I got an email from one of my readers about a hike that has become traditional on the summer solstice day on a stretch of Appalachian trail in Vermont. Although I am not sure I am joining this time, I would encourage to check it out. Here is the text that I got and a couple of pics:
Here are the directions to the hike. From Bennington, VT take US Rte 7 north to Danby. In Danby, turn right onto Mt Tabor Rd(Becomes USFS #10) and drive about 3.4 miles to the AT parking lot(on right). We meet there at 9 AM. From there we pile into some of the cars and head to Wallingford. In Wallingford we turn right onto VT Rte 140 and drive another AT parking lot( about 3.4 miles, parking lot is on left). From there we start hiking back to the other parking lot. The hike is approximately 10 miles. The first 2.5 – 3 miles is uphil after that it is a roling downhill There are plenty of ops for photos. About 2 miles from the end the is Little Rock Pond and is time for cooling off or doing some swimming. After that, it’s back to the cars. The hike is classified as moderate to easy.
In times when the Olympic torch has just been brought from Greece to London Olympics, it only makes more sense to post about one of my favorite places for camping, which bears the name of Marathon. That is where Persians attempted to invade Greece… and from where, allegedly, the courier ran all the way to Athens to tell the news of victory of the Greek army. This story, in turn, inspired the Marathon race! But I think not many people know that the beach where Persians once disembarked their warships is nowadays a perfect place for running. Given that even modern Greeks are quite easy with nudity and the beach is never crowded, you can run the way Ancient Greek athletes did – naked!
This is how this place looks from the plane:
Marathon is a little over 2-hour ride from buzzing Athens, but to get to the wilder part of the beach, you’ll have to walk from the bus station along the beach for more than an hour. (That is if you don’t have a car.) However, it is totally worth it. It’s a great weekend escape, and we often went there to camp overnight.
It’s easy to find a nice cozy spot for you tent.
So, there is not only a nice beach but also an old pine forest
with a pond
and numerous trails to wander around.
Scarcely growing old pines were perfect for hanging a hammock.
It was a lightweight variety, but still cozy enough to chill out, feeling the sea breeze all over body. I was learning Greek with a book, but not for too long as you can see…
Other “facilities” at the beach include a couple of metal platforms that are not in use anymore but are still stable and provide nice views over the beach.
But why stay on the beach all the time, if there is a forest next to it?
We were exploring whereabout of the ancient battleground in full tranquility and…
full nudity too 🙂
Haven’t I mentioned tranquility?
And of course we didn’t just walk and sit there. We also played beach bats during day,
and at night we tried a fast version of badminton, ‘Speedminton’, completed with glow sticks in the shuttlecocks. To see each other, we also decorated ourselves with glow sticks.
Then we also attached glow sticks to frisbee, which made it look like UFO in the night sky. Too bad our cameras couldn’t catch it, but it was quite a sight!
Another time, we ventured for a long run forth and back along the beach; wet sand was compact enough to run comfortably. Just a few patches have some colorful pebbles instead of sand.
If all that is not enough for your entertainment, there is also a bunch of friendly stray dogs that are happy to keep you company.
To all those who like sports (without clothes): here is a perfect opportunity for you to show your athletic talent and beautiful body in motion AND become a part of an art project of David Michalek.
This video from his previous work will probably give you an idea of what it may look like.
This is from their quest:
Casting: week of May 29th
Shooting: June 12th-16th in Manhattan
Compensation: 100USD + a still of yourself from the shoot signed by the artist
Participants needed for David Michalek’s new multi-media project to be exhibited at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in Paris in the fall. “Figure Studies” is an installation of super-slow motion scenes that show the beauty of the human body in several everyday situations.
We are looking for:
1. Athletes, or people who have some experience (they don’t have to be professional athletes but must have some experience) in one or more areas of sports such as:
Wrestlers, gymnasts, distance runners, discus, shotput, weightlifters, paralympic athletes, fencers, boxers, body builders etc.
2. We are also looking for elderly people and people who look younger that 18yr (although they are legally older than 18yr).
Please submit headshot, resume, full body photo, age, description of any athletic background, ethnicity to figurestudiescasting@aol.com
The photo shoot/filming will take place in Manhattan in mid June.
See website for past works: http://www.davidmichalek.net
Participants will be primarily nude.
One year ago I went to a fundraiser screening of a naturist-themed movie called “Act Naturally” – you can read my short review here. Now it is shown as a part of United Film Festival in Los Angeles, New York and London. The festival is already over in LA, where ‘Act Naturally’ won audience choice award, but you can still buy tickets and see it in New York and London. Act fast, New York show is just 2 days away – Tuesday, the 15th!
World Naked Bike Ride is a worldwide demonstration promoting cycling as an urban mode of transportation, as well as body acceptance. Riding naked is symbolic and effective way to draw attention to vulnerability of people against the traffic and pollution, and it also shows that being nude is not lewd. That is why we need WNBR so much in New York City, as well as probably any other big city, perhaps with the exception of Berlin, where you can ride your bike wherever you like, and you can be naked even in Tiergarten, Berlin’s equivalent of Central Park. There has a been a stunning improvement in making New York a bike-friendly city, but still, there is no cross-town bike lane in the entire Midtown Manhattan from the 20th to the 90th street, for example. Also, even though it is legal for women to be top-free in public in New York, Felicity from Young Naturists America was arrested for walking topless during an art performance on Wall Street!
This video that went viral a while ago, pretty much summarizes just some of the daily troubles of cyclists in New York City.
WNBR in New York was a big success in 2010.
It gained more momentum as a protest against oil-dependence – it was a year of bp oil spill – and the naked demonstrators did not miss a chance to stop by a bp gas station.
But last year, we did have some issues. First, we had unusually cold and foggy weather on the day of the ride, even though during the week the weather was fine. So the ride was postponed and we only had a after-party-turned-promoparty, which was actually fun.
Then when we had the second date set, there was too much police presence and no one dared to go totally naked for most of the ride.
I opted for a minimalistic jockstrap, as well as many others, and some body paint (it said ‘Green light to bikes’ on my back). I also had a tree fixed in my bike bag, as a symbol of Green.
That cherry bike painted on the back of one of my ride mates was my creation inspired by the logo of Pacha, my favorite dance club in New York. Actually, when I go out there, I do come on my bike 😉
We rode through most of Downtown and Midtown Manhattan,
and made a brief stop at Union Square for some dancing.
Only in the end, when police stopped following us, some finally disrobed totally on Williamsburg Bridge
and arrived to the after-party in Williamsburg just like that 😎
The after-party was at a bike shop, a perfect setting! I was spinning some upbeat electronica in the backyard.
I hope this year we’ll manage to cooperate with police more thoroughly, just like it was at the WNBR in Madrid when I was there in 2009, or as it happens regularly in London, which traditionally gathers the biggest number of naked riders. By the way, I wonder how WNBR will go in London this time, in the summer of the Olympics. But in any case, we need to organize the naked ride in New York, what kind of World Naked Bike Ride will it be without New York City partaking? And so far there is no certain information about WNBR NYC even regarding the date
I’ve just read about two TV programs that will show naturist families on Friday night, in Spain and in US. That’s an interesting coincidence. I probably won’t be able to watch either of them, but here are the links with some info and previews:
We get many emails suggesting to post some location or event info on our blog, and we’ll gladly do so. Just make sure to make a little story about it and add a couple of personal photos (just landscape is totally fine too). Posts about naturism in Thailand, beach resort in Tulum, and the latest description of a hidden beach in Northern Italy are good examples, if you decide to contribute.
Looking forward to hearing your stories, just drop us an e-mail!
To get there, walk from Corniglia train station in the direction of the village. Don’t go up the stairs, walk down, turn to the right and walk in the dark abandoned train tunnel. The access to the tunnel is free. Old information about the charge is no longer true.
But you will need a flashlight. After 15 minute walk you will find this gorgeous beach. It is usually very quiet and peaceful. Always nude, free and happy!!!
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[that sounds like a fun way to get to a beautiful beach!]
With this miserable weather in NYC in the last couple of days, I can’t help sharing that we actually opened the beach season two weeks ago at Fort Tilden.
I already mentioned that we went there on an unusually warm day last November, so it was only more pleasant to come there on an unusually warm day in April and enjoy the first rays of sun and awakening nature.
Although it is autumn that is usually acclaimed for diversity of color palette, the spring forest of Fort Tilden looked very multicolored too.
We first hid from the wind behind the dune but then ventured to the beach itself, but didn’t really dare to enter water.
… there wasn’t only awakening nature, though. That dried horseshoe crab found its new identity as mask 😎
Next Saturday I will participate in a 5k fundraiser run at the Bronx Zoo, Run for the Wild. We are raising money for the Wildlife Conservation Society, this year particularly for lion conservation. I unfortunately I cannot promise to run totally bare, as I usually do, but I will run barefoot. I used to have Vibram Fivefingers ‘barefoot’ shoes, but I lost them in my last trip, so I will run totally barefoot. I am still learning the techniques of Moving Naturally system, which I mention in the post about Jones Beach, which I find less energy-demanding than running that we’re used to after wearing thick sole shoes.
Join me in making tracks for lions! On April 28, I will be participating in the WCS Run for the Wild, a 5K run/walk at the Bronx Zoo. This event is dedicated to these beloved big cats, which are losing ground across the African Plains. The funds I raise will go toward the Wildlife Conservation Society projects to conserve lions and other imperiled animals around the globe and at the Bronx Zoo.
Did you know that lions now live in only a small number of African countries? The nations of Morocco, Algeria, Congo, and Gabon have lost all of their lions.
If we do not act soon, they could also vanish from Nigeria, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Being at the top of energy pyramid in many habitats in Africa, they are essential to the ecosystem. Even $10 will make a difference for lions African ecosystem. The donations I collect will go toward WCS efforts to monitor lions and work with local communities toco-exist peacefully with the big cats. With your support, WCS will continue this important work.
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