The Nudist Beach

Nudist beaches are fairly common in Europe, and there are few on the Adriatic coast. On most beaches in Croatia, it is common to find few women topless. Still, many men, and women, observers find this phenomena fascinating.

On one of our excursions in Istra, our boat was passing by the largest nudist camp in Europe, Vrsar, that can hold up to 12,000 people. It is not just a beach, but a little village of campers. I've never heard of it, but it was advertised in the travel agency bulletin, by our bus tour guide, and by the boat sailors. People from our bus were talking about it during the trip and were looking forward to this boat excursion. I don't condemn the style of the campers, but I cannot justify the behavior of the onlookers.

I am not often around people who would want to sit on a boat and peep at naked people on the shore. After getting to know some of the people on the long bus ride from Sarajevo, I was not really surprised by this behavior. Still, I was uncomfortable and appalled.

During this travel, I carried with me a binoculars, so I can see distant nature, islands and buildings that we couldn't visit. I had it with me during this excursion, but I certainly didn't want it to be passed from hand to hand while sailing by the nudist beach. Mom was using it when we first left the port to look at hotels in the distance. I asked her not to share it, but when couple of people asked her about it, she gave it into their hands. I then had to put it back in my bag before we got to the beach. But people started asking me for it.

I am rarely the one who argues ideas and preach by words, and I certainly didn't want to make a scene and teach the people, some twice my age, that what they are doing is wrong. Few of them started pleading for the binoculars, telling me not to spoil the fun and similar phrases, but I didn't give in. I just told one man that he should be ashamed to ask for something like it when he is married and came on this trip with a pre-teen daughter. Another couple, who could have children my age, also asked for the binoculars, and I just shook my head.

I was probably ridiculed later in their conversations as a 'moralist', but I was glad I stood out in the crowd. This country is sinking fast when it comes to values, and I am thankful for any mockery if it can help preserve the dignity of a human person.