Naughty or Nice beaches in Nice, FR
Apr 16th, 2015, 11:44 PM
#21
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Just now seeing these responses. Thanks all who contributed! And to Chritina for the photos. I did already know to pack beach shoes. Am looking forward to the experience. No matter how you raise your child, in America, the beaches we go to are not topless so it was a slight concern... Not a full blown panic. I actually wonder why it has changed in France! And I loved the "piscine" story and never made the play on words connection until today. Thanks again to all. Packing my bikini and no speedos.
Apr 17th, 2015, 12:34 AM
#23
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>>>I actually wonder why it has changed in France!<<<
Topless (sun-) bathing had started in the 1960ties, when there was a broad demand for sexual liberation in the western world. Toplessness was a symbol for sexual liberation, for emancipation of women and for political liberation in general. The post-war societies were considered as conservative, oppressive and prudish and exposing your natural body was a form of protest.
This is historiy now. The younger generation of women has been raised in liberty and does not need this symbol anymore. So things have somewhat normalized and the dominant attitude in Western Europe to toplessness and complete nudidity is now: who cares? Everybody may do how she likes. And indeed no one cares. We see naked breasts daily - in newspapers, on magazine covers, in the TV, not to speak of the internet. It is nothing special anymore.
In the USA, things are still different. Whole Europe was shaking heads about the fuss the Americans made of "nipplegate". That would have been nothing in European TV.
Topless (sun-) bathing had started in the 1960ties, when there was a broad demand for sexual liberation in the western world. Toplessness was a symbol for sexual liberation, for emancipation of women and for political liberation in general. The post-war societies were considered as conservative, oppressive and prudish and exposing your natural body was a form of protest.
This is historiy now. The younger generation of women has been raised in liberty and does not need this symbol anymore. So things have somewhat normalized and the dominant attitude in Western Europe to toplessness and complete nudidity is now: who cares? Everybody may do how she likes. And indeed no one cares. We see naked breasts daily - in newspapers, on magazine covers, in the TV, not to speak of the internet. It is nothing special anymore.
In the USA, things are still different. Whole Europe was shaking heads about the fuss the Americans made of "nipplegate". That would have been nothing in European TV.
Apr 17th, 2015, 01:03 AM
#24
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Life changes, and it is years since we went to beach anywhere in Europe, so I cannot comment on the current popularity of toplessness or even nudity.
However, one of the changes of recent years is a greater awareness of skin cancer, and the danger of long periods of exposure to sunlight of any part of the body, but especially those that are normally covered.
I remember reading a postcard written by my mother in the 1930s expressing her approval of the "deep mahogany shade" that her skin was following a summer beach holiday. You wouldn't write that sort of thing today.
However, one of the changes of recent years is a greater awareness of skin cancer, and the danger of long periods of exposure to sunlight of any part of the body, but especially those that are normally covered.
I remember reading a postcard written by my mother in the 1930s expressing her approval of the "deep mahogany shade" that her skin was following a summer beach holiday. You wouldn't write that sort of thing today.
Apr 17th, 2015, 04:57 AM
#26
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Sorry PalenQ, that's just not true; at least not on the beaches at Nice I frequent.>
What exact beaches do you frequent - everyone above says there is little or no topless in Nice - now on my wlak from Cap d'Ail to Monaco on the Litdtoral sentier I often see skinny dipping - where exactly are those topless-throngs on Nice beaches - me and perhaps other guys would like to know?
Christina's pictures show nothing to show.
What exact beaches do you frequent - everyone above says there is little or no topless in Nice - now on my wlak from Cap d'Ail to Monaco on the Litdtoral sentier I often see skinny dipping - where exactly are those topless-throngs on Nice beaches - me and perhaps other guys would like to know?
Christina's pictures show nothing to show.
Apr 18th, 2015, 08:35 AM
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PalenQ,
Surely the point is that the situation is as expounded by traveller: that toplessness is just not an issue for the French. You want to go topless? Fine. Old or young, no-one (French) cares.
Granted, you won't see many women swimming topless nowadays but there are still a reasonable proportion of French women in Nice, both old and young, who will sunbathe topless to prevent strap-lines.
As for your comment:
"me and perhaps other guys would like to know?"
Really?
PS "topless - throngs" is your term!
(or did you mean thongs!)
Surely the point is that the situation is as expounded by traveller: that toplessness is just not an issue for the French. You want to go topless? Fine. Old or young, no-one (French) cares.
Granted, you won't see many women swimming topless nowadays but there are still a reasonable proportion of French women in Nice, both old and young, who will sunbathe topless to prevent strap-lines.
As for your comment:
"me and perhaps other guys would like to know?"
Really?
PS "topless - throngs" is your term!
(or did you mean thongs!)
Apr 18th, 2015, 09:19 AM
#28
The main thing that you should keep in mind is that your boys will thank you forever for taking them to a beach where there are some topless women. Even if they don't say a word to you about it or claim that it was not good, you cannot imagine the bonus points they will get at school for being able to tell their friends about everything they saw. And if they are able to take a few pictures with their phones and post them on Facebook or Instagram, they will become absolute stars in their social group.
Apr 18th, 2015, 09:27 AM
#29
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French lady friends came here a few years back and we went to Lake Michigan Dunes - Sleeping Bear and climbed down to the lake and the two lasses took off their tops without thinking - I told them they should put them back on or face arrest for indecent exposure.
Apr 18th, 2015, 02:42 PM
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Yes topless throngs - the hyphen perhaps throwing you off. The topless throngs of females you say is common - Christina's pix don't show any throngs of topless folks and others say they see few or any. What beach are you talking about - it may become a hit spot for young single men?
Apr 18th, 2015, 04:51 PM
#32
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I don't know what US the OP lives in but here there are beaches where topless is allowed - or even clothing optional. Granted not most beaches - but not unknown.
As for the rest of europe have a look at the topless volleyball in parks in some German cities. Or the beaches in Scandinavia.
The human body is not a shameful thing. If one prefers to cover up at the beach fine. If one doesn;t - that's fine too. Just think it's a shame to pass this type of embarrassment on to a new generation.
As for the rest of europe have a look at the topless volleyball in parks in some German cities. Or the beaches in Scandinavia.
The human body is not a shameful thing. If one prefers to cover up at the beach fine. If one doesn;t - that's fine too. Just think it's a shame to pass this type of embarrassment on to a new generation.
Apr 19th, 2015, 12:47 AM
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PalenQ,
I shouldn't really pander to your fascination with this, but feel obliged to reply to you.
"The topless throngs of females you say is common"?
Forgive me, but I commented that:
"The beach that I go to has a mixture of topless and non-topless females. Of the topless, some are young and some are older." - not exactly the same!
Christina's pictures are of a section of Nice beach that is very popular with tourists, so I suspect that the majority of people in her photographs are not French.
The beach I visit is frequented mostly by local French people and I can assure you that the situation re topless sunbathing is as I stated above. So I will still maintain that topless sunbathing has not, as you seem to want to insist, died out in the south of France.
As to the location of the beaches I visit in Nice? Of course, I am hardly likely to reveal their whereabouts in light of your other comment,
"What beach are you talking about - it may become a hit spot for young single men?"
Who in their right mind would want their beach to be over-run by a lot of young (American) men with their tongues hanging out?! (French men don't care, that's the point!)
I shouldn't really pander to your fascination with this, but feel obliged to reply to you.
"The topless throngs of females you say is common"?
Forgive me, but I commented that:
"The beach that I go to has a mixture of topless and non-topless females. Of the topless, some are young and some are older." - not exactly the same!
Christina's pictures are of a section of Nice beach that is very popular with tourists, so I suspect that the majority of people in her photographs are not French.
The beach I visit is frequented mostly by local French people and I can assure you that the situation re topless sunbathing is as I stated above. So I will still maintain that topless sunbathing has not, as you seem to want to insist, died out in the south of France.
As to the location of the beaches I visit in Nice? Of course, I am hardly likely to reveal their whereabouts in light of your other comment,
"What beach are you talking about - it may become a hit spot for young single men?"
Who in their right mind would want their beach to be over-run by a lot of young (American) men with their tongues hanging out?! (French men don't care, that's the point!)
