"When in Spain…"

Spain Day 2

Today was as laid back as I want my life to be. Two of my colleagues and I ventured off the ship at about 10:30 am and caught the no.1 bus down to the beach area and had a breakfast which consisted of pateˊ on bread and Spanish coffee. It was yummy.

ED and I then left our colleague HM on the beach, she wanted to get a start on her tan, and He and I went on an official bus tour of Cadíz. For a little 11 euro’s each and a little over an hour we received a comprehensive history of the city as well as a little siesta at one of the extended stops.

We then joined HM at the beach and quickly realized “Toto we aren’t in Kansas anymore”, not that either of us is from Kansas and clearly Kansas has no beaches. It was when we saw the first of many interesting sights. This attractive woman with a great shape walking towards us in her black bikini with what looked to be a belly carrying a 9 month fetus, yes she was pregnant and wearing a bikini, and she looked stunning.

As we started our search for HM we quickly realized there were other women, not so attractive or in as great a shape that were wearing similar type suits. We walked down the boardwalk on the beach and were passed by two plain looking women that were completely topless, one of the women was so plain and flat I thought she was a man until ED made a comment about the two women. We then saw a sight that was as innocent as Adam and Eve pre apple, children, male and female of various shapes and sizes, frolicking in the and out of the water, some of the female children were topless and didnt seem to care or even pay it any mind. This is where it begins.

ED and I then started a conversation about how normal this “nudity” was to the Spaniards and how uptight we Americans were about it, which lead to our next point in the conversation. As we watched women of varying ages, shapes and sizes; many of them without tops on, we concluded that perhaps some of our (American) negative body images had a lot to do with the lack of freedom we have with our own bodies, and how we aren’t allowed to see this positive display and appreciation for the form. This gave me the fuel I needed to throw caution to the wind and remove my top and promptly lay on my stomach and take a siesta. When I went to roll over I promptly put my top back on, in the very prudish way I had been raised to do. I could list a million reasons why I didn’t go topless, but the truth was that honestly I wasn’t comfortable in mixed company on a public beach to do it, maybe next time.

So when in Spain, drink the Sangria! It may just give you the liquid courage you need (as a woman) to throw caution to the wind and your top on the sand.

Tomorrow we take a train to Sevilla let us see what that brings us.