The See-Through or "Nakie" Walk in Europe

I've written in this blog several times: Americans are prudes. Seldom do we hear or read about Americans having fun being naughty by going partially clothed or nude just for the fun of it. The occasional nude bicycle ride, rainbow or country fair, Burning Man and pant-less subway riding are rare examples of us having fun showing off our bodies.

In Europe, in the more sophisticated cities like Paris, Nice, Amsterdam, Vienna, Florence, and Venice, girls and guys both can pop about wearing see-through clothing, flashing panties or skin, or even going completely nude (I like to say "nakie") just for the fun of it.

Before COVID-19, when I was shooting travel videos for a major tour operator, during my hours off, I would sometimes sneak away with a member of our tour group who shared my sense of adventure and who was, perhaps, a bit naughty, like me. I know most of the more bohemian or liberal neighborhoods and sites in many cities and would take my fellow adventurer to visit them with the intent of doing a "nakie walk." My sidekick would carry a large DSLR camera with the largest lens we could find. He or she would photograph me in various outfits or nakie as we toured the streets. Europeans simply enjoyed our antics as public nudity - as in a photo shoot - is not a big deal.

Of course, if anything went sideways, as in a guy following us or being caught by a policeman without a sense of humor, we were prepared to run like hell to a predetermined safe place. And we did, a couple of times. Most of the time, my exposure was greeted with smiles, laughter, and the occasional request for a shared selfie!

Here are some examples of the kind of photos we took. No, I'm not posting my photos because sure as shootin', some of my students would find them. Besides, often the huge DSLR didn't have a memory card in it. Safety, you know?