It seems that no Summer is complete in France without unrest breaking out among the naturists on Île du Levant!
Almost like ever year, civil war has flared up again on Île du Levant - on a very small scale, of course. Apparently the cith of Hyères - which runs the island - has dispatched not one but two wardens to the island, who insist on the law being applied to the letter. They have raided a shop ("Le Bazar") which allows nude shopping whereas the law insists that some garments must be worn in the shops; they wait for naturists near the village square where the law is that you can walk across in the nude, but must use some covering if you stop there, and they are ready to pounce on the unsuspecting naturist who inadvertantly loiters there. They even wait for departing ferries, to check if naturists wave goodbye to departing friends in the traditional Levant fashion - that is by removing all your clothing (usually just a sarong) and waving it over you head as the boat leaves port.
Apart from making themselves very unpopular the two wardens have started demos and petitions againsst them.
See (in French) http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/var-les-naturistes-de-l-ile-du-levant-se-rebiffent-30-07-2018-7838124.php

I am going to have to make to Levant in my life if only once.

I am going to have to make to Levant in my life if only once.

Best do it while your legs can still cope with the hills.

I am going to have to make to Levant in my life if only once.

Did you know that the fictional character Captain Peacock ("Are you being served?") used to spend his holidays there, as stated in the episode entitled "Hoorah for holidays"?

O MY GOD!!!

I was there just a few weeks ago and I'm quite certain I stopped in the square to adjust my back-pack strap. And I most certainly went into La Bazaar naked! (Always a highlight!)

Nearly a convict, I was!

[If anyone could possibly explain the absurdity of all this, I'd be delighted to have a clue. MAYBE clothing at the port, but even that seems like a stretch when you know you're going to a nudist island. Do you suppose somebody actually filed a complaint that brought out the police? I just don't get it.]

Dan

I seem to recall that there were some coastal footpaths which were forbidden to clothed people.
I wonder if they are rigorously enforcing those rules.

I am going to have to make to Levant in my life if only once.

Best do it while your legs can still cope with the hills.

Ah in that case, because of other half's knees I will have to pass. Shame.

I am going to have to make to Levant in my life if only once.

Best do it while your legs can still cope with the hills.

Ah in that case, because of other half's knees I will have to pass. Shame.

I am afraid that John is absoutely right on that point. The footpaths are (very) steep and unforgiving in the Summer heat. Stopping at the top of slopes, looking down and exclaiming "what a lovely view!" (while actually the real reason why you stop is that you desperately need to catch your breath) seems to be the socal sport.

O MY GOD!!!
[If anyone could possibly explain the absurdity of all this, I'd be delighted to have a clue. MAYBE clothing at the port, but even that seems like a stretch when you know you're going to a nudist island. Do you suppose somebody actually filed a complaint that brought out the police? I just don't get it.]
Dan

It's all downright silly.
The townhall issued a by-law recently (2 years ago perhaps?) stating that you were allowed to walk nude across the village square, provided you did not stop. But setting policemen to catch people who, as you write, were perhaps just adjusting their backpack strap, is taking the whole thing to ludicrous lengths.
Even the prohibition concerning the harbour is difficult to justify. As you write, people who call there know that this is a naturist island... And the ferry timetable is arranged in such a way that most (though admittedly not all) ferries make the other stop (at Porquerolles) before getting to Le Levant and after leaving Le Levant.
I think that the real reason for all this fuss must be found in the history of the place, a district of the city of Hyères with special by-rules and not a proper resort. The right to be nude on the island was won inch after inch from a permanently reluctant town council

And the ferry timetable is arranged in such a way that most (though admittedly not all) ferries make the other stop (at Porquerolles) before getting to Le Levant and after leaving Le Levant.

Sorry, my mistake. I was referrnig to the ferries from Le Lavandou, which also call at Port-Cros (not Porquerolles) on the way.  Ferries to Porquerolles leave from near Hyères.

Just wrote a blog post about this! I assume the locals will call me out if I got anything wrong.  😀

Another round of CRAZY on Ile du Levant

Dan

Just wrote a blog post about this! I assume the locals will call me out if I got anything wrong.  😀

I've just read it: a great paper, Daniel!
Do you really want me find anything wrong with it? Here we go.
The police in operation on the island are not "gendarmes", but "police municipale".
For historical weapons France has two police forces, which operate in different places: "gendarmes" who operate mostly in rural areas and on roads, and "policiers" who operated mostly in large urban areas.
On top of those, towns and cities can appoint "policiers municipaux", who are really exalted traffic wardens who deal with the little problems of daily life - with more or less police power devolved to them according to the town or city that has appointed them.The policemen sent to Île du Levant actually belong to this third form of police, "politice municipale" working for the city of Hyères, and not for the nationwide police force.
-------------------------
And this of course adds to the ludicrousness of the situation, and to its comedy aspect: it is the same city of Hyères that a couple of years ago changed the rules on Île du Levant to make them more acceptable to naturists and more like the rules in a naturist resort, that now is sending the city police in what looks like an attempt to reduce those rights.
A couple of years ago I did write that Summer was not complete in France without troubles on Île du Levant - o my prophetic soul!
There is an online petition to be signed to demand increased rights to nudity on Île du Levant at https://www.change.org/p/le-levant-naturiste-stop-au-z%C3%A8le-des-policiers-sur-les-naturistes-au-levant-pour-les-faire-rhabiller
Basically what is demanded is a change in the rules that would make Île du Levant more like any naturist resort, that is the right to be nude everywhere.

Bonjour Jacques,

Yes! Thank you for the correction. I will change that in the blog post, as I would like the reportage to be as accurate as possible. And indeed, that adds even more "comedic drama" to the story. In fact, I see, in my mind, 1930s film footage from the Charlie Chaplin era, with officers chasing naked people around the island with billy-clubs.

I will sign the on-line petition. Anything for the cause.

Interesting, we brought friends to the island a couple years ago. They had been "naturist" with us before at our home, but never at a designated naturist place or resort. We were staying at Heliotel, and my friend Tom took the innkeeper to task on this whole situation, trying to figure out what on earth was going on. If this is a naturist island, why are there so many hang-ups and rules about being naked.

We had been going to France for many years by that point, and I think I had already dismissed this with other matters that seems more bureaucratic than need be, but to Tom, it just seemed like an endless loop-puzzle of silliness. Seems that continues to prove itself over time and again.

Thanks for bring this story to my attention. Would love to meet you in person one day.

Dan

Just wrote a blog post about this! I assume the locals will call me out if I got anything wrong.  😀

I've just read it: a great paper, Daniel!
Do you really want me find anything wrong with it? Here we go.
The police in operation on the island are not "gendarmes", but "police municipale".
For historical weapons France has two police forces, which operate in different places: "gendarmes" who operate mostly in rural areas and on roads, and "policiers" who operated mostly in large urban areas.
On top of those, towns and cities can appoint "policiers municipaux", who are really exalted traffic wardens who deal with the little problems of daily life - with more or less police power devolved to them according to the town or city that has appointed them.The policemen sent to Île du Levant actually belong to this third form of police, "politice municipale" working for the city of Hyères, and not for the nationwide police force.

Jacques, I assume " for historical weapons" was a typo and you meant "for historical reasons" . Although a French friend did tell me that disarming the police municipale had been considered-I think they were considered dangerous with weapons!

OK. Corrected the blog and signed the petition. And put it up on a French naturism board hoping to get a few more people to sign.  :police:

Looks like we need 260 more signature... to do what, I'm not sure.

D