Hi,
I feel as though I fit in 6 months of activity over the past month. Anyone who thinks that the naturist movement is inactive must have be living in a cellar for the past few years, as naturism today is vibrant and not just in France but all around the world!
Events in October:
October started with a swimming competition at Roger Le Gall Swimming Pool, a sort of warm up for the international swimming gala later in the moth. Our internal competitions are open to all and not limited to those hoping to participate in the international event.
On the weekends of October 6th and 13th, many of you made the most of the last rays of sunshine before the end of the season in the naturist zone of the Bois de Vincennes. Thank you to those who regularly visited the park over the past six months. The naturist code of conduct is very well respected there and it’s a place that encourages hesitant potential naturists to take the plunge.
On October 18th, we filled a Japanese restaurant near République in Paris for a very successful nude dinner. I’d like to thank Jean-Luc who found the place and to congratulate Stéphane on his perfect organisation.
From October 26th – 28th, 200 naturists from 9 countries came together for the 47th international naturist swimming gala. It was a moment of sports and camaraderie and the French team brought home 41 medals (with 27 for the ANP). We caught up with old friends from around France and elsewhere and made many new ones. We were impressed by the level of organisation by the Porte Océane Sun Club. In 2019, it’s the ANP who will be hosting this international event here in Paris.
We finished the month with a Halloween dinner at O’Naturel naturist restaurant, in nude fancy dress. Witches, zombies, vampires…there was a variety of ghoulish disguises. Mike and Stéphane had fun creating the right atmosphere, which was simply perfect. We toasted the restaurant’s first birthday and its future success.
Upcoming events:
On Saturday November 17th, we’re organising a nude Wild West dinner at O’Naturel. This is bound to be a good laugh and I hope to see many people there. Reserve your seats here.
If you want to attend the Balnéades spa evening in Orleans, organised by l’Association Joie et Santé on Saturday November 24th, you need to register here and pay before the 17th.
For more information on our outings, please take a look at the events page on our website or send us an email or a text message. Many of you have asked to see Stéphane and Fabrice, so here they are:
Closure: The gym is closed this evening, Thursday November 1st. The pool will however be open tomorrow and we will be there to welcome you.
Monthly drinks: November’s theme is one of my personal favourites: cheese and bread. So come along to the pool with one or the other (or both) tomorrow, Friday November 2nd, for a moment among friends before the end of the session.
New sports instructor: Over the past three years, we’ve striven to give you the best possible service. We’ve increased the number and quality of water activities and we’ve introduced yoga classes, all provided by certified professional instructors. Since last week, the gym has moved up to the same level as our other activities with the arrival of Yvan on the team, who will give you gym classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please give him a warm welcome and throw yourself into his classes, totally free and open to all.
INF World Congress: I recently had the honour of representing France at the International Naturist Federation’s World Congress in Lisbon. Over three days, we discussed numerous topics to build tomorrow’s naturist movement. I was able to meet the force behind the different European (east and west) naturist federations but also other countries like Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. I was surprised to learn that they’d all heard of the ANP and our efforts to normalise naturism with our various activities and our openness towards the textile world and the press. You will be reassured to know that the €17 you pay for your licences is genuinely used to do good and in the years to come the INF is going to be working closely with the federations to make the licence more useful for us all.
Austrian ski trip: We have the possibility of participating in a week of skiing in Austria in March. The hotel, its spa and all activities will be nude. The cost will be around €1200 for the full week plus airfare. For more information, contact Stéphane or Fabrice.
Naturistly,
Laurent