailed with our very able skipper Mark Taylor (owner of Vigla Natura), and his hardworking most amiable hostess Annie, and six other ‘crew’ (our fellow holidaying guests).  The popularity of this sailing week was evident with guests joining from the UK, Israel and South Africa.  We sailed together to quaint traditional harbours, isolated white beached coves and across deep blue channels legendarily sailed by Jason and his Argonaughts.  We BBQ’d on curved marble white stone coves, snorkelled over tantalising green dancing sea grasses, and excitedly grabbed for our cameras when a pod of dolphins chose to chase their silver prey beneath the bows of our trusty two white hulls.  And not only are the days wonderful but the nights are beautiful – to sit up on deck, anchored in a far off cove with your fellow travellers, waxing lyrical as the heavens slowly spin above is a magical experience.  A week of this leaves the heart full and the spirit re-charged.

Special to naked sailing in the Ionian is that you share those resplendent waters with a special community of yacht loving transient neighbours.  Many are ahead of you in realising the joys of being naked on their well manicured sailing vessels.  It is not an infrequent occasion to see fellow sailors in naturist garb.  We’re back to that perfect combination again!  However, those evenings spent in port had to revert to traditional textile coverings, that were only to be cast aside moments after sailing away from those old quaint sailing refuges.

Those long warm June days spent on the Ionian Sea, shared with fascinating people who had travelled from around the world to be there, gave us an appreciation of the feeling of freedom and accord that we have only truly experienced with sailing naked.  We had felt warm winds blow over us.  We had swam in waters that can only be reached by boat.  We had travelled with people who like kindred spirits had made that discovery that sailing and naturism are a very special combination – one of those experiences that every person who is comfortable in their own skin should really add to their ‘bucket-list’.

A Greek Naturist Odyssey

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Greece. Endless azure skies. Land a mix of rolling green-white mountains and low scrub punctuated by towering rocks. An archipelago of islands rising from a pellucid sea which is sometimes green, often as blue as the sky above; Homer’s “wine-dark” sea. And miles of coastline, with many beaches, sandy or pebbly, havens for naturism once away from the textile crowds.

 

Nudity in public is not “officially”legal in Greece, but away from the main cities of Athens or Thessaloniki, rules and regulations are often only a distant idea. In practice, as long as you do not offend the locals by being naked near a church, the Greeks are tolerant of naturism on beaches or in remoter places, and their tourist industry, being one of Greece’s main sources of income, finds a place for everyone including naturists who come to spend their euros in this beautiful and welcoming country.
There are several naturist hotels or resorts in Greece, 3 of which will be the focus of this article as we have stayed at all, sometimes more than once, and found them all excellent though in different ways.
The Hotel Vritomartis on the south coast of Crete has been open for naturists since the 1980s and is Greece’s oldest naturist holiday spot. Run by a Greek family, the hotel and bungalow complex also employs many eastern European staff; we met waiters etc from Russia, Croatia, Estonia and Poland. Service is courteous and friendly.
The mini resort is located on the southern coast a mile from Hora Sfakion, the village where the famous Samaria Gorge spills out into the sea. Ferries run from the village to other islands of Greece and to the mainland, and small boats can be hired. Many coaches visit each day, picking up tourists who have walked the gorge. It is possible to walk Samaria and the nearby Imbros Gorge from Vritomartis; take some lightweight boots if you are a keen walker, as the rough paths are not really suitable for sandals or even trainers. There are a number of organised excursions run by the hotel.
The Vritomartis complex consists of a main hotel, with double, twin and single rooms, and a number of bungalows, sleeping 2-4, which allow for a more completely naturist holiday as clothes must be worn in the public rooms of the hotel: a large bar, lounge and reception area with 2 outdoor terraces, one of which is used for dinner every evening unless the weather is too windy. There is also an indoor restaurant where breakfast is served each morning. They have a small shop selling essentials, and a café bar serving lunches and drinks and snacks all day. In all of these areas, you must wear at least a sarong (on sale in the shop) but you can walk round the extensive gardens and grounds naked, and even use the paths and roads to the 2 private beaches naked as you rarely meet anyone who isn’t also a naturist. There is a hotel mini bus service several times a day to the main FKK beach, which has a taverna for lunches, snacks or drinks (textile).
Outside the hotel, the gardens have sunbathing lawns meticulously watered each day, plenty of sun beds and shady trees for the middle of the day, and a huge swimming pool as well as a small children’s’ pool, all naturist. There are games areas and a small children’s playground (NB do not expect the same “safety” standards as Britain!)
The 2 beaches are part sand part pebble, and one of them has a great shady cave for cooling off in the heat of the day. If you hire a car, there are several other good beaches a short drive away, Sweetwater Bay being one of the nicest for a skinny dip. If you prefer not to drive, the small bus takes you to Hora Sfakion and back as well as to the beach each day. You can have a morning in the village or catch a boat to other parts of the coast and back.
Vritomartis, whether you rent a room or a bungalow, offers holidays on a half board basis, with an extensive choice at the buffet breakfast in the indoor restaurant, and a 3 course dinner on the terrace: all buffet style with a large choice of salad style starters, a range of meat, fish or vegetarian main dishes with vegetables, and a choice of fruits, ice creams or Greek desserts to follow. Wine, beer or soft drinks can be ordered at the table, and there are no set places; you just turn up and find a table each night. The standard of food is very good and there are some authentic Greek dishes. The snack bar meals are good too, and often cater to more English tastes, but the moussaka is to die for!
We had a great fortnight here. Our daughter loved the huge pool, where every day children from all over Europe played ball in a dozen different languages! Despite the games, the pool was so large that it never felt crowded, and many people loved to sit on the gradual steps going down to the shallow end, soaking up the sun, cooling off when necessary, and talking. We liked the fact that there were people there from all over Europe; there were other British holidaymakers, but it certainly wasn’t “Little Britain”, and we got to practice our French and Greek.
Vritomartis is a long drive from Heraklion or Chania airport; about 2 hours, either by hire car or taxi transfer. The road is scenic, mostly good, but the final descent to Sfakion is quite steep with many bends.

 

Vassiliki Naturist Club: English run, comfortable; a little paradise on a truly beautiful island.

 

 

Vassiliki is run by Mark and Sam and their team, so if you prefer a resort run by British people this is the place for you! It’s not little Britain either, however, with many visitors from Holland, Germany, Italy and France as well as locals from Greece. The resort is very private, consisting of 12 comfortable apartments/studios of different sizes, set in their own extensive gardens with sun terraces and pool, in the little village of Kleismata in the south west of Kefalonia. The apartments are of a high standard for Greek accommodation, which is often very basic; if you’ve always holidayed in France ,Spain or the Canaries, you may find Greek accommodation a bit of a shock at first, but at Vassiliki you’ll be staying in a studio or apartment with all the amenities you’ve come to expect elsewhere. Cooking facilities are better, with proper fridges with icebox, full size cookers and grills/ovens, and a kettle. There are decent dining tables/chairs and comfortable lounge seating, as well as decent sized bedrooms, plenty of wardrobe space and outdoor patios or balconies with tables and chairs for dining or sunbathing. The bathrooms are positively luxurious by Greek standards with walk in showers (the average in Greece is a small room with a shower head which you spray everywhere!), though you still have the problem that you have everywhere in Greece: the country’s plumbing cannot cope with toilet paper, which you have to place in a bin next to the loo. But the cleaning is very good and the apartments are kept spotless. They all have mosquito netting too which makes for a more comfortable stay!
Outside, there are lawns, a beautiful gazebo, plenty of sunbeds for everyone staying, and a lovely, spotlessly clean pool. There is also a bar and shaded seating area serving breakfast, light lunches and a variety of local snacks and meals in the evenings. During the day when the staff have their off duty time there is an honesty bar for drinks, snacks and ice creams. Once a week Mark and Sam light the barbeque and cook meats and fish, served after Greek starters and with vegetables/ salads, and followed by a dessert. Wine is included with this evening, which makes it good value, and the meal is followed by a game of Giant Jenga, which is always uproarious! The loser in each game has his/her name inscribed on the brick that brought the whole edifice toppling down to screams of laughter from all the guests. I can reveal that we have been there 3 times and my name is so far absent from any brick; not so my husband Peter, who has his name there once for every year, and twice for our second visit!
There are other games and magazines to read in the sheltered sitting area near the bar, and a local masseuse visits on certain days of the week to give guests a relaxing naturist massage under the shade of the olive trees. Mark and Sam also organise a “Mezze evening” once a week at a local Taverna: guests usually walk (or occasionally drive) to the restaurant, where the food, all local dishes with a huge variety, keeps coming to the table until everyone is full! Drinks are included, and again this is good value, especially for the sense of camaraderie which develops around the table! It’s worth putting your clothes on for this evening.
In addition to meals, Mark and Sam organise trips out; my daughter went on the “rib” visiting local beaches and raved about it. I took part in a sailing day, which I enjoyed apart from the rather rough wind that blew up as we headed back to the harbour at Argostoli in the afternoon, and snorkelling is always popular. The boat trips are naturist once the boat has left harbour.

 

Vassilki is very easy to reach even though it’s in the middle of nowhere. It is about 15 minutes from the airport, and 15 minutes from the capital Argostoli, which is a beautiful town with shops, museums, and a waterfront which will have you convinced you’re in the Lake District only with sun! The water sparkles on the lagoon, with fold upon fold of mountains rising behind, culminating in the peak of Mount Aenos (yeah, we joke about that one all week!) which towers above at the summit of Kefalonia. Because the Ionian Islands are greener than Crete, you really could be in the Lakes!
Vassiliki will arrange a taxi transfer from the airport, and then the next morning when you’ve had a night’s sleep, your car will be delivered and you can do the paperwork at the bar. This beats picking up a hire car at an unfamiliar airport terminal any day! You do need a car on Kefalonia because there are no buses to speak of. Supermarkets etc are only 5 minutes’ drive away if you want to cook for yourself, and there are a couple of tavernas within walking distance, with several others within 5-10 minutes’ drive. You can buy almost anything in Argostoli, 15 minutes away, though if you want reading material Mark and Sam have a good selection to borrow, and sell towels, kilts and other souvenirs.
There are several good beaches within easy driving distance of Vassiliki. Paleolinos beach, 10 minutes’ walk from the popular Avithos beach (textile, with 2 good restaurants) is about 15 minutes away by car. You can also walk it from the club, down a little narrow road, but it’s a long haul uphill on the return journey! This is a lovely usually sandy beach with large rocks, which never seems to get crowded. We also loved flat sandy Lourdas, about 20 minutes drive away. Mark and Sam provide a little guide in your apartment to the best beaches, restaurants and other attractions locally, and to the excursions they run. Just writing about this place has made me look forward to going back!
Panorama is the newest of the 3 naturist venues we’ve visited, having reopened as a naturist hotel in 2010; we visited in summer 2011. It’s at the southern tip of the island of Zakynthos (or Zante as some tourists know it), about 45 minutes’ drive from the airport, and about 40 minutes from the capital Zakynthos Town.
Zakynthos is more touristy either than Southern Crete or than Kefalonia, and as green and pretty as the latter island, but has the advantage of more frequent flights from a wider number of airports, and the southern end, which comes to an abrupt rocky halt at Gerakas, is very quiet compared to the rest of the island. Vassilikos, about a mile and a half away, is a small village where the Panorama is situated. Run by a local family, it is ideal for naturists looking for a totally relaxed holiday away from the tourist trail. This year, we were the only British people for our August fortnight, sharing the hotel mainly with Germans and some Swiss, Dutch and Czech naturists. Everyone was friendly, and we had a great time. (We gathered that more Brits go in June or September)
The accommodation here is more typically Greek, therefore basic, than that at the other 2 resorts, but has all you need, in particular comfortable beds, air conditioning (they all do, but it’s included at Vassiliki whereas here there is a charge), and lovely flower-surrounded terraces or balconies for sitting out to eat, drink or relax. Outside there are gardens, with plenty of sunbeds, a pool, and trees for shade as well as sun drenched patio areas. A welcoming bar serves drinks and snacks all day. The main reception area has tables for eating inside if the weather does not permit alfresco dining, but when we were there both breakfast and dinner were eaten on the outside terrace from tables overlooking the pool and gardens. A much larger pool is under construction and should be really good when it’s finished.
The food is an absolute highlight of holidays at Panorama if you like real, authentic and delicious Greek food. It’s half board, and all cooked by the family. Breakfast is the usual buffet of breads, Greek yoghurt and honey, fruit, eggs, cheese and meats, with coffee, tea and fruit juices, and it’s at breakfast that you order your main course for dinner; there are at least 2 and usually 3 choices each day, with veggies catered for. At dinner, you are served at your table, with an array of local salads and little appetisers like taramasalata or tzatziki to begin, then with your main course cooked individually, and finishing off with fruit or real Greek desserts like baklava. Wine, soft drinks or beer are served from the bar at reasonable prices. The main courses are usually straight from the oven and are to die for: our favourites were moussaka, fish in the oven and pork with rosemary. The barbeque night with fish, steak and aromatic souvlaki pork (Greek kebabs) was also superb.
The family are very friendly and Natasha will help you improve your Greek, sharing jokes with you in both languages! Pochi the dog actually thinks she’s the receptionist and greets you on arrival. Members of the family will also take you to beaches further afield if you do not have a car, and arranged both to pick us up and return us to the airport when we arrived during the taxi drivers strike, which we appreciated! If you agree to go to Dafni Beach, which is naturist beyond the first hundred metres or so, be prepared for a most beautiful beach with clear waters where you can swim, snorkel or just stroll for miles, but also be prepared for a hair-raising drive, down a single track road which snakes down the hillside in a million hairpins, which you can see clearly from the plane as you take off for your flight home!
There are 2 beaches within walking distance. Gerakas is a beautiful “turtle beach” and conservation area. It’s just over a mile away, a level and easy walk, and the naturists gather at the far end where the island comes to a rocky point at its southernmost tip. You must avoid sunbathing near the nests, which are cordoned off in places. The beach is sandy, flat, and shallow for a mile out, very good for less confident swimmers, though there was one day when we had big waves as there had been a high wind the day before.
If you want just a 10-minute stroll from the hotel, there’s a small beach at Porto Roma; walk beyond the sunbeds around a small headland, and wade the next rocky outcrop to find a secluded little pebbly beach where no one else comes. It gets the morning sun and we always had it to ourselves. The sea has a sandy bottom with some big rocks and is excellent for swimming or snorkelling. One day we went in the afternoon and were surprised to find a “Greek boat trip” anchored half a mile out to sea. Lots of textiles swam to shore and back, but no one seemed to mind the naturists!
There are a few tavernas serving either lunch or evening meals within walking distance of the hotel, all of them good, and a shop which stocks almost everything including delicious home made bread and cakes. The Panorama also has an extremely well stocked library/book exchange so you’ll not be short of holiday reading.
We liked this hotel very much, finding it more authentically Greek even if simpler than the other 2, and liking the quietness of the area and lack of loud touristy places. To be honest, we love all 3 places. Vassiliki we will go to again and again, as it’s also quiet, comfortable, friendly and relaxing and Kefalonia is truly beautiful. Vritomartis is ideal for walkers, and for families, as so many children go there, so yours will always find someone to play with, though you can still get away from it all in your bungalow, most of which overlook the sea. The drive over the mountains is long and scary in places, but the roads are generally better on Crete and Zakynthos than they are on Kefalonia where you need nerves of steel, especially driving the little Matiz cars they hire out; it was like driving a hairdryer!
New naturist places to stay are opening up in Greece; we hear of Kalokairi in Northern Crete and Fig Leaf in the Peloponese for instance, and will probably try these too. Wherever you choose, Greece is a beautiful, laid back, welcoming country with friendly people and breathtaking scenery. Kalo taxidi!

Money Maker Magazine Article

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MONEYMAKER MAGAZINE MONEYMAKER MAGAZINE
DON’T FORGET YOUR ICE PICK

Travel is meant to excite.
What’s the point of breaking
out of your busy day-today
life to not feel the blood
pumping around your
veins? Surely you owe it to
yourself to feel alive whilst
topping up your tan? Mark
Southern set off around
the world to experience
the very best global travel
experiences to set the
pulses racing.

GETTING BACK TO
NATURE, AT VASSALIKI
NATURIST RESORT
KEFALONIA
Adventure holidays needn’t be white knuckle to
be daunting – sometimes to face true fear, you
have to let it all hang out.

Europe’s number one naturist resort is
Vassaliki, nestled into a quiet corner of the idyllic
island of Kefalonia, where a small secluded oasis
of skin-coloured calm has been created for
holiday makers who want to go au naturel.
Naturism is a growing trend across the world,
with numbers of people travelling to naturist
resorts up nearly 200% in three years. And it’s
easy to see why, as the pressures of business
and finances build up on successful people,
stifling them in both literal and metaphorical
senses. What better way to say goodbye to one
way of life, and hello to another than doing the
one thing you would never do in the office?
At Vassaliki, husband and wife owners Mark
and Sam Taylor have cultivated a wonderful
hidden gem of a resort, welcoming to both
experienced and first time naturists, and it’s
surprising how quickly the nerves disappear
within moments of de-robing.

When we first exposed ourselves to the
elements, we had a momentary bout of
supreme anxiousness. However, the joys of
naturism are manifold, with a genuine feeling
of relaxation and calmness flowing through
your veins once you overcome the fears that
millennia of fashion repression have caused.
There’s an old Chinese saying that translates
loosely to ‘only without clothes can our souls
be free’, and all hang-ups vanish once you’ve
taken the step to rid yourself of the fabric that
we identify our personalities by. Here, no-one
is a CEO, no-one is struggling at work, no-one
is pressured into being people they are not –
everyone is themselves, and it’s liberating in the
extreme.

Kefalonia’s almost guaranteed sunshine, so
you can lounge around by the pool,
or try out some of the excellent
excursions, like the fun boat trip
around the thousands of empty
beaches around the island. All whilst
wearing nothing more than a smile,
of course.

For a travel experience unlike
any other you’ll go on, we couldn’t
recommend this more highly, and
Vassaliki’s the one resort in the
world where we would advise first
timers to experience the wonders of
holidaying sans tan lines.
.. www.viglanatura.com

Naturist Sailing

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Why not join us for our exclusive naturist sailing week on board a catamaran yacht.
Enjoy the exhilaration of sailing one of these fantastic yachts coupled with the relaxation of knowing you are in safe hands.
New dates summer 2013

 

June 15th to June 22nd 2013
Our private charter catamaran yacht (with Mark your naturist skipper) offers you the guest, the freedom to have a sailing holiday without any prior sailing experience or qualifications. The trip will take you to some of the most beautiful areas of Greece and give you the chance to sail in a relaxed and friendly environment.
This charter is exclusive to Vigla Natura and will follow a route around the beautiful coastline of the Ionian Islands taking in some of the most stunning secluded bays, tranquil Greek harbours and spectacular scenery.
With a group maximum of eight people you will have the chance to enjoy both the social aspects of sailing and naturism as well as obtain quality time to yourselves whilst on board.
The yacht is designed with rounded bows giving it excellent stability for those who are new to sailing, as well as great performance for the more adventurous sailors.
The catamaran offers ample space on board to live, sunbathe and socialise. It boast double bed cabins, toilets (heads), hot indoor showers, deck shower, large galley (kitchen) as well as plenty of outside space to enjoy the sun.
The living area is extremely spacious, both inside and out. The saloon provides seating for all guests around one table. The outside benefits from a large shaded cockpit area.
This is a sailing experience and involves all the guests helping with the day to day running of a yacht. This includes sailing the yacht and mooring, cooking and preparing food (some food supplied in the price) washing up after meals on board. We don’t have a host/cook, but your skipper will be there to help. You need to fit enough to be able to move freely around the yacht.
Breakfast will be purchased and placed on board and you will have plenty of opportunity to buy the other food items for your meals that are not included.
Included in the cost is
Transfer to yacht from airport or club
All charter fees
Breakfast on board each morning with coffee and tea
Fuel
Linen
Complimentary naturist sailing towels
Habour fees
Cleaning fees
Skipper
Transfers back to club or airport
Not included
Flights
Meals
Drinks onboard
(This trip will only run subject to numbers)

The Naked Euro wins over for Greece

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I know this is a little old but I wrote it last year but never posted for some reason but I think it’s still appropriate with the situation in Greece at the moment.

In the big-money world of tourism, Greece’s woes are proving a boom for Turkey. This may be the general case for tourism but not in the niche market of naturist holidays.

Greek hotels and tour operators have been slashing prices of flights and hotels in a bid to recoup money after TV images of street riots coupled with a strong euro earlier this year persuaded vacationers to book elsewhere. But the naturists have taken full advantage of the reduced flights to the Greek islands and have done there bit towards improving the number of tourist who visits Greece.

According to Vigla Natura Ltd the owners of the popular Vassaliki Naturist Resort in Kefalonia the numbers of visitors for 2010 are up with an overall occupancy rise of some 7% on 2009. With naturists sometimes frond upon or even disliked for swimming and sunbathing nude on secluded parts of the beach this discerning tourist is not to be snubbed.

Naturists are more often than not come from high pressure high earning jobs and are looking for a completely relaxing holiday and find naturism offers them the freedom to relax without the pressures of day to day life. They are looking for quality holidays and are not averse to spending there hard earned money to get it. A small twelve room resort can contribute an estimated half a million Euros a year to the Greek economy through room rental, car hire, excursions food and drink consumption, so a figure not to be dismissed.

Meanwhile, just across the Aegean Sea in Greece’s longstanding rival Turkey, 2010 is shaping up as a record year for tourism. Revenues in the second quarter for the industry as a whole were up 7.4%, compared with last year, while passenger arrivals in the first half were up by a quarter, according to Turkey’s airport authority.

But the news for the naturists who visit Turkey are not so promising with the closer of Turkeys only naturist resort in May, when Turkish local authorities ordered the closure of the resort and beach only six days after it was opened forcing guests to rebook there naturist breaks, with many choosing the two Greek naturist resorts in Crete and Kefalonia for the sunny Mediterranean climate and ancient monuments which makes Greece one of the world’s top 20 tourist destination.

City banker Samantha Taylor who previously worked for the American Bank JP Morgan Chase, saw the potential in this growing market and sold up in the UK and moved with her husband Mark to Greece in 2007 to open there first naturist resort.

The resort has been met by the naturist community with high praise with over 40% of guests each year returning to the resort.

With the success of Vassaliki resort under their belt they now have their second winter resort underway on the Western Cape of South Africa were they will be opening their new luxurious resort in December 2011.

So should we all open our hotels and resorts to naturists? Well the answer is no. The market is still in its infancy and resorts must be selected with great care and knowledge. We see resorts open but close soon after as they have not considered the naturist guests needs. Naturists are still a small minority and the community is small, get it wrong and the news will travel fast round the community via the many forums and message boards.

So if you are under pressure at work and want to find complete relaxation try it! Naturism may just be what you are looking for.

Day visitors to Vassaliki

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Mel and Sue have been day visitors to Vassaliki now for several years and this is their story –

After moving to Kefalonia in January 2009 we stayed at a rented villa not far from XI beach.  Over the first few weeks we explored the island while we waited for the winter to end. Things slowly improved weather-wise then all of a sudden on the 1st of May, it was as if “Someone” had flicked a switch and the beautiful sunshine we had been expecting arrived! This was our cue to start investigating the array of beaches round the Island.

We regularly visited the closest beach to us, XI , as it is a great spot, very sandy.  Being naturists we stroll along the red sandy beach, continue past two areas where the cliff is still projecting into the sea and normally choose ourselves a spot where we feel we can strip off and enjoy the sun without causing any “offence” to any other unwary bathers.
It was on one of these occasions, we had been laying there for about one and a half hours with the occasional dip to cool off, when we spotted a yacht dropping anchor in the bay in front of us. The folk onboard proceeded to get into a tender and began approaching the beach, so we grumbled to ourselves and covered up thinking that would be an end to our tanning!  But to our surprise on reaching the beach the group stripped off (much to our delight!) so we were able to uncover and continue to enjoy our day. 

After about 30 minutes or so one of the guys from the group headed along towards us and with a warm and friendly smile asked if we spoke any English to which Sue and I roared with laughter. The guy introduced himself as Mark and gave us a card relating to Vassaliki Naturist Club, a naturist resort we had found online while we still lived in the UK but had not yet found.  We knew it was somewhere near Argostoli, but we weren’t sure of the exact location, so it was timely info for us!  As we proceeded to chat with Mark, I asked if he was connected to the resort which is when he informed us that he owned it!  We asked various questions about Vassaliki and Mark invited us to spend a day there with him and his wife Samantha.  He gave us the directions as to how to find the resort and said to ring to let them know if we were planning a visit.

A few days later we did just that!  On arriving at the bamboo covered double gates we were welcomed by Samantha (Sam) and our first impressions were of a very stylish set up; especially from as we stood at the top level overlooking the pool area with sun loungers and parasols arranged around the pool.  We accompanied Sam to reception and filled out a visitors form and were greeted by Mark. The formalities dealt with, we were taken on a tour of the facilities which we must say are all top notch, the empty apartment we first got to view (many were occupied) was very well laid out and equipped, spotlessly clean and fresh.  Next we headed down to the pool area and sat at the bar with a cold beer while we chatted with Mark and Sam about the place.  

Having taken up a good deal of their time we choose a couple of the sun beds and lay enjoying the sun being acknowledged by the array of other guest who were staying at the time.  We relaxed in the sun, swam in the delightful pool, until around 1pm when we decided (inspired by lovely aromas from the bar) it was lunch time and after such a strenuous morning (LOL) we were famished!  So we headed to the bar area to study the varied menu and eventually made our selection.  In a short while our meals (freshly prepared) were placed at our table – extremely well presented and as tasty as they looked!  We ate accompanied with more ice cold beer and chatted with the cross section of guests from various countries.  A very leisurely lunch over we returned to the loungers for more sun!  A great afternoon spent relaxing and chatting, with lots of good feeling and humour adding to the ambience.  We stayed until about 6.30 pm before making our way to leave, but before departing we spoke to Mark and Sam – thanking them for the hospitality and a wonderful day, and also discussed our “now standard” Seasonal Membership, which is now in its second year.  We try to visit at least once a week and if Mark and Sam have a spare bed we sometimes join the BBQs or mezes relaxed without having to worry about the long drive home.

We are delighted to be part of the Vassaliki family, of course meeting new friends each time we visit but we also take part helping on some of the projects.  So with a huge thank you to Mark and Samantha for adding so much to our life on Kefalonia…see you soon Peeps.

Editor…Thanks Mel and Sue, we love having you as part of the Vassaliki family!  They now work for us on BBQ night with the cooking, washing up and Jenga.

TWO WEEKS AT ‘HOME’

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My mother used to work in an Estate Agency many years ago , & she would often say that when a buyer first saw a prospective new home , they would know immediately that it was right for them. It would just feel like home – no doubts or hesitations, it just ‘ felt right ʻ . From that point on , the sale was a done deal !!!!!!

So it was for Alyson & I , when we first walked through the gates to Vassiliki Apartments on Kefalonia – it felt right. We were sold. We were ʻ home ʻ.

Since meeting , Aly and I have always holidayed as naturists. Social nudity for us is saved for holidays in the sun. What wonderful places we have visited, mostly with our best friends Tony and Tracey, who write regularly for Naturist Life readers. Each resort with it’s own charm and character, but few would you say , you feel more than a very welcome visitor. There are however, a few special places that cross the threshold of being a considered as ʻ home ʻ. You then hold those dear as they are the precious jewels that life afford you , only now and then. Mark and Samantha have created such a haven in Kefalonia , & in our book is of a ‘ diamond ʻ standard – that of the Vassaliki Apartments.

Alyson and I visited Kefalonia in June this year ( 2010). Unfortunately , due to other commitments we weren’t able to enjoy the company of Tony and Tracey on this holiday ; though we were always in touch on our blog through the excellent WiFi , that is available at the resort. For us , it was a return to an island we had enjoyed visiting seven years ago, when we stayed in a ‘ textile ‘ hotel just outside of lovely Skala town. At that time , there wasn’t any opportunity to stay in ‘ naturist ‘ accommodation on the island , but now rightly so, that has been rectified through the peaceful Naturist Club of Vassaliki.

Our return to Kefalonia as a naturist destination has followed years of visiting many nude holiday destinations around Europe and other places in the world. Vassaliki Apartments lie just a pleasant 15 minute drive from the airport (but not a jet in earshot or sight at the resort) & provide holidaying naturists the base to easily visit some of the finest nude beaches in Greece. Admittedly , there are no official nude beaches in Greece (bar Filaki beach on Crete) but the ‘Naturist Euro’ has become a valuable income to this country and actively encouraged, if not officially. During the two glorious weeks whilst we were there we visited seven fantastic beaches, including Mouda, Avithos and Antisamos. The other four beaches were all visited during one exciting day spent with our fellow guests from the resort on a powerful RIB excursion , provided by Mark and Sam.

What made Vassaliki home for us was the people and the environment we were in. I say ‘environment’ because this is the magic of the place that sets it at ‘diamond’ standard for us. You can be nude from the moment you arrive , to the last minute you leave , without a second thought. But as we have found, many ‘naturists’ still want to dress for dinner in the evening. There is no problem with this – indeed the mix of dressed and nude in the evening and at dinner goes unnoticed and provides a unique eclectic mix that adds to the experience for all.While we were visiting , there was a friendly bunch to socialise with , as we wished – or to keep our own company when we wanted. Sam and Mark arrange two evenings a week that provide fantastic ice-breaking opportunities ; there is the Wednesday night Mezes, at fine local restaurants, and on Saturday night they provide their own BBQ . The BBQ has a clever and challenging puzzle that draws everyone in , and allows you to get to know your neighbours. If you visit , we recommend you don’t miss out on either of these evenings – they are truly magic and great fun. The Mezes are fantastic – with more than you can eat and drink , and we met such a range of interesting and friendly people from the UK and around Europe.

Mark and Sam’s BBQs are special. From the table settings and layout through to the exquisitely cooked food – they excel themselves. Everyone seems to be ‘family’ and we have to admit , as the wine flows , the volume seems to rise – just a little. After all – we are Naturists!

Just a quick note on the accommodation – it is excellent. I said it would be a quick note ; I think if you want to see all about the accommodation and much more ,I know that Charlie Simonds has produced one of his superb ‘Naturally’ videos at Vassaliki. Mark showed me some of the quality photos Charlie took , while he was visiting , with some of the beautiful ‘Angels’ .

Mark and Sam have a love for the sea. Their personal treat to themselves is to go out on their amazing power boat, that they keep locally, and go waterskiing and snorkelling. We were fortunate, indeed honoured, to go out with them one afternoon and have an adrenaline filled few hours. The nude waterskiing was left to Mark !!!

Mark and Sam’s love for all things nautical has extended to the two wonderful naturist excursions they provide and we joined. Mark is a qualified sailing skipper and instructor although Iʻm sure there are more technical qualifications I should refer to – but the bottom line is , he is safe , and you feel very comfortable with him at the helm. If you want a rush of excitement go on the RIB trip. We embarked from the nearby , and beautiful harbour town of Argostoli and visited some awesome nude beaches – each one deserted , and accessed only by sea .The RIB is a powerful & luxurious boat , and soon after leaving port shorts and T-shirts were shed. As we left the harbour to visit our first beach we spotted three huge turtles that were returning to lay their eggs , a wonderful sight. We lunched at the most rustic taverna you will ever visit , though to save the blushes of other diners , we all dressed, for the time were there.

The other excursion, not to miss – is the naturist yacht day , on the beautiful ‘ Ino ‘. This is luxury nude sailing of the highest standard , aboard a magnificent 40’ white yacht. Aly had been a little apprehensive prior to this trip ; she doesn’t count herself as a boat person – which is a bit funny really , as every boat trip I have encouraged her on , she has loved (admittedly there has been one trip , we did some years ago in Lanzarote that was even more bumpy , than I would normally say is fun!!). This day out was one of the highlights of our holiday ; not only are you aboard a superb sailing vessel – you are at the helm sailing her. On the day we went , it was one of Mark’s sailing friends, Chris, who took us , another ex-pat who enjoys living on the Greek islands & who specialises in yachting holidays. We spent an exhilarating nude day , sailing on the azure blue waters and visiting an uninhabited island with a traditional lunch aboard, preceded by some snorkelling and cooling off , in the island’s arcing bay. Truly a day to remember.

They say that ‘home is where the heart is’. We have another place we now call ‘home’.

We have decided that we will be taking Tony and Tracey ‘home’ with us next year to visit Mark and Sam who have created their special naturist jewel of diamond standard.

Dare to Bare in the sun

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Some people are brought up with naturism and others come to it later in life. I was the latter, I don’t believe there are many of us, but now I have been introduced to it, I don’t see why many others can’t be too.

So what do you say when you are 2 years into a relationship and your potential “Yes” declares that when he goes to the beach he doesn’t wear swim wear and would you like to join him?!!!

Yes, you did read that right and for some reason he had no qualms in declaring this. I say declare, but it didn’t appear that he’d worked himself up to making this statement, it just rolled of the tongue like ‘I prefer Chinese food’ or ‘Cornwall’s a nice holiday spot.’ Was I surprised? A little hesitant perhaps but not surprised. It was in fact a running joke, even to my friends, that I would often come home from work and he’d be preparing dinner in the buff. It’s a nice welcome to come home and find the cutest arse making a gourmet delight – you should all encourage your men to do so ladies!

The next question was – did I go? The answer was “yes” – but in stages. We went down to Studland beach in Poole on one lovely summer’s day. I was really tentative, so to assist me, Mark chose a nice spot a little hidden in the dunes. At first I went topless because I had done so abroad and therefore had no qualms about it. This was all going ok, I felt I wasn’t on show and quite relaxed, so after an hour or so, I ventured to the next step. The removal of the bikini bottoms. Ever tried undressing discreetly on a sand dune? I’m sure I made a complete palaver of it, but he very kindly didn’t batter an eyelid and just let me get on with it.

Ok, so mission accomplished. I have to admit, I do remember reading the same line in my book over and over again in between glancing around me to make sure this was reality and that no one was looking at me. What I failed to realise at that point was that this was by no means the end. Slowly, but surely I was beginning to feel a little cooked. I have your typical “English Rose” type complexion and therefore did not as a habit, lie on a beach and so by now I was in dire need of cooling off in the sea. But that presented a problem. I would have to come out of hiding and reveal myself to the rest of the beach. So I instinctively reached for my bikini bottoms but Mark, taking my hand, guided me out of the dunes towards the sea. At that moment, I think I felt a resounding empathy with those coming onto a theatrical stage for the first time. Admittedly I was not going to perform, but my upbringing, social etiquette and beliefs were at risk. What if I did like it? Would I have to admit this to others who most likely would not understand? What if I didn’t like it? Would that then get in the way of our relationship? A dilemma indeed!!!

This of course was ridiculous. Mark was proud of me that day. He would never have applied any pressure and was fully prepared for me to express a dislike. I have to say at this point I wasn’t won over. But then during the holidays that followed, when we found a secluded piece of beach or a naturist section, I sometimes joined Mark in nude bathing – sometimes I didn’t! For some reason, it seemed right when in a hot country, to make the most of the sun and not sit around in wet irritating swim wear.

The crunch came when we booked a week’s holiday in June to a Mediterranean naturist resort. We are the sort of people who normally do not go for the “package holiday”. Anyway, so we chose a small-ish resort, bit the bullet and went. After the two hour windy drive, we believed we were approaching the correct area. We headed down the mountain to what appeared to be desert and all we could see was one little green oasis patch in the distance not far from the sea. This oasis in the middle of nowhere was of course our holiday location and proved to be ideal for naturism and epitomised the whole idea of returning to nature. The place was beautiful. It had lush green grass, stunning flowers and was impeccably clean – both in the rooms and all the communal areas.

We have to, of course, tell the tale of the first “naturist moment” – everyone has one!!! We decided swimming in the pool was the way ahead – somehow being beneath the water to begin with feels like a slow introduction to the idea! We took our obligatory towels with us, but decided to be brave and carry them rather than wrap them round us, especially as the pool was a stones throw from our room.

Deep breathes at the door, ready, steady go…. And who did we meet? Two gorgeous female German models and a film crew! We believe someone up there was having a laugh with us!

To this day, I still look on that holiday with fond memories – excluding the part where they asked us to play volleyball for the German television programme! When we looked apprehensive, they said, don’t worry we’ll blur out your faces, Mark’s response was, ‘it’s not my face I’m worried about!’ The memory that stays with me though is the people. The atmosphere was relaxing, friendly and easy-going. If you go on a normal holiday, no-one speaks to each other, which is the opposite of a naturist resort. I didn’t realise until this experience, how much the holiday could be enhanced by the people you met. Age and status was not a factor. We made very close friends with a retired couple and regret not visiting them at their B&B in Devon yet. I got prickly heat through the week and I was offered numerous advice and potions to try by the people around us.

I also felt beautiful. It may sound daft, but I felt like my body was acceptable. I didn’t feel fat and even didn’t worry about what to put on for dinner that evening (we did dress for dinner). This made me even more attractive to Mark and confidence oozes sexiness.

So what misconceptions are there around naturism? I think the biggest one for women is the media concept of what is beautiful. It has been in the press a lot recently about models being too skinny, but you must remember that these people are a minority. Don’t think for one minute that you could not come to a naturist resort because you are too fat, have stretch marks etc. you will not be any different to anyone else there. I did joke about the models turning up on the one occasion, but excluding them, at a size 14 I was probably one of the slimmer people there. Men may ogle at magazines, but at the end of the day they do really prefer curves, what’s the point if you don’t look how a woman should look like?

If you are worried about your size, how is having skin tight lycra against your skin any better than being naked? I bet you anything the unnatural bits bulging out of the bikini / costume looks worse than your natural shape, try taking a look in the mirror and decide for yourself! Being naked, you do feel beautiful and liberated.

In the naturist environment people could not pass judgement on who you are, what you earn, whether you are fashionable or whether you rate alongside existing friends. What a difference it made. Even the staff – though clothed – made a difference. They made the effort to talk to you as individuals.

I am not saying that I don’t take pride in my appearance any more, I do, but I don’t get so stressed and hung up about it as I did. I haven’t changed overnight, I still like buying clothes, doing my make up, looking nice in the evenings, but I have given up shoehorning myself into things that don’t really fit to try and convince myself I am a size smaller.

A lot of women can do topless, but taking the bikini bottoms off seems a bit too far. I won’t say that is daft because I felt exactly the same and still do on some days when I am lacking confidence more than most. A man asked me why the other day…could I think of an answer? I think it is seeded in a security thing, there is a certain amount of security in keeping the bottoms on. Security of what? I have no idea! But as he quite rightly pointed out, if you are embarrassed about a man seeing you naked, they aren’t interested in seeing that part anyway, there is nothing there. Their eyes are more naturally going to appreciate the breasts surely. That did make me think that maybe there is less to removing the bottoms then.

If at the end of the day you don’t think you are bold enough to make that step but like the idea of naturist beaches or holidays, come along and try it out, keep those bottoms on and only remove them if and when you’re feeling comfortable, which I have no doubt will be within less time than you think.

But won’t men be looking at you sexually? No, they don’t. I won’t deny they don’t look at you at all, they don’t walk around with blindfolds on, but because it is a natural thing, and not sexual, they just look at you as who you are. Will your husband be looking round at other women? If he is proud enough to be stood with the woman he loves, why would he need to look round? Why do you need to be any more jealous of a woman in the same state of dress as you than if you were on a standard holiday. I’m sure the woman flaunting in a bikini made of no more that triangles and cheese wire is more of a concern than the these ordinary women who don’t give two hoots who is watching and have no desire to flirt.

 

Where do you look? I also cannot deny you won’t take a sneaky look, but in that split second, because a big deal is not being made of it, ‘ooh I just saw your willy!’, because they are everywhere, the novelty wears off in minutes. You can hold a perfectly normal conversation in the buff without it mattering one bit. Which brings onto another question, how do I behave? No differently. Although you may have a greater awareness of your personal space as hugging people would require skin contact rather than clothes contact, it is not a problem. Ask yourself, when you meet someone for the first time do you give them a great big bear hug, or shake their hands and if you are someone with a more European outlook, you may kiss the person on the cheek. Where in this is there more body contact than necessary?

This may be a bit more awkward if you are there with friends, family or colleagues. We tackled this when we took my sister on holiday with us. My sisters primary fear on her first introduction to naturism was seeing her brother-in-law naked, and my husband can’t deny that the same thought went through his head. But again it was only awkward for that first moment and it is surprising how quickly it passes.

The Europeans have been practising naturism for many years, it seems only the British that are prudish and hung up on the idea that is not right. But aren’t the British hung up on everything these days? Health and Safety, the government telling you that you can’t smoke, shouldn’t drive big cars, speed cameras. I’m not saying be a rebel, but do have your own mind and not those of others around you. It almost feels like school peer pressure, that society as a whole has been taught that you wear clothes, therefore it must be correct.

So this is a nice little tale of discovering something new and liberating in life – only that it did not stop there! We are now opened a naturist holiday resort on our favourite Greek island of Kefalonia.

The biggest hurdle to overcome when venturing to open a business with an unusual concept is gaining buy-in from those around you. The first sentence from the owner of the property, from whom we are leasing in Greece, once being told the nature of the clientele we were selling to, was, ‘as long as they don’t have sex in my pool’. The “nudity equals sex” misconception is still present in many peoples association of naturism. There are strict sexual behaviour rules in naturist societies and it is even more taboo as it is a very family orientated community. It is clear that it is often a lack of knowledge that evokes this stigma

I was extremely nervous telling my family, friends, colleagues etc what we were venturing to do, but once I finally gained the confidence to do so, not one of them disappointed me. They all surprised me with wholly supportive responses and praise at the balls we had to actually do something. The hardest was telling my old place of work, where I had a fairly good professional reputation. It turned out that two of my old team found out inadvertently before I told them, but they both waited for me to come home and asked me directly before spreading the gossip. I was so proud of them and proud that we had that friendship that they respected me. As it was, I told everyone and I think they are more curious. I have to admit, I haven’t gone back into the work environment, but if I do, if our venture fails, I won’t be worried about it, a little nervous, but this experience has made me a better person who can take jokes on the chin.

Of course there were a few friendly jokes over a few glasses of wine – mainly questioning a man’s ability to control his admiration! Why not laugh about it, it can be funny. It is not belittling the concept and in no way do you laugh at the people who are naturists. But if you take the time to laugh with the jokes, you will find that you are educating whilst not actually stifling people’s curiosity to try something new. Getting defensive will only put people off. I believe many of our new found friends from living in Greece this last year will give it a try and that is a positive, because without having met us they would never have had the opportunity to try it.

I won’t be going around introducing myself as ‘Hi I’m Sam and I am a naturist’, because I don’t see it as a label or a different way of life to anyone else. We just like to lay in the sun with no clothes on to get an overall tan, it feels liberating. And as for swimming naked, that is even nicer, no more sitting around in damp irritating bikinis or shorts. There are people out there who see it more as a way of life and want to do everything naked, good on them! It may not be my choice yet, but they have every right to it. Every hobby or belief has a spectrum, some are more religious than others, some live and breath golf, others only play once a month, why not have all aspects of naturism?

But I would like to say, if your man is confident to do something like this, you are curious but unsure, come and give it a go, or vice versa. Naturists are the nicest people in the world. They are always wanting to welcome new people and will make you feel so comfortable and confident just by being them, you won’t even notice the change in you straight away until you go home and think about it. You will have a great time and I can’t wait to meet them all and hopefully you too this summer.

I’d like to thank the family, friends and new colleagues who are 100% behind us, (even those who won’t venture as far as 100% clothes-free), you know who you are! I hope I have motivated your curiosity about naturism or starting a business.

Winter’s no hardship on Kefalonia

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Well, here we are, one third of the way through the winter break of the tourist season on the island of Kefalonia, writes former Wem resident Colin Dodd from his new home.

I have been asked what folk do in the winter. The answer is, as little as possible.
After working for six months, seven days a week in temperatures of 40 plus, the working ex-pats take a well-earned rest. Many go back to the UK to visit their families and friends, but they have to be here to visit the employment office every five or six weeks to claim their winter payments – about 400 euros per month for each worker. This is not government money, but is paid into the IKA fund in the summer by the employer. IKA is similar to graduated pension payments in the UK and is required by law. Anyone caught ignoring this law is in big trouble, both employer and employee face very hefty fines, yet there are still a few who take the chance.

A few have been caught out by the UK weather this year, getting stranded in Athens for a few days; however, those using Olympic Airways have been well looked after. Food and accommodation has been provided with no argument, unlike some of the larger companies who left passengers sitting around in the airports in England. Biggest is not necessarily best, it seems.

For the locals, life goes on much as normal, working their fields, building etc. The majority of the taverna owners have outside interests as well, and they still have to work when their English employees are taking things easy.

I used to enjoy driving down the road and seeing my boss hard at it when I was off to the hostelry for a quick couple. Some days you’re the dog and some days you’re the lamp post. There are a few people who find a bit of work in winter, tradesmen especially, but there are more menial jobs for someone who wants to make a bit of cash to supplement their “dole money”. Not really legal, but this is Kefalonia, and nobody bothers too much.

In early November last year we had a few heavy storms, and the main road to Argostoli was blocked by landslides. The main road runs down the coast along the foot of mount Ainos which is 5,000 ft above sea level, so as you can imagine there is not a lot of room between sea and mountain for storm water to dissipate, and the result was a lot of olive trees lost and some houses buried up to six feet deep in mud. At one point the road was nearly washed away.

However, the workers were there at daybreak with diggers and trucks, and the road was reopened within five hours later and the houses were soon cleared too. It was a damn fine effort by those guys.

On a similar note, about four or five years ago we woke up in the village of Mavrata to two feet of snow. The locals could remember nothing like it. The weight of the snow, which accumulated on the power lines, brought down 100 poles and about 40 pylons. Despite the severity of the damage, generators were shipped in straight away so we had partial restoration of power in two days and, with some outstanding effort by the power workers, we had full power restored in eight days. The only snow we have seen since that day is a dusting on the mountain top. I hope it stays there.
Winter also gives the local authority a chance to complete the upgrade to the sewage system in and around Skala. Anyone who came last year will remember the state of the roads in that area. Two weeks before the season began we had trenches eight feet deep in an around Skala. In order to be ready for the start of the holiday season, they had to suspend the work, and bodge the roads to make them passable. Now, they are once again digging the place up and chaos reigns again. Single file traffic in places, no traffic lights, no traffic control, you just close your eyes and hope for the best. Highly amusing at times, at others, scary.

The reason for all this disruption is that, at present, all the toilets here empty into a septic tank built from concrete blocks. Most of the liquid waste is absorbed into the ground, but they still have to be emptied by the tanker at regular intervals.
If you have stayed on Kefalonia you will have seen the signs in the toilets saying, “do not throw paper in the toilet”. Pedal bins are provided for used toilet paper as it blocks the tanks after a while, causing big problems. I found this a most unusual custom when I first came, and on my visits to the UK I found myself looking for the bin. When the upgrade is complete, there will be no need for these weird and wonderful contraptions, but, what’s the betting the Greeks will STILL put the paper in bins? They’ve been doing it for years and old habits die hard.
Apart from a few days’ rain, heavy rain, the weather has been very kind this year again. A lot of sunny days, not hot, but not overcoat weather either.
I leave you with a simple question, “if the monopolies commission is such a good idea, why is there only one of them?’

Hope you get some decent weather soon.

Vigla Natura

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