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Virtual Symposium On International Intrigue: France’s Cap d’Agde: A Truly Intriguing Swinging Utopia
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Virtual Symposium On International Intrigue: France’s Cap d’Agde: A Truly Intriguing Swinging Utopia This blog entry is part of the twelfth virtual symposium, an informal collection of bloggers who – purely for the hell of it – voted for a single topic (“International Intrigue”) and agreed, on or about September 20, to post their interpretations of that topic. A continually updated list of participants can be found here: Participants List For The Twelfth Virtual Symposium International Intrigue A tip of the chapeau to [blog annielaputain] for bringing Cap d’Agde ([post 3676153]) to my attention. Cap d’Agde is a town in southern France with a nudist section which is quickly being embraced by swingers. And when a swinger, especially a nudist swinger, embraces something, that something is very, very embraced. The Feverparties web site gives a few demographic details in its Guide to Cap D’Agde: Swingers, according to Feverparties, are primarily interested in one particular region – The Naturist Quarter, a gated area the size of a small town. People pay around 10 euros ($11.30 U.S., or $15 Canadian) to pass through the section’s gates. Once inside? Well, with the exception of service workers, it’s all naked, nearly all of the time. During the height of the season, the area hosts around 40,000 people. According to Feverparties, the complex itself is home to around 10 swing clubs, with a small handful of additional venues located nearby.  Location is everything: Cap d'Agde  An aerial view of the gated Naturist Quarter. Street-level photography is within the region is generally frowned upon. Is every nudist (or, if you prefer, naturist) who passes through the area’s gates a swinger? Probably not, although by many accounts the swinger population has been growing since the 1990s. There’s no exact census, though, so hard numbers aren’t readily available. Furthermore, when clothes come off, it’s difficult to tell the players from the sun worshippers. According to the capdageinfo site’s swingers section, “...in the old days this was a bit easier, because most swingers were shaving their intimate parts completely. During daytime the difference between a hairy intimate part and a bold one, can be spotted from miles away, so to speak. Anno 2013 more and more non-swingers are shaving themselves also, so if this would be your only selection filter, it could cause some awkward situations. Luckily there are more ways to spot like-minded people. Swingers are usually more open, they make eye contact, they are flirting with each other or they display some sexual behaviour.” Far be it from me to question the site’s experts… especially because independent research would require significantly greater language skills than I possess. As the Feverparties site notes, “Many English speakers mispronounce the place... Any French you have will help too. Most of the people in Cap are French and German with smaller numbers of Italians, Dutch, Belgians, Scandinavians, Russians and Spaniards. Less English is heard and spoken than in most holiday resorts – which only adds to the exoticism (and the anonymity)!” Paradoxically, one of the best first-person accounts of Cap d’Agde appeared in an English-language article on the U.K.’s The Guardian website. In an article titled “Welcome to the naked city: sun, swingers and very little shoplifting,” Phil Hoad gives a detailed history of the area, along with a good sense of what visiting it is like. As Hoad tells it, it ain’t all fun and games: “Signs threaten a year’s imprisonment and a €15,000 fine for any publicly committed sexual acts – evidence of the delicate balancing act performed by law enforcers here. The échangistes (swingers) have grown in number since the early 1990s, supplanting the traditionally chaste naturists. It is a rivalry adored by the media, many outlets of which held radical naturists responsible for a spate of late-noughties fires at sex clubs. As the cavorting inevitably spilled out of the darkrooms into the dunes, the village’s notoriety and censure increased. “At the same time, however, Cap D’Agde has come to depend economically on its horny newcomers. Fetishwear shops are ubiquitous. ‘It’s a naturist resort, but the most common type of shop sells clothes,’ chuckles Richard, a pizzeria waiter and 11-year naturist veteran of the village. ‘The swingers keep the place going. They’ve got an energy, and they bring in the curious.’ “So policing a naked city requires a light touch, relying on the clubs to keep their own houses in order and liaising carefully with private security to intervene when necessary.” Wow! Strife and conflict between the nudists and the swingers, complete with arson and economic leverage! Apparently local government officials are quite content to take in the revenue these folks bring in without reinvesting in basic services. According to Hoad: “Virtually everyone I speak to points out the battered roads, the overflowing bins, the drains clogged with sand. There’s a widespread perception that the town hall profits handsomely from controlling the gate – the official figure is [1.3 million euros] a year, but I’m told it’s much more – but doesn’t reinvest enough of the cash… Adrien, at the pharmacy, thinks the fact that so many residents are seasonal, and can’t vote, disadvantages it at the ballot box.” Lest any would-be visitor be turned off by such reports, know that a nudist/swinger town does have its advantages in regards to pedestrian life: Certain types of misdemeanors, such as pickpocketing and shoplifting, are rare. Notes Hoad: “Petty crime is supposedly lower on the beach than anywhere else in the city. ‘Where’s a shoplifter supposed to hide his swag?’ says Johnnie Walker, the village’s sole foreign bar owner. ‘Up his ass?’”  Note: Yeah, I know how I’ve placed this image. But readers should not, should not, should not infer that this gentleman is a shoplifter. I’ve just seen this photo associated with Cap d’Agde on several sites, and it amused me, so I figured I’d share. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic |
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How much intrigue can one engage in while naked? Certainly smuggling is possible, although understandably in small amounts. And, would I really want a Slim Jim shoplifted by a nudist? This post is great fun to read, but so many things pop up unexpectedly. I had not considered that naturalists and swingers might be at odds. It makes perfectly good sense when you point it out, but they would seem like natural allies. I t was also interesting to me that swingers could once have identified one another by shaved genital areas, which is apparently something that nearly everyone but Troglodytes like me practice these days. Maybe they need a special tattoo, or...a secret handshake? Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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How much intrigue can one engage in while naked? Certainly smuggling is possible, although understandably in small amounts. And, would I really want a Slim Jim shoplifted by a nudist? This post is great fun to read, but so many things pop up unexpectedly. I had not considered that naturalists and swingers might be at odds. It makes perfectly good sense when you point it out, but they would seem like natural allies. I t was also interesting to me that swingers could once have identified one another by shaved genital areas, which is apparently something that nearly everyone but Troglodytes like me practice these days. Maybe they need a special tattoo, or...a secret handshake? There actually ARE a few articles out there which claim to know what the secret signs of identifying swingers are. Nearly all of these pieces are bullshit, and I've been planning a post on them. Let's keep that our secret, though: I want it to be a surprise for the rest of my readers! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Oy. Naked people at war. Humanity always finds a way.  blog on! Is this just another trick by keithcancook 
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Very interesting, funny, and different is so many ways....Congrats for the job well done!!!!!    WITHOUT PASSION LIFE IS NOTHING
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If you do not want to pay the entrance , you're like me you just by the beach walk " Marseillan Plage " in France are all free beach access  Top Secret
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Great post. I've been to Cap d'Agde twice. It is quite weird shopping while naked. Strangely there are lots of clothes shops! One rule for going naked is that you must sit on a towel when in a bar or restaurant. The sea is quite cold and the beach is divided between the nudist beach and the swingers beach where sex happens. On the dunes, there are lots of single men ready to service anyone! From my apartment balcony I overlooked a swimming pool where young couples were just aving lots of sex. It became normal and returning to the UK was weird!  
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Il est prévu que mon amoureux et moi y fassions un tour. Faire un bisou à "Annie", être tout nu et tout bronzé. Rien dans les poches, rien dans la tête, mais quelque chose ailleurs.  It is intended that my lover and I will do a tour. Make a kiss to "Annie", being naked and all tanned. Nothing in the pockets, nothing in the head, but something else. Sweety
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Oy. Naked people at war. Humanity always finds a way. blog on! But -- give them this -- at least both sides will save on body armor! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Very interesting, funny, and different is so many ways....Congrats for the job well done!!!!! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Now that is an interesting place. Great post.::crickets:: Thank you for the compliment! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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If you do not want to pay the entrance , you're like me you just by the beach walk " Marseillan Plage " in France are all free beach access Top SecretGood to know... But I thought people who paid the fee were given a card of some sort... I imagine that being caught without the card would mean you would wind up in the naked jail... Annie, ma muse! Merci pour inspirer cet article! Bon à savoir ... Mais je pensais que les gens qui ont payé la taxe ont reçu une carte d'une certaine sorte ... Je suppose que d'être pris sans la carte voudrait dire que vous vous retrouveriez dans la prison nue ... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Great post. I've been to Cap d'Agde twice. It is quite weird shopping while naked. Strangely there are lots of clothes shops! One rule for going naked is that you must sit on a towel when in a bar or restaurant. The sea is quite cold and the beach is divided between the nudist beach and the swingers beach where sex happens. On the dunes, there are lots of single men ready to service anyone! From my apartment balcony I overlooked a swimming pool where young couples were just aving lots of sex. It became normal and returning to the UK was weird! About 25 years ago I visited Israel for the first (and only, so far) time. The first week I was there, I was stunned to see soldiers casually carrying their firearms everywhere. By week two, the firearms had blended into the background and I was more concerned by the number of ashtrays (I don't do cigarette smoke well). We do adapt, don't we... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Il est prévu que mon amoureux et moi y fassions un tour. Faire un bisou à "Annie", être tout nu et tout bronzé. Rien dans les poches, rien dans la tête, mais quelque chose ailleurs. It is intended that my lover and I will do a tour. Make a kiss to "Annie", being naked and all tanned. Nothing in the pockets, nothing in the head, but something else. Que la tournée, chaque fois que vous le faites, vous et votre amant apportera tout le plaisir qu'il le pouvait! Aimerait entendre parler chaque fois qu'il se passe ... et oui, vous avez dit qu'il était plus au stade de fantasme que de la phase de planification... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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First off, when I read the phrase "priapic libertines" I felt as though I had been given a gift. Thank you! I believe -- and as someone who burns easily, nude recreation really isn't my think -- that family-friendly nudism will always have its place. There are a lot of accounts of nudists who believe it is a healthy activity for all family members, but who don't want to be exposed to swinging. So the market is there for both types of activities, and while I glossed over it in my post, there are apparently delineations... although yes, in Cap d'Agde those lines seem to have been blurred during the last quarter century. Thank you for your kind words, as well as for your perspective! Delighted to have you as a commenter in the virtual symposium, and hope you'll enjoy the other contributions as well. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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The towel rule is actually quite reassuring... Thank you for your insight into Cap d'Agde! Would you be willing to write about your experiences more in detail at some point? Might make for a fun post. About 25 years ago I visited Israel for the first (and only, so far) time. The first week I was there, I was stunned to see soldiers casually carrying their firearms everywhere. By week two, the firearms had blended into the background and I was more concerned by the number of ashtrays (I don't do cigarette smoke well). We do adapt, don't we...
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Don't underestimate how clean this gentleman keeps himself... turns out he's a nudist coal miner! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Never been there, sort of a pilgrimage for swingers, but in another place, Euronat, the largest naturalist camp in Europe. It was like le Cap, mainly a family resort with swingers beaches not that far. Those of le Cap being closer ... So living nude is not swinging and swinging is not always living nude !!! You tell about clubs ... I know that not only in these do people show in kinky outfits in the sex part of the town.
 [post 3567855] My standard members mailbox xoxox Ma messagerie pour standards
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No, swinging is not living nude and vice versa... I can understand conflict between aggressive swingers and non-interested nudists, but I also wonder whether the nudists are somewhat puritanical... Nudists do have family friendly beaches and other communities, and I can understand, if they think the lifestyle is healthy, wanting to preserve it without the social intrigue of swinging! Non, oscillant ne vit nue et vice versa ... Je peux comprendre conflit entre échangistes agressifs et non-nudistes intéressés, mais je me demande également si les nudistes sont un peu puritaine... Nudistes ne disposent plages familiales amicales et d'autres communautés, et je peux comprendre, si ils pensent que le mode de vie est en bonne santé, voulant préserver sans l'intrigue sociale de l'échangisme! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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This was fun reading
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This was fun reading Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Remember the sunscreen... and a very careful application process! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Good one Humor hugsssss V Thanks for your contribution to this month symposium!!! A great job well done.. Very interesting read as well.. hugsssssssss V Loved it fun to read too.. You had me giggling too.. Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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Thanks for sharing this interesting little town. Such a cheap entrance fee too! If any shoplifting does occur, and one does get caught... are there full cavity searches?  Thoughts from the Garden...
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Good one Humor hugsssss V Thanks for your contribution to this month symposium!!! A great job well done.. Very interesting read as well.. hugsssssssss V Loved it fun to read too.. You had me giggling too.. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Heh. I suspect we could get a group discount based on the amount of intrigue... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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