Off to France tomorrow

[Torchwatch]

Am catching a ferry in the morning.
Will be camping north of Calais and exploring the quiet dunes in Speedos, bikinis and swim thongs.
I notice those coming back from from France and Spain are looking tanned, confident and are wearing shorts well above the knee, while most of those stuck in England are pale and wearing longer shorts, things are changing and I am heading for the continent.
Will be wearing cycle shorts on the bike and something fairly short around the camp site.
Have fun all you people stuck at home...... you could come over and join me.

[Byron]

Bon voyage
(and no enhanced performance on the bike please - it's a tricky subject at the moment as regards Tour winners)

(suitable speedo pics likely to follow ?)

[PSDave]

Have a great time. However, if you are heading to a camp site and transportation is a bicycle, I think I'd prefer to stay in my own yard by the pool or at a hotel with service by the pool. My Boy Scout camping days are far behind me.

[Byron]

http://u1.ipernity.com/8/22/79/3092279.2c5bb30b.560.jpg

Ah yes, I remember it well. Weekend camp in early March - still too cold to enjoy the outdoors. Staggered from tent at dawn after freezing in the night with a lack of sufficient blankets.
Shuffled through thick groundfrost to light a fire as I was on breakfast duty.
Discovered that tinder had not been put away to be kept dry and struggled unsuccessfully to light a fire with few remaining matches in damp box........
.......those were the days !

[Torchwatch]

I am back now.
Will need to dry my tent as was raining this morning, for some reason the bread van didn't come around the site so stayed in sleeping bag listening to MP3 player.
My lightweight butane/propane gas stove has automatic ignition, just press the red button. Cooked dinner in the tent porch last night as was raining outside.

The French are wearing shorter shorts this year, well above the knee, nice to see men with legs again. Lots of speedos and square-cuts on the main beaches worn by all ages. Still some of last years board shorts about, but this year things are shorter and no one minds speedos. As I left for the ferry saw a boy in orange square cuts queueing for ice cream on the road behind the beach, no one seemed to notice. Watched as a guy in light blue short swim shorts come out of the sea and run across the sand, over the sea wall and into the car park, people were watching as he had been in the sea on a windy day, not because he was wearing short shorts.

In the sauna the other day were loads of younger men with hot speedo tan lines, just right for you tan line lovers. Something nice to see while you shower.

[EgbertaFay]

(and no enhanced performance on the bike please - it's a tricky subject at the moment as regards Tour winners)

[Byron]

Welcome as new member today Egberta but with two posts already should you not be advertising under buy and sell ?

[PSDave]

Last season I went to France to visit some friends. (southern France-Riviera) and they sent me a huge shopping list of suits to bring. I carried over more than a dozen pairs of A&F, Hollister, Hurley and Quicksilver swim trunks. They chose the shorter more tailored suits, but they still wanted the boardie look. I turned out to be the only speedo wearer at the beach in the under 50 set. I had thought they would drop the shorts for speedos but they all were commando.
See more speedos on the beaches of Southern Cal than I did there! (again in the under 50 crowd)

[Torchwatch]

The west (Atlantic) coast of France is wild, rough and cheaper than the more chic and settled Mediterranean coast. The wealthy and the fashionable go to the Med. while the Atlantic attracts the young and adventurous. Those who follow fashion tend to be conservative adopting the "in" look and avoiding committing a faux pas, while those who go to the beach to surf swim and sunbathe do it not to be seen but just to do it.
On the west coast the water is cold and the surfers wear wet suits, and they have speedos and square cuts under them, they wear their board shorts to get to the beach. On Med. coast they may wear their high fashion board shorts on the beach.
What I like about Western France is the toleration, there is space for everyone, you can do and wear what you like and no one minds as long as no one is hurt. Speedos , short shorts and board shorts mingle happily, you can go to the supermarket in a wetsuit if you want to. The speedo, bikini and swim thong wearers often like to get away from the crowded main beaches to find a little seclusion and peace, which is where the best surf is. They happily co-exist without conflict or judgement.

[Byron]

...if I recall correctly from Edwardian times (no, I wasn't around then) was not Biarritz THE fashionable place to be for one's summer sojourn ?

(great beaches still but have never come across pics of bathing machines which may have been appropriate at that time - though, being France , who would bother ?)