ABOUT SEX ON THE BEACH and other short stories.

Night after night on TV, on almost every one of the vast multitude of channels that are now available in most of the world , viewers can see one or more programmes whose central theme features murder or criminal mayhem of one kind or another,  from simple robbery ( if there is any such thing )  to sadistic violent torture, physical and verbal abuse - or worse..   Some are fictional – some kind of film or TV drama for example - but many feature real life events ( so called “reality TV” ) or a documentary version of an actual crime with all the sickening particulars exposed in gory detail. 

  

                                  Now available on AMAZON & Lulu     

For the life of me I really cannot understand why so many people want to watch this kind of stuff for their evening ( or even daytime ) entertainment.   After all , there is surely nothing pleasant about having your wife or daughter  raped – your house burgled – your husband mugged or even worse attacked by some drug crazed or drunken lout – so why watch this kind of thing replayed in one form or another for your nightly amusement ?. 

What is even worse is the fact that these type of programmes invariably link sex with violence –and a great deal of popular modern literature is just as bad.    Many of the main characters are vicious evil  people living sad degrading lives within broken homes and multiple marriages ,where even children as well as adults are also frequently mentally and physically abused.

 

With characters often suffering from drug addiction and/or alcohol abuse and unable to distinguish sadistic behaviour from normality, these books describe sexual acts in the most derogatory way, hardly ever showing them as acts of pleasure.   Pondering to the lowest possible taste and including  the crudest representation of sex imaginable that truly degrade human nature, they nevertheless often reach number one in the listings and go on to sell in their millions. 

Violence, rape and sexual abuse of any kind  is inherently bad – but sex itself is intrinsically good and meant to be enjoyed.  It keeps the human species going and between consensual adults is the most wondrous joyous and pleasurable thing imaginable.  Real, loving sex should be actively encouraged - if it were the whole world would be a much better place for it.

 

Until very recently the majority of our published work has been primarily about the naturist lifestyle and while we have never particularly avoided the subject of sex over the years , neither up until now have we made a big thing of it.

Most naturists have a liberal attitude towards personal freedom, together with a general lack of concern or apprehension about anything to do with sex or nakedness.  A practising naturist for most of my adult life , the great majority of the inspiration and motivation for our  erotic writing comes about directly as a result of this unique kind of  lifestyle.

                              A naturist beach in the south of France

Sex on the Beach is all about SEX.  Sex . sex and even more sex – the kind of sex where everyone is enjoying the moment , the constant stimulation and anticipation -  but NO violence of any kind.  It is directed specifically at sensible adults of discriminating taste and  will hopefully provide a more refined representation of modern day sexuality than the current proliferation of mindless pornography and violence that is presently on offer.

PLEASE NOTE; Although the events described in Sex on the Beach are true accounts , the people in them are not necessarily naturists nor have the actions in them taken place on any beach or other localities that have been specifically dedicated for naturist use.

 

WONDERFUL BEACHES IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

ALL WASHED UP at St Pierre. 

The A9 autoroute in South Western France sweeps in a wide arc following the Mediterranean coastline from the Spanish border in the west to Montpelier in the east, and nowhere is it much more than 15 km from the sea. 

 

 This part of the region known as the Languedoc, is located on a huge bay called the Golfe du Lion with an almost never ending stretch of superb soft sandy beaches that are popular with holidaymakers of all kinds. It’s especially attractive to naturists, as all along this coast there are many officially recognised naturist beaches and dedicated naturist holiday and leisure centres.  Easily accessible on foot and also most of them by vehicle there is no scrabbling down over dangerous rocks or walking  miles through forest and field to get to any of these beaches and even on ordinary textile ones there is always some part where we can sunbathe au natural without any problems. 

 

Some are just tiny places, but others have plenty of facilities, like the Cap d’Agde naturist village, set in 200 acres and known internationally as “The Naked City”.  By contrast the vast stretch of open sands which extends for 20 kilometres from Marseillan plage to Sete is just beach with the occasional ice cream seller by the roadside, where you can park anywhere along the way to enjoy a quiet swim in the warm Mediterranean and lay out in the sun to dry off. 

 

With so much choice its difficult to say which is the best place for a day out , but our favourite one of all must be the naturist beach of St Pierre.  Although it’s probably the furthest away from the autoroute and you have to drive across a small mountain range called le Clape to get there,  it’s still only about 25K and in any case the road is good and there are spectacular views en route right over to the sea in the distance. 

 

The naturist  beach at St Pierre lies just in front of what in wintertime is a large shallow inland lake.   All along this unique coastline, separating the sea from the land are a number of these inland lakes called Etangs.  Some are small and shallow, others are huge and up to three or four metres deep, but they all serve the same purpose. 

 

They are an essential part of a vast ecosystem which formed itself naturally millions of years ago, in which filtered sea water turns into fresh water and has been carefully maintained and looked after by the local inhabitants  for many thousands of years.

 Although some of these lakes are quite small, others are big enough to support a proper port and other commercial interests, like the cultivation of shellfish, inland fishing and water based leisure facilities. Irrespective of size, they are all an important part of a natural biological system and are a haven for rare plant and bird life, small amphibians and other freshwater and sea creatures. 

 

Some of these lakes remain full all year round, but others like the one at St Pierre, holds water only during the winter and in summertime reverts back to hard flat sand which vehicles can safely drive over .

 

Two major rivers, the Aude and the Herault flow into the sea here ,with only about 40 kilometres between them and after an exceptionally wet winter one or another of them ( or sometimes both) will flood, sending a massive amount of river debris including huge logs and sometimes even whole trees out into the ocean. Eventually most of it is washed up by the tide on some beach or another then mostly washed back out again with the next one, but not always.

 

 At St Pierre the beach is so deep that a really high tide will wash big chunks of tree trunk high up on the sands, too far to be taken back by any ordinary tide where they may remain for many years to be bleached and twisted by the wind and sun into strange shapes and colours like mysterious creatures from another world. At the back of this long deep beach are soft sand dunes covered in wild grass and behind them a small stream runs from the main river some distanceaway.  Apart from the odd few naturist visitors it remains pretty much undisturbed , rather like a kind of nature reserve with a sweet aroma of flowers and herbs mixing in with the fresh sea air.  Pretty butterflies flit from flower to flower, the insects buzz in unison and gulls and terns screech out loud as they dive into the water to catch the small fish swimming in the stream.

 

This wild beach is a really wonderful place, providing  a very natural environment that is perfect for naturism. The incredible animalistic like debris would make ideal props for a science fiction film perhaps, or in our case for the unusual photo shoot which I have used to illustrate this article. 

 

 

m.g.  (c)

THE LOSS OF THE GOOD SHIP BOUNTY

STOP PRESS :   It is with great sorrow that we have to report on the evening of May 17^th 2012 the loss at sea of the Good Ship Bounty.   In the middle of a financial storm of unusual proportions and with no help of rescue this plucky little ship sank slowly beneath the waves.  Thankfully no lives were lost, but both regular passengers and crew will now have to seek out another port of call – Message Ends.  

                                                      A perfect view across the marina.

And in the beginning:

While most of Europe sinks deeper and deeper into recession  – the naturist village and leisure complex at Cap d’ Agde in Southern France - often referred to as “The Naked City”  - is doing the exact opposite.  In fact it would be true to say that “they have never had it so good”, as the latest financial  figures available from the mix of , shops , bars, restaurants and letting agencies on this 200 acre plus site  indicate that 2013 is set to be their best year yet.  But as we shall soon see , not everyone here is making their fortune !.

Always one of the first places to get its annual makeover in springtime is an odd shaped piece of ground nestling between Port Nature villas, the sea and the man made waterway leading to the marina. About half an acre of beautifully landscaped lawns with lovely examples of mature plants and trees it’s an ideal spot to sunbathe or take a pleasant al fresco lunch as a change from the beach or pool.  It’s always a quiet place whatever the time of year and we often use it to take the odd photograph as it’s unlikely to intrude on anyone’s privacy.

 Many years ago now I discovered a little restaurant only a short walk away from this tranquil spot , a bit of a run down place then on the edge of Port Soleil that didn’t even have a proper name with a few tables outside where you could sit and eat looking out over the bustling harbour.  In those days it was very popular with the holiday reps , delivery drivers and village work force , as far more important than the decor was the fact that you could get a three course lunch with wine for about the equivalent of four or five pounds.

                                                          Hang your hat up

So I got a bit of a surprise when a few years later I walked over one fine morning to get a quick cup of coffee, to see that big changes had been made – hanging outside was a brand new illuminated sign and the terrace had been more than doubled in size.  Over the passing years the improvements continued until by 2008 THE BOUNTY, with music and dancing until late, became one of the leading eating places in the whole village.

                                                                           Show a leg

We soon became regulars customers especially on Fridays the most popular nights for dancing, as it then attracted lots of local people as well as regular holiday makers, giving it a feeling of real France.  A young couple probably still in their late teens or maybe very early twenties were also Friday regulars and who as it happened despite their youth were experts in dancing the traditional tango – and boy could they dance !!!.  I have seen a lot of tango’s in a lot of places, but never anything quite as exhilarating, awe-inspiring, exciting and arousing as this exceptional young couple. 

Both small in stature with slim supple bodies and dark complexion they were probably of  Spanish ancestry as are many people in this part of the Languedoc.  The girl was a real beauty both in figure and face and always wore the same carefully cleaned and pressed costume -  a tiny black flared skirt which barely covered her neat little bottom, a completely see thru white blouse, black stiletto heel shoes – and absolutely nothing else. The black trousers worn by her boyfriend were so tight they had to be made of some kind of elastic, and a white shirt undone to the waist and shiny patent leather shoes made up the rest of his ensemble.  They made a fantastic sight and once they got right into the swing of things the rest of us went back to our seats and left them to it.

                                                                Greedy Pigs

They didn’t stay too late – they probably had some work or study to catch up on- but their ‘pas de deux’  or whatever the tango equivalent is called when the music stops and the girl is bent right over backwards at waist level over the mans knee , had to be seen to be believed.     It was erotic cabaret at the highest possible level -and 100 percent amateur. 

                                                          A few rude pictures here and there

This whole area has become an incredibly popular place and today huge  multi –million euro textile holiday developments of every kind line this pleasantly attractive  coastline -  from Montpelier to the Spanish border.  As well as the many different kinds of sporting and leisure activities on offer during the day, the international popularity of the area has generated a diverse variety of top quality entertainment and nightlife. 

                                                                        Queen Salome

Some of the more risqué entertainers have permanent homes in the Naturist Village or take temporary summer accommodation here. Some have even remained here after retiring from the fray.   They are an interesting lot often turning up in the bars and restaurants late at night after they have finished their regular gig somewhere outside the village.   Salome and her Serpents  – aka the Egyptian Queen – a regular performer in the textile night clubs could often be seen in the restaurant le Bounty enjoying a glass  of champagne after putting on an impromptu show for any diners/dancers that were still around in the late hours.

There were already several changes taking place , new building works and the like when we arrived in the late spring of 2012 , but the biggest surprise of all was to discover the unexpected and we gathered quite sudden,  closure of The Bounty.

                                                 An ancient fertility symbol - or something

It’s an unusual name to call a restaurant in France and when it first opened I was intrigued to know why the Alain the colourful proprietor chose it.   Was it his favourite  chocolate bar I wondered or maybe his interest in historic British naval vessels ?. 

                                                   Captain Alano and Friend

According to Alano ( as he sometimes calls himself ), after spending a few years as a young man in the French Foreign Legion , he ended up on the Pacific Island of Tahiti living a hedonistic life on the beach with a beautiful native woman.   Eventually becoming bored with the sameness of island life he returned to France with the intention of starting his own restaurant and ended up here in the Languedoc.  He eventually found a property to suit his purpose and called it after the famous ship that had brought Captain Cook to the place that still held fond memories for him.   True or False – who knows. 

                                                                 Welcome aboard

There were never signs of any recent floggings taking place in the French Bounty  well at least not while we ate there, but looking at the mixture of old sailors hats over the bar, the outsized carved wooden phallus screwed to it and the pair of giant noisy colourful parrots in huge steel cages in the windows the tale was just about believable.  – and now The Bounty - always a bit of an enigma is no more- for the time being at least but I’m pretty sure that Cap d’Agde has not seen the last of Monsieur Alain or The Bounty. 

copyright M.Golding.  2013

Paris – je t’aime.

An illustrated journal of pleasure.

 

                                                               le Musee de Paris

Paris, the capital of France and celebrated throughout the western world as the “ City of Love” is also just as well known as the “City of Art” ,and as frequent visitors will no doubt agree there are many good reasons for both descriptions.  In the 18^th century the city was also referred to as the “City of Light” after the first street lights in Europe were installed on the rue Dauphine in 1763, but for me Paris will always be the world capital of style and beauty.

                                            In the Montmartre studio of Henri Landier

My first visit to Paris was also the first opportunity I had to leave behind the (imaginary) safety of the country I was born in.   It was the early spring of 1957, I was seventeen years old and had spent the best part of a whole year organising this trip based around a fictitious cultural journey around the museums and art galleries of Europe.   Sufficiently believable to persuade my father to lend us ( I took my thirteen year old brother with me ) his new Ford Anglia motor car I took off armed not with a list of museums  but a detailed map of the most direct route from Paris to the South of France.   The truth was that in a purloined copy of The News of the World taken from my father’s secret hiding place, I had read about a place called St Tropez, where dozens of beautiful girls lay on the beach wearing only the bottom halves of their tiny bikini swimsuits - and I was determined to find it.  

                                         A colourful display of fresh fruit and vegetables   

In those days ordinary people like us were only allowed to take £50 out of the country without further government approval, but that restriction didn’t bother us at all - as in any case we were only able to raise £80 between us.  Packed and ready to go, with a tent just about big enough for both of us and the bare minimum of everything else, we were soon off in my father’s brand new car – courtesy of the Ford Motor Company - who would probably have had a fit if they knew it was about to be chained down to the floor of an old converted Hercules transporter plane.  With a few shudders and roars we were off the runway at Southend Airport, up in the air in seconds and soaring over the English Channel.  About a noisy and bumpy hour or so later we landed at a small airport just south of Paris. 

                                                             Erotica for sale on the Left Bank

Our destination for the first night was a small camp site on the western outskirts of the city and it was an easy route to follow then , even though it took us right through the very centre of Paris .  The camp site was a pretty little place in a woodland setting right on the bank of the river Seine and nothing like any other we had been used to on our UK holidays, which usually consisted of a muddy field with practically no amenities except for a water tap and very basic toilet facilities.  

M. Rodin on the Right Bank

   
There was even a little cafe , where next morning we bought a delicious breakfast of warm croissants , a pot of rather sloppy jam and a huge cup of coffee each for next to nothing with some of the French money which we had already bought in England.  It was so nothing like we had ever experienced in England, where our usual breakfast since birth had been stodgy tasteless porridge for six days of the week and a boiled egg on Sundays.  We were even able to buy a huge bag of French fries – the kind of chips we had never seen before let alone taste, to take on the next stage of the journey.  Delicious !.

                                                           Filming in Montmartre
After a fantastic continental tour with lots of exciting and unforgettable experiences behind us , almost four weeks later we landed back in the UK with a few pennies over three shillings left in my pocket – about 30p in today’s money and just enough then to buy a gallon of petrol to get us back home.

                                                                  Les Abbesses.

Whatever the real purpose for our voyage  – and we did in fact manage to see nine different countries and one or two museums as well - it actually turned into a real eye opening journey of discovery, changing just about everything I had so far been led to believe about foreigners and their way of life – with immediate effect - and for the rest of my life too. 

Music on the Metro

We did find St Tropez of course and spent several days hiding at the back of the beach staring at the half naked girls,  then wandering around St Tropez itself doing roughly the same thing.  That was also an eye opener of another kind.  At some stage during our trip I said to my brother “ one day I will live in this wonderful country” – and one day I really did.    But not only did I fall in love with Paris, but ultimately with the whole of France , which over the passing years I have spent a good deal of my life visiting, writing about and photographing.  

                                                              Outside Moon City. Clichy

Seven years passed quickly by before my next visit to Paris and by then I was in my early twenties, with a wife and child.  By my mid twenties we had another child and I was running my own business with the freedom and money to do virtually what I wanted and I spent much of the early part of my married life experiencing all the things which were then only available to a limited section of society.  My business (a niche sector of the world of art and antiques) took me and my young, beautiful and glamorous wife all over the world, where together we discovered many and diverse pleasures of life, with Paris regularly on the menu.  

                                                        Fetish Club - Bvd Clichy

 

Later in that same decade I discovered much more about the South of France including an adult version of my previous schoolboy antics in St Tropez. Regular annual holidays with our children to a variety of places along the Riviera always included a stopover in Paris as well as some of the other main cities of the south.     My personal and business interests in the arts continued right throughout the 1970’ and 80’s requiring regular visits to Paris and European travel soon became an essential part of life. 

After my divorce, life with my new partner continued in much the same mode except that by then we had discovered a new and virtually unknown part of the South of France called the Languedoc, an amazing part of the world every bit as abundantly rewarding – if not more so - as anywhere else I had ever been.

I have lost count of my many visits to this wonderful country over the past fifty years – the last twentyfive in my second career as a photojournalist , but whatever the time of year or the length of my stay – a fleeting visit, long weekend or extended holiday this amazingly variable country, it’s capital and it’s people  never ever ceases to surprise .

Paris – je t’aime – the photo-book.

is intended to be a cross between a personal diary, a series of art and travel features , and just a little snippet of modern history.  Short, sweet and to the point and most importantly - with over 150 photographic illustrations from my personal archives - visually interesting as well as affordable to prospective readers I am trying to produce a new  genre of books  – a cross between modern technology and conventional publishing.   We shall just have to wait and see. 
Readers can see more pictures in this series on http://pinterest.com/markgolding/

m.g.   2013. 

 

le OZ’Inn & Natureva Spa – a truly erotic experience.

le OZ’Inn & Natureva Spa – a truly erotic experience.  

A feast of the senses for the connoisseur of style and beauty. 

Historical records show us that extra - marital sex of one kind or another has always been around - and in many cases with the female half of the partnership taking as active a part as the male. But ancient sexual history is not the subject of this feature.

To le Club

In the sixties when a couple took part together in this kind of leisure activity it used to be called wife swopping. In more modern times has become more commonly known as swinging - a rather odd term considering the actuality of it all –but there you are !!.  There seem to be no age limits to this growing form of sexual variation and over the passing years I have been aware of couples of all ages, from fresh faced youngsters in their mid teens to pensioners in their eighties taking part on a regular basis. 

                                                               Just good friends

I first became interested in this oddly curious aspect of adult life almost fifty  years ago and have tried to keep up with events as time goes by  - with as it happens a reasonable degree of success. Like most human diversions – hobby , sport , pastime or whatever- swinging exists on many different levels but like most things in our lives today I am afraid to say that over the years the practice has gradually become eroded –if they are the correct words to use – and quality has been sacrificed to quantity as the desire to copulate with as many partners as possible has taken precedence over the elements of sensuality , stimulation and erotica.

The old fashioned clubs were smart comfortable places with nicely furnished lounges and a small dance floor and bar where couples could take time to get to know each other, before maybe going on to further things.  Today fetish is the order of the day with BDSM clubs springing up all over the place, mostly well run and organised but with the onus upon bondage , pain and punishment rather than a pleasant evening out leading to conventional sex  between consensual couples. 

There are still one or two places with annual events that come up to scratch but they are fast becoming few and far between.   The annual balls like those held by Erotica and  Night of the Senses in London are good examples.   Variously described  as fantasy themed nights of erotic revelry and seduction, they feature among other things playrooms,  bars and dance floors the odd dungeon or two ( think 50 shades of grey ) containing adult SM and play equipment and erotic burlesque performances.   Professionally run and organised with high standards of security and behaviour, guests are encouraged to dress up and explore their sexuality, with fetish wear, latex, leather, PVC, drag, burlesque, boudoir lingerie, cabaret, carnival and military style costume.

                                                                     Sante

 My investigations into this strange kind of phenomena have over the years taken me to many of the capital cities in the western world where private clubs of the old fashioned kind were fairly easy to find , but also on occasion to much lesser known parts where similar opportunities of a somewhat different but equally exciting kind also existed.  Readers may find out more about this in ‘A Lifetime of Pleasure’ when it eventually appears in print.

But in all my travels, as far as this aspect of life is concerned my favourite country has always been France – and in particular that part of the Mediterranean coastal area from the Spanish border right up to the beaches of the Cote d’Azure,  which has for many years been  a popular place for tourists from all over the world as well as for hedonists and sexual adventurers  of all ages and every kind of persuasion - and for very good reason.   For as far as sex is concerned the French still lead the world in their skills at refining this activity as a natural pleasure -the pleasures of food, of sex and of life itself.   Whilst the English in Victorian times hid up all manner of sexual perversions, in France such life was always open and above board -and today in France it still is.

                                               8 Km of Beach - Footsteps in the sand

As a practising naturist for most of my adult life I have spent many happy and pleasurable times in this part of the world and not all, but the great majority of the inspiration and motivation for my erotic writing comes about directly as a result of my naturist lifestyle. 

Naturism as a lifestyle is very popular in France.  It’s not only because of the usually temperate climate in the south of the country, but because the French as a nation have a completely different outlook upon such things as the rest of us, a viewpoint which is reflected in their liberal attitude towards personal freedom and their general lack of concern or apprehension about anything to do with sex or nakedness. 

Many people from other free thinking adult lifestyles are attracted to naturism – sometimes called nudism – because of the privacy that it offers within a safe and protected environment, a combination of freedom and security that creates a very sensual and often intimate atmosphere.  It is not surprising to find therefore, that some of the most sophisticated and erotic exchanges and encounters take place either within or in the near vicinity of a bona fide naturist location and of all the exotic luxurious locations in the whole of France, there is nothing else quite like the naturist village and leisure complex at Cap d’ Agde - often referred to as “The Naked City” .

                                                  A private gated village complex

Situated in the Languedoc region of southern France  and completed in the early 1970’s, The Village Naturiste du Cap d’Agde is one of the most unusual development projects of its time. Gradually rising from a bare spit of land next to an ancient vineyard like some kind of vision of the future, it created interest from all over the world and its innovative architecture has won many prizes for design and style.   A private gated complex only a mile or so from the ancient medieval town of Agde  , built right up to the very edge of the sea, with its own private beach, yacht marina and just about every other conceivable facility, this unique place was soon recognised as the world leader in naturist leisure.

                                                    Carefully maintained gardens 

In 2011  half a dozen new enterprises opened on this two hundred acre plus site  joining the existing 150 already successfully trading here which include thirty two restaurants, a dozen or so bars, an English Pub and five nightclubs  - and also now including le OZ’Inn , a fantastic luxurious trendy boutique hotel every bit as good as anything found in New York, London or Paris and now the jewel in the crown of the Cap d’Agde naturist village.

                                                             

Boutique hotels are by definition small and intimate places, unique in individual design and luxurious facilities. Originally city destinations, the idea has spread in recent years to include exotic locations in other parts of the world and nowhere is this concept more meaningfully expressed than here in the Village Naturiste de Cap d’Agde.

                                                           An imposing corner site

This distinctive Hotel Complex was the creation of Herve Van Twembeke, a dream come true for a man of exquisite taste and good manners  dedicated to the pleasures of life, luxury and naturism - and for his charming wife who continues to play an important part in the overall proceedings.  M. Van Twembeke had an idyllic childhood actually growing up in the freedom of this unique naturist environment before being sent off as a young man to study at a prominent commercial academy. After graduating with honours he continued his education on an International level until eventually returning to the old city of Agde to devote his knowledge to family affairs.  In 1998 Herve incorporated his own property company called California Promotion, which has over the passing years completed a number of prestigious developments in the region in Avignon , Beziers and Montpelier .

                                                A view from the roof terrace 

It is impossible to miss the more than lifesized image of naked female beauty by the side of the road just 100 yards into the village entrance, or the magnificent new building on its prominent corner site just beyond it which is le OZ’Inn, a very special “Boutique Hotel” in a very special setting.  From a vantage point high on the rooftop terrace, visitors can look out over the entire village right across to where it meets the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean , a magnificent sight especially at night as the sun goes down. 

                                                               The elegant lounge.

The whole complex which is le OZ’Inn  is a fantastic place in every sense of the word – the cerebral as well as the physical. From it’s initial inception and design every single component part of this incredible building - from the curtains to the cutlery , linen to lighting , the furniture and the stunning decor has been carefully selected by experts in their field .  As well as the comfortable salon , bars and restaurant area the ground floor is also home to a huge walk in eastern style hammam, a sauna and inside /outside courtyard and tropical gardens and there is another outside lounge and bar, solarium and jaccuzzi on the vast rooftop garden terrace.   The end result is an ambience that is completely and clearly dedicated to the pleasures of life itself- a place of sophistication, taste and elegance.

 Although intended primarily for couples it’s not a swingers club – there are two or three of these already in the village - although what might go on in the privacy of ones room is your own business.   Not much more than 50 metres away from the Hotel itself is Natureva Spa, another part of the California Promotion Organisation offering a complete programme of fitness, exercise and massage within a healthy regime and including a further 56 top quality apartments to rent.

                                                               Little corners to relax

Last summer we had the pleasure of dining at l’ Oz Inn and afterwards spending a pleasant hour or so talking to M. Van Twembeke and his wife, who were themselves already relaxing in the lounge after their own meal.    He told us the history behind the project and that in his mind it was not just a building but an inspirational creation - a place in which he hoped visitors and guests would themselves  feel an essential part of from the moment they arrived.  To be comfortable and relaxed at all times and whilst appreciating the aura of sensuality, provocation and stimulation, able to enjoy themselves at whatever level they felt most comfortable.  There is very little that we could add to that, for it is almost exactly the way we felt about it ourselves at the time and still do after several more visits since.

For some it’s just people watching – with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine – but for others it’s the whole works - a slap up meal with music, dancing and entertainment and everything else that is all here for the asking.   

                                                   Le Soiree in the outside courtyard

                                                        The Marina at Port Soleil

m.g. copyright Feb 2013.