The Naked Traveler

By JRG DeMarco

London in Winter

    Winter may not be the time to expect Naked travel opportunities but it can happen. It's also a good season to plan for warmer months, unless you belong to the Polar Bear Club and enjoy skinny dipping in icy waters.
    London can get colder than cold in winter but it's a great place to take your Naked attitude. A huge town, with lots of gay venues, it's impossible to cover it adequately in a short article. But we'll take a naked peek and see what we can find.
    You'll want a place to stay and there are a number of gay and lesbian hotels or B&Bs. FitzBB is a gay bed and breakfast in the heart of London (fitzbb.me.uk), in an 18th century townhouse near Soho. Geoffrey's Gaystay West One is very central and exclusively gay. It's a B&B near to the gay scene and other attractions and is only two minutes from the nearest tube (subway) station.
    Another possibility is the George Hotel, north of Russell Square near Bloomsbury in a classic curved crescent of Georgian townhouses. The George Hotel was formed as a result of uniting three of these buildings. It's within walking distance of the British Museum, Covent Garden, Soho and the West End. There are many more places to stay and you can find them through Gay London (gaylondon.co.uk), Fruitcamp.com and others.
    The Naked Traveler always takes in the strip bars and London has a number of places to see guys dance (ok, it's a euphemism). BJ's White Swan (bjswhiteswan.com) hosts an amateur strip contest every Wednesday and Sophie is usually on hand to host the eye-popping events. One hundred pounds (about $150) goes to the winner.
    Lots of hunks want to take it off in public - more than you'd think. BJ's is the place to watch the non-professionals; there are, however, guys who do this for a living and you can find them in other clubs. Brompton's gives you strippers each Sunday and The Black Horse (theblackhorsebar.com) is an exciting stop on the circuit which also features the boys dancing.
    The Bridge and Central Station (the King's Cross branch) are fun classy places to watch horny g-string-clad guys dancing for tips. You could get yourself over to Exilio (exilio.co.uk), a bar with a wonderful Latin flavor and a Mr. Exilio competition complete with hunks in skimpy swimwear. London has a ton of other places; schedules and features are always changing. If you find other nakedly pleasing venues, let the Naked Traveler know.
    When you tire of merely looking, it may be time to get to one of London's saunas. Chariots Shoreditch (gaysauna.co.uk/Shoreditch/shoreditch.htm) is sleek and new. It boasts a sizeable heated pool, two hot Jacuzzis, a well maintained tiled locker room, a huge cruising room, two steam rooms, a large sauna, a gym, masseurs, 50 "rest" rooms all free of charge, and an Internet cafe. What more could you ask? Oh, yes. Men. They have quite a few of those also. The rest is up to you.
    The Pleasuredrome (pleasuredrome.com) is the strongest competitor. Newly appointed, it is beautifully tiled, dramatically lit, and up to the minute in everything including flat screen TVs in the private rooms. It has two steam rooms, a spa (with small pool), a large sauna, dark rooms (not for developing photographs), fun rooms, a UV light maze and private rooms. And now there's a 24-hour food bar to satisfy those other cravings. Of course there are other saunas: the Portsea, the Steamworks, the Health Club, the Star Steam Sauna and more. The Naked traveler will check them out on another visit.
    London also has something different in the way of naked pleasure. Club Hard On (hardonclub.co.uk). It's a place where gays and lesbians can go for naked fun and sex play. There are lots of rules in this unique club where safe play is encouraged and it's a members-only venue. But you can easily get a membership, after agreeing to the rules, and have yourself a look. Maybe more.
    When the weather is warmer, we can explore the clothing optional delights that are said to be in Brighton. The Naked Traveler can't wait for the temperature to rise.
    That about uncovers it, for this round. London is too big to fit on this page. You'll have to see it for yourself. So, have your own naked adventure in London. Whatever you do, London is sure to please your naked senses.

Joe DeMarco's latest projects include The Lavender Raven, an online GLBTQ mystery & more journal, at www.lavenderraven.com, as well as Mysterical-E, www.mystericale.com. Joe's website is www.josephdemarco.com

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