My wife has always been reluctant to go nude on the beach - she has stripped off to swim when caught unprepared on a really hot day - but has never really felt comfortable with the idea. She has always said the best thing about naturist beaches was that she didn't have to worry about covering herself with a towel when changing.

This year we took our holiday in France and went to the beach at Espiguette near Grau du Roi. We had been there on several previous occasion. One section is naturist but the two years we went there we did not venture to that section of the beach as my wife did not fancy it. Then there was the year we encountered the Mistral - a strong wind that defeated my attempts to secure our parasol. We discovered that there was a cafe with sunbeds and parasols at the beginning of the naturist section. We installed ourselves and I went nude while my wife wore her bikini. When we swam she usually removed her top because she doesn't like swimming with a halter-neck. Her normal practice is to then change into a dry bikini for sunbathing.

Day One.

This year we arrived at the beach after a 300 mile drive from our overnight hotel. We went straight to the cafe and hired our sunbeds and then went in for a swim with my wife wearing both parts of her bikini in case the water was cold. It wasn't! We then suncreamed, my wife put on her dry bikini and we settled down to sunbathe. From time to time she would take off her top to sunbathe on her stomach. We decided to go for a second swim. My wife took off the bikini top, hesitated, and then said "What the heck" and removed the bottom as well and walked down to the water. From that point on she swam nude but sunbathed in her bikini.

Day Two.

My wife swam nude but continued to wear a bikini for sunbathing. When lying on her stomach she removed her top but when lying on her back she went in for strap juggling. She doesn't like rubbing suncream on her breasts and she is very concerned about them getting burnt. On our journey she had bought some factor 30 Roc suncream for her face in a pharamacy and she had been given three small samples of their factor 60 product. She decided that the next day it would be easier to try that on her breast and go topless.

Day Three.

Topless for sunbathing and walking; nude for swimming.

Day Four.

At the beginning of the day it was a little breezy so for the first walk my wife wore her bikini top - "for warmth not modesty" but for the rest of the day she was again topless or nude for swimming.

Day Five.

After swimming she decided to stay nude as her skin was a little red where it was squeezed by the elastic of her bikini. To my surprise she even stayed nude for a long walk along the beach.

Days Six, Seven and Eight.

Nude all day but one bikini packed "in case".

Days Nine and Ten.

No bikini packed. My wife declares that she is now a naturist but wouldn't want to strip off in England because it's too cold! She starts talking about next time we come here and not needing to bring a bikini ....

Many men have posted about their wives being reluctant naturists. It is just a case of patience and providing the right environment. It's only taken a little over thirty years of marriage ... My wife says this is the most relaxing holiday we've ever had.