Monday

Skinny dipping appeals. During the last couple of weeks I've been living in the same few tatty t-shirts (regularly washed I hasten to add) because I know that anything I put on will be instantly drenched with sweat and marked with sun cream. I don't want to wear my "good clothes". On the boat a cheap sundress, elastic much stressed and now coming apart at the seams, has been the coolest thing to wear.

But how unpleasantly they all cling to wet skin. What a joy it would be to dump them. I've already ditched the more comely one-piece swimsuit for the less than flattering bikini - more practical (see picture). But why bother at all? Neil has two pairs of swim shorts that interchange easily with a discreet flip of a towel. It's much more of a performance for a woman to remain modest. Modesty is so hindering!

These things are done differently 'sur le continent'. As Christine explained, the Dutch wouldn't dream of wearing a swimsuit in a sauna. As a Brit I was appalled at the idea of not wearing one! An elderly German woman has just emerged from the sea in broad daylight as naked as the day she was born. Neil wasn't too impressed with the display of substantial elderly flesh but I envied her. How liberating!

Naturist beaches do exist in the UK of course. There's one on NW Wales' best bit of coastline. They always strike me as a bit of a joke, quite frankly (why do they always play volleyball?). Even on the best of summer days there's no real reason to ditch clothing in Welsh Wales.

It feels different here. Much as naked abandon makes sense I know I'm never going to succumb to temptation in Tranquil Bay - much too public. Do those small deserted anchorages still exist in Greece? I hope so.